MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The weather may have been dreary, but the mood was definitely sunny and bright earlier today when ground was broken on the Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity's latest affordable housing unit in the West Run Road section of Morgantown.
 
This particular group of duplexes, located on Bergamont Street, is being constructed with the help of West Virginia University Intercollegiate Athletics. The department has been involved in many charitable causes through the years but nothing quite as ambitious as this. A total of three duplexes will be constructed, housing six families.
 
"We're excited to be able to partner with the Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity, not only for our student-athletes who do many community-related things through the year, but this also gives us the opportunity as a staff to be able to come together and do something so positive for Morgantown," Shane Lyons, West Virginia University director of athletics and associate vice president, said. 
 
"Today is just the beginning of this project," he added. "In a few months, we will be able to come together, hopefully on a sunny day, and see the finished product and give a very deserving family a home they can call home. Home is where the heart is, and that's why this groundbreaking happening here today is so exciting."
 
Keli Zinn, deputy director of athletics, Steve Uryasz, senior associate athletics director, and Tangela Cheatham, director of student-athlete enhancement, have spearheaded the department's partnership with Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity on this project.
 
According to Shawnda Cook, Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity executive director, nearly 60 homes in Monongalia County have been constructed through this particular program. Organizations ranging from Mylan, to banking, to the faith community and local student groups have volunteered their time in the past.
 
Cook said Habitat Community International also has a program called "Collegiate Challenge" that brings college students from other parts of the country here to assist with their building program during spring break.
 
"Come springtime, we'll have college groups from all over come here to volunteer and spend a week instead of going to Daytona Beach, or wherever students go these days," she said.
 
Unlike this particular site, Cook said most of the homes constructed through the program are located in the Jerome Park area of Morgantown.
 
"This site was donated to us," she said. "When I received the call about a potential donation,  we have a committee that comes out and looks at the site to make sure it's buildable and can be adequately utilized. They said this site is suitable, so from there we have worked closely with Cheat Road Engineering to do our grading and (Morgantown architect) Delores John, who is on our board and is helping design these units."

Overseeing the daily operation will be construction manager Frank Bennett. His responsibility is making sure the project remains on schedule and, most importantly, is done properly. 
 
This will be the 11^th home Bennett has constructed through Habitat for Humanity program.
 
"What it comes down to is making sure it's a comfortable, well-built home for the families living in it," he explained. "You have to make sure everything is done properly as far as the electrical work before you put the drywall up. Everything has to be inspected."
 
This site is particularly demanding because it sits on a steep grade, but Bennett is confident they can navigate the challenging terrain.
 
For Cook, the biggest reward comes at the very end when she hands the keys over to a deserving family.
 
"Sometimes, we do the home dedications and the blessings after they've moved in and the kids are so excited to see their own rooms and they want to show you every little thing. To me, that's the most rewarding part," she said.
 
Cheatham will be tasked with coordinating WVU staff and student-athlete schedules for this project. Her goal is to have as many people as possible involved with this.
 
"It's not too far from campus, so we can all get here pretty easily," she pointed out. "The goal is to have different departments take one day a week and go out to the site over the course of the nine-to-12 months that it's going to take to construct these.
 
"Eventually, during the latter part of the build, we will get the student-athletes involved on a team-by-team basis. More than anything, we're helping a local family get into a safe, well-built home that they can afford. Hopefully they can live in this home until they don't want to live there anymore," she said.
 
"Teamwork is the business we're in, facing adversity," Lyons added. "The lot here looks to be very challenging, but it's something we're very excited to get involved with."
 
Construction will begin this month.