On any given day, the noise of fans pouring into a basketball game or the echoes of cheers from the football field fill the Hinkle Fieldhouse parking lot with sounds of the community supporting Butler athletics.
On Saturday, the parking lot noise was different. It consisted of the thuds from hammers hitting nails into boards and the chatter of over 140 Butler student-athletes and NCAA staff.
It was the sound of student-athletes returning support to their Indianapolis community by assembling panels that will form the walls of two Habitat for Humanity homes.
The volunteer efforts were a part of a larger initiative funded by a $500,000 investment from the NCAA. A longtime supporter of Habitat's local and national work, the NCAA is the cornerstone sponsor of an Indianapolis development that will provide 10 homes for first-time homebuyers.
Butler baseball players hold up a constructed panel. Butler student-athletes and NCAA staff built panels for two complete homes. (Photos by Olivia Baumhoer / NCAA)
Sonya Hopkins, associate athletics director of academics at Butler, helped facilitate the build with the NCAA. She wanted her student-athletes to see the impact of an organization with a mission close to her heart.
"My brother is the proud owner of a Habitat for Humanity home up in South Bend, Indiana," she said. "I know firsthand how this organization changes lives."
Hopkins sought this experience for her student-athletes to show them how their actions can help change someone's life.
"They're going to learn that nothing is done just by one person. It's always a collaborative opportunity for groups or organizations," Hopkins said. "So for them to be able to see how a home materializes, or at least where it starts, they'll have a greater appreciation of when they're able to buy their first home or when they move into their first apartment. They're going to have a great understanding of what this all means and what it takes to put something like this together."
Redshirt sophomore basketball player Mallory Miller echoed Hopkins.
"When you think about sports, you can apply some of the same things to the build," Miller said. "Teamwork really helps even outside of sports."
As part of the experience, volunteers met the future homeowners of the houses they helped build. Saniya Jackson, a redshirt sophomore on the women's basketball team, said seeing the smiles of the future homeowners felt fulfilling.
"I like helping people out. I can tell this is making them happy, seeing their house come together," Jackson said. "You can tell the excitement when they're talking about it."
Saniya Jackson (third from the left) and her teammates pose in one of the panels. Members of the men's and women's basketball teams and the baseball, lacrosse and cheer teams volunteered for 2½-hour shifts.
Habitat for Humanity walked the volunteers through the process for those wanting to become future homeowners. Candidates complete Habitat University, a course that includes financial counseling and home maintenance education. Once the buyers graduate, they are qualified to buy a Habitat home with no interest.
Brian Yadlon, a graduate student on the baseball team, said the build taught him some realities he'll face after graduation.
"They talked about having zero interest and being able to afford a home. All that stuff is important to be able to know what you're getting yourself into and taking the next step in life," he said.
Simon Linde, a junior baseball player, said his work with Butler's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee encouraged him and his peers to engage in community service. He said he, his teammates and the other Butler student-athletes have a passion for volunteering.
"It's amazing to be able to empower someone with the blessing," he said.
For Linde, the mix of the practical skills learned with helping build a house, paired with quality time spent with teammates, made for a fruitful experience.
"You become a little handier, you get to see the process of putting together a house with just a hammer and nail, and you get your hands a little dirty," Linde said.
"It's always good to be able to put in some work and get to see a finished product at the end," he added. "I always think that's rewarding."
The Habitat for Humanity volunteer efforts were a part of a larger initiative funded by a $500,000 investment from the NCAA.
