To many, Spring Break is a drinking excuse. For Pat Mulheran, it’s a chance to build houses for the homeless.

Mulheran, the campus minister of the Newman Catholic Student Center, is in charge of the Habitat for Humanity program. The program will send two teams of NIU students to Arkansas and Alabama.

This particular DeKalb organization operates from inside the Newman Center, 512 Normal Road, and is designed to promote justice and social action.

“Students are going because they want to make a difference and help others,” Mulheran said.

This year’s Habitat for Humanity theme is taken from a Mother Teresa quote. Teresa, the famous humanitarian, once said, “God does not call us to do great things, but to do small things with great love.”

The trip to Arkansas is considered a “Blitz Build,” meaning the group builds a complete house in the time they are there.

The Alabama trip is focused on continuing a house project already in the works.

Mulheran insists that the trips are not Evangelical, although they do have a reflection period following the work.

“As a team, we have reflective time together,” Mulheran said. “We share our God moments.”

The program is designed for lower-income individuals who actually have to pay for the houses, but not the full face value.

“It’s something we’re called to do. I’m well off enough to help out other people,” said Brian Yandle, a junior accountancy major and trip co-leader.

Many of the materials are donated from companies, which reduces the house prices significantly.

“Part of the payment comes from [the beneficiary] building someone else’s home,” Mulheran said.

Participants of the Habitat for Humanity program are allowed to bring whatever materials they feel appropriate, but drinking and drugs are prohibited, Mulheran said.