Roanoke College freshmen began construction Friday on the college’s 21st R-House for Habitat for Humanity, marking the latest chapter in a longstanding community service partnership.
This year’s home is being built on Chapman Street, southwest of the Roanoke College campus, on property the City of Salem purchased and donated to Habitat for Humanity-Roanoke Valley.
Salem Vice Mayor Anne Marie Green accepted a plaque and thank-you from representatives of Habitat-Roanoke during a ceremony Friday morning recognizing the city’s support of the project.
For 21 years, every incoming Roanoke College freshman has participated in the R-House project as an introduction to the community and a hands-on service experience. Traditionally, students have built sections of a Habitat home on campus before the sections were transported to a permanent site elsewhere in the Roanoke Valley for assembly and completion.
This year, students will walk from campus to the Chapman Street site and help construct the home from the ground up.
The City of Salem provided the lot, removed the previous house on the property and helped prepare the site. The foundation is now in place, allowing students to begin construction.
The project also marks Habitat-Roanoke’s first new home construction in Salem since 2014. The organization is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and has built 300 homes across the Roanoke Valley since 1986.
The R-House project provides Roanoke College students with an early opportunity to work alongside classmates on a tangible community service project while becoming acquainted with the community surrounding the college.
The partnership between Roanoke College and Habitat-Roanoke has made the R-House project a longstanding tradition for incoming students while helping provide affordable housing for families in the region.
