Of all the clubs impacted by COVID-19, Mercyhurst’s Habitat for Humanity Club has been one of the hardest hit.

The club members work almost exclusively off-campus, building houses in the Erie area or much further afield. For spring break, Habitat members traditionally travel off campus for a week-long trip, usually to the south.

This year, things are a lot different. Instead of building houses, students are being invited to build their own snow structures.

On Feb. 17 students can make snowmen or other snow sculptures anywhere on campus, take a photo and tag the Habitat for Humanity Instagram @mercy-hursthabitat. The club will choose the best snow sculptures and give gift cards to their creators.

Everyone, Habitat Club members or not, are invited to get out and build with their friends, neighbors, or roommates. Masks and social distancing are required, but students are still encouraged to get out and mingle safely.

Later on in the semester Habitat for Humanity will continue to host safe, on-campus events. Club members can volunteer to help with shoveling snow on campus and picking up any trash caught in the snow.

Any student who needs service hours or wants to give of their time is also welcome to join. If you are interested in joining Habitat for Humanity as an official club member, their first meeting of the year will be held on Feb. 24 at 7:30 pm. This will take place on Zoom.

The board will be introduced, questions about the club will be answered, and there will even be a Kahoot. Gift card prizes will be distributed to the winners. The Zoom link for the meeting can be found on the HUB page. Whether you plan to attend any meetings or not, don’t forget to build your best snowman on Feb. 17 and share your pics by tagging Habitat!