 Past Trips
Spring 2004 - Savannah, GA
Twenty UMD students spent their Spring Break in scenic Savannah, where the trees hang low over the streets, laden down with Spanish moss, helping Coastal Empire Habitat build their single-family homes. Sleeping on the floors of a local church and taking showers at the YMCA, this diverse band of volunteers painted, laid sod, installed siding, worked on landscaping and final finishing touches on several houses throughout the week. They spent their days off enjoying Savannah's sunny weather and grassy parks, visiting the beaches at Tybee Island and soaking up the sun. Evenings were spent playing Sardines or Laser Tag in the church's community areas, watching movies, playing group games and taking a ghost tour of historic Savannah.
Winter 2004 - New Orleans, LA
After the 2003's successful Winter Break Trip to New Orleans, 17 Maryland students returned there in January 2004 to work with Habitat of St. Tammany West, in Covington, LA. A little initial confusion about sleeping accommodations at Camp Abby--and an invasion of Boy Scouts (bless their little hearts)--resulted in a group-bond-forming first night at a local motel. The group's first day in the city included sightseeing in the French Quarter and the acrobatic antics of a few men in lime green workout suits. Other highlights of the trip included the longest-yet search for a Cici's pizza (or, rather, accurate directions to one), Bruce (the worksite puppy), Battle of the Sexes at Sunset Point near Mandeville, and the excitement of being in the French Quarter to celebrate an LSU bowl-game victory. While the weather was colder and the work wasn't as intense as the first New Orleans trip--this time, students were laying cinder blocks for foundations, doing siding on sheds and putting in the floor joists and supports--the progress was visible and rewarding. Camp Abby came through for us again, and we held a bonfire and lasagna dinner before saying goodbye once more.
Spring 2003 - Charleston, SC
Twenty-four UMD students--our second largest Collegiate Challenge group to date--voyaged to Charleston to work with Sea Island Habitat in John's Island, SC. Staying in the close quarters of 'Mercy House'--a home built by Habitat especially to house volunteers, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a roomy living area--they were merely a walk from the work site. After nearly setting the stove on fire on the first night, the trip only got more exciting for the students. Working on framing, roofing, painting, insulating, landscaping and numerous other jobs around the site, a cul-de-sac of 75 homes (of which 25 were completed, and a dozen were in progress), they bonded as a group and had some hilarious times. Aside from the necessary beach trip, they went roller-skating, karaoke-ing, took a ghost tour of old-town Charleston, and watched a painful Terps basketball loss. The front of the official Spring Break t-shirt had a hammer-wielding stick figure inscribed with "I BUILD"...and build they did!
Winter 2003 - New Orleans, LA
On our chapter's first Winter Break Collegiate Challenge trip, sixteen UMD students made the 18-hour trek to Louisiana to work with Habitat for Humanity of St. Tammany West, in Covington, LA for almost two weeks. The worksite was composed of two houses, side-by-side. When students arrived, one was a bare concrete slab; walls were framed on the slab next door. By the time they left, the house that started as a slab had been framed, covered with plywood and sheathed in styrofoam insulation; the second house had been closed in with plywood and insulation, had a complete roof and a significant amount of siding. In the evening hours, the group visited the French Quarter and various other sights in New Orleans, discovered Cici's Pizza--beginning a tradition--and enjoyed the rustic setting of Camp Abby, playing Mafia around a bonfire while eating s'mores and enjoying each other's company.
Spring 2002 - Myrtle Beach, SC
For spring break, 25 students (the most ever!) loaded into two vans and a car and made the long trek to Myrtle Beach for a week of sun, fun, and building with Habitat of Horry County. After cooking up a pasta feast on Friday night, the group loaded into vehicles on Saturday morning to get an early start on the 8-9 hour drive. After making a traditional stop at South of the Border, the group arrived in South Carolina early enough to get in some time at the beach before sunset. Accommodations were not quite as fancy as the church of Spring '01, but the kitchen-equipped 'apartment' for 25 was only a block from the beach and even had a pool. The group spent the week putting vinyl siding on a Habitat home, in addition to finishing up some roofing and yard work. When not building, the group spent time at the beach, shopping, singing karaoke with the locals at Warren's, dancing with Elvis impersonators, playing mini-golf, watching the Carolina Opry, clubbing, doing puzzles, going thrift store shopping, cooking feasts, and cheering on the Maryland basketball team!!! The group just couldn't get enough of each other and ended up watching Maryland win the NCAA Championship together the night after they returned.
Spring 2001 - Jacksonville, SC
Thirteen Maryland students traveled by van to Jacksonville, Florida to work with HabiJax, the local affiliate. They spent the week working on projects at several houses: they built fences, did roofing, fabricated walls with nail guns and helped construct exterior walls. They stayed in a huge, beautiful church, which included an indoor pool that was naturally very popular. Students spent evenings cooking dinner, playing Mafia, in the pool, having those deep conversations that are required for college, going to a karaoke bar, watching the Terps play basketball during the Final Four and eating out. They also spent a day at Daytona Beach.
Spring 2000 - Florence, SC
Ten UMD students traveled to Florence, South Carolina to work with Habitat of Horry County, SC. We were working on new construction, which was very different from our usual renovation work. When we first got there, the house consisted of a concrete slab and preliminary wall framing. By the time we left, the house had a roof and styrofoam insulation on the walls.
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