Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University volunteers have raised more than half the funds necessary to build the institution's third Habitat for Humanity home this fall.

Wabash Valley Habitat for Humanity's 71st build is in partnership with the Manalaysay family, who moved to Terre Haute from California in 2010. Indiana State has raised more than $34,000 toward its fundraising goal of $60,000.

"It doesn't matter if it's big or small -- it will be a brand new home for my girls," said Dahlia Manalaysay.

The home will be built at 1511 S. 13 1/2 St., which means Dahlia will be close to her job at Regional Hospital and her daughters, AJ and Ainsley, won't have to change schools. Dahlia is looking forward to having a larger kitchen and a backyard for her girls and dogs to enjoy. "I love to cook," she said.

AJ and Ainsley are both on the varsity tennis team at their schools and will participate in the construction process. Dahlia is accruing time toward Habitat's required 250 hours of "sweat equity" at the Wabash Valley Habitat ReStore.

The Manalaysay family's new Habitat home will be the perfect spot for them to celebrate AJ's graduation from Terre Haute South High School next spring. Indiana State is top of her list of prospective colleges to pursue a pre-medicine degree.

Indiana State has a long history of community service, dating back to the first Donaghy Day in 1976. Service-learning opportunities are built into hundreds of courses at State, and each year, students and employees clock more than a million hours of volunteering.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to help a deserving family and to demonstrate our institutional commitment to community service and outreach," said Nancy Rogers, vice president for university engagement at State. "Our hope is that many students will participate, and it will serve as a trigger for conversations about poverty and housing."

Indiana State has hosted a series of fundraisers -- including basketball benefit games, bowling, trivia and a craft beer festival -- since launching this latest Habitat initiative in September. More events are being planned for this fall.

For more information about the build, upcoming fundraisers or to contribute, go to indstate.edu/habitat.

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Photos: https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/marketing/Marketing-people/Habitat-for-Humanity-2019/i-8f72mNw/0/a966daf5/X4/20190630_Community%20Outreach-8382-X4.jpg -- From left, the Manalaysay family AJ, Dahlia and Ainsley pose for a photograph on the Indiana State University campus.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/marketing/Marketing-people/Habitat-for-Humanity-2019/i-nL7kTHW/0/c2a36690/X4/20190630_Community%20Outreach-8359-X4.jpg -- From left, the Manalaysay family AJ, Dahlia and Ainsley pose for a photograph on the Indiana State University campus.

Media contact: Libby Roerig, University Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3790 or libby.roerig@indstate.edu