Outdoorsy, ambitious, and motivated to see others succeed; these are just some of the qualities that describe Dan Murphy. Dan is a senior majoring in General Management with focuses in Finance and Organizational Behavior and a minor in Economics (whoa!). Dan is also the current president of Pitt’s branch of Habitat for Humanity. Habitat is an organization which aims to rid the world of poverty and homelessness by building homes for those in need of shelter.
Although it’s finals week, Dan was kind enough to take time from his studies to answer a few questions his involvement in Habitat for Humanity.
HC: How did you get involved with Habitat for Humanity?
Dan: I got involved with habitat my freshman year. A friend of my brother’s, who became the president the following year, told me to stop by the activities fair and check it out. After going on my first workday and Spring Break trip, I was hooked.
HC: What are your responsibilities as president of this organization?
Dan: As president, I like to think of myself as first and foremost a “people manager.” One person cannot run this club, and I lean on my board and chair members heavily. They are the real catalysts of this organization.
HC: What is the goal of Habitat for Humanity?
Dan: The main goal of Habitat for Humanity is a vision put into fruition by its founder, Millard Fuller. We are making an effort to end the strain of poverty housing, giving everyone a safe and affordable place to call home. One house at a time, all over the world, this dream is gradually becoming true. We were proud to see the 500,000th home be completed in October in Kenya, ironically on World Habitat Day.
HC: What would one expect to do as a member of this group?
Dan: As a member of the club, the goal is to have fun and be a valuable contributor regardless of skill level. It is not uncommon to have members that have never picked up a hammer to be invaluable assets to our club. There are weekly workdays, yes, but there are also education and advocacy opportunities, fundraising opportunities, and general body social events going on constantly throughout the year. If construction is your thing, you can attend 3-4 workdays each and every Saturday in the greater Pittsburgh area. We typically volunteer with Allegheny Valley Habitat for Humanity, Habitat of Greater Pittsburgh, Washington Habitat, and Seeds of Hope Church along with numerous other organizations. Typical workdays consist of a combination of site work, where the actual house is being built, and work in the ReStore, a central hub for donated goods. This way, students are exposed to every aspect of H4H and can contribute in ways other than driving nails and hanging siding.
HC: So, there’s a new office that just opened O’Hara? Tell us about that.
Dan: The new office is a Godsend. It is possibly the thing I will miss the most about my senior year. It combines a great place to hold meetings, plan activities, study, hold materials, and hang out with good friends from our organization and other like-minded service organizations in our office space.
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HC: What are your plans for the future? Will you stay involved with Habitat?
Dan: Post graduation I plan on moving back to the Philadelphia area. I’m in search of a position in the fields of asset management or corporate finance. Despite relinquishing my position in Panther Habitat, by no means am I done volunteering with the organization. One of the beauties of Habitat is that there are hundreds of affiliates all over the country, providing ample opportunity to make an impact in your local community or wherever life may take you.
HC: Are there any upcoming events we should know about?
Dan: We do have a variety of upcoming events. We are very proud to announce an initiative of a UPitt home building project. Typically in the past, we go through affiliates to work on their projects, but we are in the planning and fundraising phases of building our own house, so stay tuned.
We are also in the midst of planning our yearly Spring Break trip to Georgia and also our yearly Global Village trip to a foreign country in the summer. Last year a number of students traveled to Guatemala to carry on Habitat’s mission.
Lastly, we are also planning our Benefit Concert for the beginning of April. We bring in a few local headline bands, play games, and eat food! This is usually the culmination of Act! Speak! Build! Week, an initiative aimed at raising awareness. Look for the HabiShack on the Union lawn!
HC: How can others get involved?
Dan: Others can get involved by attending one of our weekly general body meetings held every Tuesday at 9pm in Posvar 1700. There you can learn about different aspects of what H4H does, what our chapter is involved in, and what workday, advocacy, education, and fundraising opportunities there are. Or, drop me a line at danmurphy66@gmail.com.
So, if you’re looking to join a new organization for the spring semester, definitely consider Habitat for Humanity. It’s a wonderful organization and a great way to have fun and change the world!
Check out the Pitt chapter’s website (http://www.pitt.edu/~sorc/habitat/) or the international website (http://www.habitat.org) for even more information about Habitat for Humanity.