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Twelve members of the university chapter of Habitat for Humanity trekked to Brunswick, Ga., for four days of hard, rewarding work in the sun. The weight of the trip was certainly not overlooked by Brunswick resident Alberta Lockwood, who gratefully watched as the Hamline group helped build her a new Southern abode.

“She would occasionally come by and give us a big hug,” senior Eric Hove said. “You know they appreciate it. We’re helping change their lives. It’s more than worth it.”

Hove said he wasn’t clear on the details about Lockwood’s previous home. It either burned down or collapsed, he said. She was elderly and lived alone. She didn’t talk much.

“She would tell us how much she appreciated this,” Jeff Fowler, senior and president of Hamline Habitat for Humanity, said. “That’s the important part. Without that, we were just nailing boards together. It gave us a sense of why we were doing things.”

The group worked until 2 p.m. each day, but was treated to the local hospitality at night. Hove said they experienced everything from sing-alongs to authentic fried chicken.

“They were very kind,” he said.

Brunswick is a community of around 15,000, set on the Atlantic Ocean, south of Savannah. Surrounded by more affluent resort towns, the old city stands cut off from the rest of the region. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, over 30 percent of the population is below the poverty line.

“What was interesting is that it’s part of the Golden Isles region, which is a pretty exclusive community,” Hove said. “Brunswick proper is one of the poorest communities in Georgia. There was sheer disparity of economic class in such close distance.”

Fowler said it was the interplay of rich and poor that played off of local culture.

“We had a lot of interaction with the wealthier part of the community, and it was a lot different from Minnesota,” he said. “Here, we have the assumption that rich people don’t help poor people. There, it’s more culturally laid-back and more collectivist. There was that sense that everybody needs to help out.”

Hove said the students put three walls up and trusses on the roof. Throughout the summer, different volunteer groups will shuffle in and out to finish the house. But for Lockwood, these 12 students have more than left their mark.