Press Release

Saint Mary’s College Teams up with Rebuilding Together

Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
gobrien@saintmarys.edu
(574) 284-4579 (desk)

April 13, 2009 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Saint Mary’s College students, faculty, and staff will get their hands dirty on April 25 as they spruce up a River Park home as part of Rebuilding Together 2009. The College’s Office for Civic and Social Engagements (OCSE) is sponsoring a home in South Bend's River Park neighborhood.

OCSE will be hosting a jewelry show to raise money for the College’s sponsored home. “Just Jewelry for a Just Cause” will be held in the atrium of the Student Center on Tuesday, April 21 from 3-7 p.m. The public is invited to attend. Eight local artisans will be selling earrings, bracelets, pendants and more. Each crafter has agreed to donate at least 20% of her proceeds to the Rebuilding Together cause.

Rebuilding Together is a national program that rehabilitates selected houses belonging to elderly, disabled or low-income homeowners. In South Bend the project focuses on a different neighborhood each year, rehabilitating up to 25 homes selected through an application and screening process.

OCSE Director Carolyne Call said there’s no better way to answer Jesus’ call to “Love thy neighbor” than to work several hours for someone who is not able to perform or afford the work on their own.

“This project allows us to love our neighbors, one house at a time,” Call said. “It gives students, as well as faculty and staff, the opportunity to engage in hands-on work that makes a very real and immediate difference in someone's life. It also allows us to meet people in the community, hear their stories and ease some of their burden. This is especially important now in such grim economic times.”

About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. The College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the nation's top liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2009 annual survey. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.