Bulldogs in Service volunteers work on a loft house, 2011. 

Students, staff, and alumni to prefabricate a house for Hands of Mercy

The University of Redlands Bulldogs will show their spirit and commitment to community on April 13 as local students and alumni work on campus to prefabricate panels of a Hands of Mercy (HOM) loft house which will be transported to Mexico for assembly there. The U of R’s offices of Community Service Learning (CSL) and Student Involvement and Success (SIS) are hosting this project with the guidance of HOM leadership, working in the Brockton Apartments parking lot.

The loft house is 12-feet by 12-feet with four windows, a door that locks and a second-story attic loft for sleeping reached by an interior ladder. It has a raised, wooden floor built on concrete piers instead of a concrete slab which accelerates construction time. For about $3,500, the loft house provides basic protection and shelter for a family.  

“All are welcome to participate meaningfully in this event,” says Erin Sanborn ’10, director of SIS. “Those who don’t feel comfortable swinging a hammer can collect items, such as bedding, housewares, and food, for a care package to give the family.”

Bulldogs in Service, now in its 11^th year, brings together students, staff, and alumni to demonstrate the Bulldog spirit of service through local events in communities across the nation. Visit Bulldogs in Service to see all of the planned projects and to register.