LEED renovation of Grand Rapids home pairs Aquinas students with Habitat for Humanity

A new endeavor to gut and rehab an existing home in a Southwest Grand Rapids' neighborhood makes Aquinas College the first West Michigan college to sponsor a Habitat for Humanity project in its entirety.

Aquinas partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Kent County to renovate the 1940s dwelling at 721 Griggs SW as a LEED For Homes Total Gut-Rehab because the service project fits with the tenets of the school.

"One of the four Dominican charisms revolves around service and this is an opportunity to connect students, alumni and staff on a project that resonates with the charisms," says Greg McAleenan, Aquinas' vice president for institutional advancement. "Aquinas is the first college to offer a sustainable business degree and Habitat embraces the same values for sustainability."

One of the home's green features is Ultra Touch cotton insulation made from recycled denim. Product claims say the insulation contains no formaldehyde, is mold and mildew resistant and doesn't irritate skin. On Earth Day 2009, Aquinas students and staff donated 731 pounds of denim for recycling into insulation.

Bob Joslin and his daughter Tiara are both Aquinas alum and they plan to donate the insulation through their Comstock Park company, Cotton Insulation, says McAleenan.

McAleenan says Habitat gutted the home in preparation for the rebuild, and now students, staff and alumni are volunteering on-site to rebuild the interior, working toward a November 1 completion.

Aquinas committed to a $37,500 financial investment for the home. The college expects to raise the money through fundraising. A federal program will match the donation. Aquinas also seeks in-kind donations of materials.

The homebuyer family, Matthew Riak and Achol Kuir, work alongside the volunteers as part of their commitment to invest 300 to 500 hours of sweat equity in the home. Riak is a Lutheran minister and a former "Lost Boy" of Sudan. The couple is expecting their first child.

Source: Greg McAleenan, Aquinas College; Habitat for Humanity of Kent County
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].