Saturday, May. 22, 2010
MNU football players give back to community
By STINSON DEAN
Special to The Olathe News
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ReprintPractically every college football team touts its community involvement, but few so visibly put their money where their proverbial mouth is in the way MidAmerica Nazarene’s gridiron gang did for a few Saturdays recently.
The Pioneers gave up their mornings to help Heartland ReStore, the resale arm of Habitat for Humanity.
James Perry, a former MNU All-America wide receiver, hatched the idea of having the Pioneers’ 80-man roster volunteer to help out the well-known and well-respected 34-year-old charity that builds homes for those in need primarily through donated money and materials.
Without a home build project to assist with, MNU’s players instead worked at the Kansas City, Kan., Heartland ReStore in shifts of 15.
The Pioneers’ muscle was used to cut lumber for shelves and organize heavy objects, like porcelain sinks that volunteer coordinator Vanessa Little and the Heartland ReStore staff struggle to move on their own.
“I couldn’t lift those sinks at all,” said Brenda Hansett, the store’s floor manager. “They (the MNU players) just saved me hours of work. These guys were a great help to our store. We got things done that have been put on hold for months.”
Players also broke down pallets, loaded furniture for customers and helped reorganize entire sections of the Heartland ReStore stock of home-improvement materials.
“This wasn’t what you normally think of when you think Habitat for Humanity,” Pioneers senior linebacker Adam Riggers said, “but we were doing things no one else had time do or wanted to do. Any way we can get involved in the community as a team is only going to help.”
According to Little, all money made from sales goes directly to the Heartland Habitat for Humanity affiliate’s home-building campaigns.
The items for sale at Heartland ReStore are donated, mostly in bulk, which can be a chore to unload and organize even for the strapping men who comprise the MNU football roster.
Just ask junior defensive back Montez Willis, who enjoyed the hard labor because of the cause it benefitted.
“We were out there in the rain 15 strong unloading trailers full of siding, cinder blocks, soffit and whatever else you could imagine,” Willis said. “ It was hard work, but it feels good to give back to the community.”
The enduring image of Habitat for Humanity’s work is a group of volunteers raising the frame that is to become the backbone for the wall of a house.
While MNU players didn’t get to enjoy that experience, there’s no doubt the time and effort donated made a positive impact. Such volunteerism is at the heart of what makes Habitat for Humanity the success it is internationally.
“The ReStore almost solely relies on volunteers each day,” Little said. “Having 30 volunteers on one day was logistically tough as we are not used to having that many volunteers. It was a lot to handle, but a good problem to have.”
And the homeless in the metro are better off for MNU’s effort.
“Everything we do is geared to help build homes for the homeless,” Hansett said.
“(Pioneer football) helped advance that cause Saturday with all its help.”
The Pioneers, who went 10-2 last year and reached the second round of the NAIA Football Championship Series in their first year under coach Jonathan Quinn, probably advanced their own cause too through such a selfless team-bonding endeavor.
More information on Heartland ReStore in Kansas City, Kan.,
can be found at
ReStore
The Olathe News sportswriter Tod Palmer contributed to this story