RIPON, Wis. – Ripon’s Village Green will be transformed into a shantytown the night of Nov. 16 as community members and college students alike build temporary shelters to bring attention to the problems of hunger and homelessness in our community.

The event, sponsored by the Ripon College Office of Community Engagement and Habitat for Humanity club, begins at 8 p.m. with the construction of shelters for the night.

Teams of any size will use provided cardboard boxes, wood, tape and other materials to create a home to withstand the chilly night. There is no cost to participate, and prizes will be awarded to the most weather-tight structures.

“According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 8,000 people live below the poverty line in Fond du Lac County,” said event organizer Theresa Kedinger, a Ripon College student from Rosendale, Wis. “Poverty isn’t just a big-city problem.”

Prior to constructing the shacks, teams may participate in a scavenger hunt to gather items for local food pantries. Teams will meet at Ripon College’s Pickard Commons at 5 p.m. to start the event, and prizes will be awarded to the fastest teams.

Kedinger invites all to participate in these events. For more information or to register, please contact the Office of Community Engagement at 920-745-7153.

About Ripon College
Ripon College, founded in 1851, prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Ripon’s liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education. Ripon has been recognized as a “best value” and “Best 361 College” by The Princeton Review, a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s, and among the 160 best schools in the nation by Colleges of Distinction. For more information about Ripon College, visit www.ripon.edu.

 
Students construct their cardboard shanty for the 2006 event