IU Kelley students help build a new home for local family
Bloomington, IN, October 15, 2026 – This month, student volunteers from Indiana University and its Kelley School of Business will build a home for the 16th annual Whirlpool Habitat Build.
The event is a collaboration between the Kelley School, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County and Whirlpool Corporation, a home appliance company.
Kelley has partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County since 2010. Each year, Kelley students, staff, and faculty are invited to volunteer; however, all IU students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to get involved.
“A home is the most important asset many families will ever own. Habitat families earn theirs through hundreds of hours of their own work, and our students have the privilege of working beside them,” said Patrick Hopkins, dean of the Kelley School and James R. Hodge Chair of Excellence. “When we leave, a family has a place to raise their children and a foundation for everything that comes next. Our students carry that with them long after they graduate.”
This year, volunteers will work alongside future homeowners Ricardo and Ana Andrea. Currently, their family is renting an apartment, but over the last few years, they have moved frequently because they have been exposed to unsafe living conditions, including mold and pests. When their children started experiencing an increase in allergies and infections, the family realized their current housing wasn’t meeting their needs, and they applied for the Habitat homeownership program.
Over the past few months, Ricardo and Ana Andrea have been working hard to earn sweat equity hours, time and labor future homeowners contribute as a partnership commitment instead of a traditional large down payment. The two have been attending homeownership classes, volunteering at ReStore, and working on the construction site, all while balancing long work hours and parenting their two daughters.
When Ricardo and Ana Andrea accepted their lot offer, a parcel of land acquired or designated by Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County to build an affordable home, they drove to the plot of land that they would one day own.
This year, volunteers from the Kelley School and Whirlpool Corporation will help frame the walls of the family’s new home on that plot of land.
From Thursday, October 15, through Saturday, October 24, volunteers can join Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County for morning and afternoon shifts. Volunteer spots are still available, and anyone interested is welcome to join. To sign up for the Habitat/Whirlpool build, visit the Kelley Institute for Social Impact website.
Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County is a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve safe, affordable places to call home. To learn more, contact habitat@monroecountyhabitat.org.
For questions about the Whirlpool Habitat Build, contact George Vlahakis, Associate Director of Communications and Media Relations at the Kelley School of Business, at vlahakis@iu.edu.
