It was her first day on a job site as a Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County volunteer, but Tori Martin seemed like a veteran Monday.
“I love this kind of stuff,” the Clemson University junior said as she helped build homes on Melrose Lane in west Anderson. “I like anything to do with wood — cutting it, hammering it, building with it. If you’re going to build something sturdy, you’ve got to have some solid wood.”
Martin learned many of her hammer-and-nails skills from her grandfather and father in Roswell, Georgia. She rarely gets the chance to put it to use as a preveterinary major at Clemson, but foresees any training as a good thing.
“I’m hoping to work on a farm, near animals, and knowing how to fix a fence might be part of the job,” she said. “I was excited as soon as I heard about this opportunity.”
Martin, a member of Clemson’s rowing team, was among 45 Clemson University athletes who volunteered Monday at the Habitat site as part of a service project for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Aled Hollingworth, a graduate student assistant in student-athlete development, has coordinated an effort to build several homes in the Melrose community.
“Last year, our athletes gave 1,800 hours of community service on projects like this,” Hollingworth said as he helped put vinyl siding onto the front of the house. “When people think of athletes, they think of the athletics and the academics, but not usually this part of their lives.”
About 400 honor Martin Luther King Jr. at Anderson event
Athletes from the football, women’s soccer, rowing, volleyball and baseball teams were part of the project.
As part of the observance of Martin Luther King Day, classes were not in session Monday on the Clemson campus.
Source: http://www.independentmail.com/story/news/local/2017/01/16/clemson-students-volunteer-anderson-mlk-jr-day/96640156/
