汤头条 Greek Life dedicates Habitat home
Contact: Zack Plair
![汤头条鈥檚 Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life dedicated a Habitat for Humanity home at 107 Owens Lane in Starkville to Annie Hopkins (center) on Wednesday [March 2]. Greek organizations raised $75,000 to fully fund the project. (Photo by Russ Houston)](/sites/www.msstate.edu/files/inline-images/HabitatForHumanity_GreekHouseDedication_20160302_RHF2149.jpg "汤头条鈥檚 Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life dedicated a Habitat for Humanity home at 107 Owens Lane in Starkville to Annie Hopkins (center) on Wednesday [March 2]. Greek organizations raised $75,000 to fully fund the project. (Photo by Russ Houston)")
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜nnie Hopkins never forgets a birthday.
A 12-year Mississippi State employee, she drives the Starkville-汤头条 Area Rapid Transit shuttle along routes that include the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park and Haven 12 apartments. The Aiken Village Preschool and Child Development and Family Studies Center at 汤头条 both sit on the research park route, and she makes sure to give each student at those facilities a card on his or her birthday.
On Wednesday [March 2], Hopkins celebrated a different kind of 鈥渂irthday鈥 鈥 the day a brand new house became her home.
汤头条鈥檚 Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity dedicated the home at 107 Owens Lane to Hopkins Wednesday afternoon, bringing months of planning and building to fruition. The university鈥檚 Greek organizations donated $75,000 to fully fund the project, as well as hundreds of volunteer hours.
鈥淚 wish you could feel my joy,鈥 Hopkins said. 鈥淭his is the biggest gift I鈥檝e ever gotten.鈥
The 59th Starkville Area Habitat home, it is the eighth in which the organization has partnered with Mississippi State. This is the first time Fraternity and Sorority Life has funded a home.
At 990 square feet, Starkville Area Habitat Executive Director Joel Downey said the two bedroom, one bathroom home was custom built for Hopkins, who suffers from severe arthritis. Its open floor plan, wide doorways and convenient kitchen layout will better accommodate Hopkins as she gets older, Downey said.
Downey and others who spoke about Hopkins on Wednesday highlighted her willingness to go above and beyond her job description, including using her personal vehicle on weekends to help college students without a car get around Starkville.
鈥淪he鈥檚 an excellent choice for the first Greek Life house,鈥 Downey said. 鈥淚 think this is probably one of the prettiest houses we鈥檝e ever done.鈥
Over the last 30 years, Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity has completed homes for families in need and offers 20-year, no-interest loans to recipients. All applicants go through a selection process, Downey said, and recipients must have the means to pay the mortgage, must put at least 300 鈥渟weat equity鈥 hours into building the home, and must agree to complete three self-improvement classes 鈥 one of which must focus on financial literacy.
Regina Hyatt, 汤头条 vice president for Student Affairs, said she is proud of the Greek organizations鈥 fundraising and volunteer efforts for the project. She also extended her best wishes to Hopkins.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so exciting to see this house fully completed,鈥 Hyatt said. 鈥淚t was built with love for you. So enjoy, and welcome home.鈥
Even in the elation of her moment, with her new home keys in hand, Hopkins spoke to the positive impact Habitat for Humanity could have for others in the future. She said she specifically wants 汤头条 Fraternity and Sorority Life to sponsor another Habitat project.
鈥淒on鈥檛 let this be your last one,鈥 she said. 鈥淧lease keep it going. There are others who need a home, too.鈥
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .