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Pepperdine Employees Trade Christmas Luncheon for Opportunity to Build Habitat House
On Wednesday, Dec. 20, in lieu of a traditional Christmas lunch and gift exchange on campus this year, up to 100 Pepperdine advancement and public affairs employees worked in partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build a home for a family without one. The Saravia family, Noe, Eva and their twin sons, Henry and Irwin look forward to moving into their new Oxnard home, a house being built by Pepperdine University.
Pepperdine and the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation began construction on the home called Pierre’s Place in late September. The home was named in honor of the life of Pierre Claeyssens, former Pepperdine Seaver College Board Member and founder of the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation. The main goal of the foundation is to help the underprivileged, underserved, and less fortunate to acquire the basic necessities of life.
About the Saravia Family
Farm workers, Noe and Eva Saravia started their family with twin boys in a converted garage, split into a one bedroom with a bathroom and kitchenette. The plumbing leaked, there was no heat and the garage section of the house was susceptible to rats and spiders. The family spent more than a decade there. But in 2004 all that would change, Noe and Eva were selected as one of six families to become Habitat homeowners at the Villa Cesar Chavez development. Since being chosen, the family has worked tirelessly to dig trenches, haul lumber and help the other five families become homeowners.
About Habitat
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard and poverty housing. With donated land and volunteer labor, Habitat partners with low-income families to build homes using the principle of “sweat equity” at no profit and with no interest loans. As a part of their outreach, Habitat volunteers also repair existing homes for families, the elderly, and the handicapped.
