Students take holiday spirit to city residents

According to West Philadelphia resident Victor Harris, his three-story home needed rehabilitation "from front to back." Saturday, 35 people descended on his house on the 4600 block of Locust Street to install new plumbing and electrical systems. And to patch the porch ceiling. And to replace the porch floor. And to repaint the entire interior of the house. The repairs to Harris' house were part of a 600-person volunteer effort Saturday to rehabilitate 20 homes of elderly, handicapped and low-income families in West and North Philadelphia called Christmas in April. Volunteers included Wharton MBA students and University Physical Plant workers, joined by Temple University Basketball Coach John Chaney and Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Hersey Hawkins. "This is like a dream come true," Harris said. "I'm flabbergasted -- I don't have enough words to describe it." Harris' name was submitted to the Christmas in April House Selection Committee by a friend, and he was then interviewed by the committee which decided his home was worthy of renovation. Harris, a 58-year-old Philadelphia native who became paralyzed when he was 17, has been living in his home for eighteen years and has been unable to complete the necessary repairs. The Philadelphia chapter of Christmas in April was founded in 1988 by a group of University graduate students and Physical Plant workers. A committee of 90 students has been planning the event "literally since the day after last year's program," according to Wharton second-year MBA student and chapter Executive Director Patrick Walsh. "It's very gratifying to see it coming together," Walsh said. "This is the thousand points of light that President Bush is talking about." Walsh, who has been working together with about ten other students on the event for up to 20 hours each week since last fall, said planning the event helped him to develop more leadership skills than any class. The students raised over $50,000 and received both labor and material donations from several local suppliers, according to first-year MBA student Leslie Morgan. Philadelphia 76er Hawkins did a little scraping and painting, but admitted that he's "good at giving direction." "I think it's great when people are willing to spend time to help others -- that's the ultimate," Hawkins said. Temple Coach Chaney said that government should step in to foster programs like Christmas in April. "This gives a renewed spirit to what people are all about," Chaney said. The volunteers installed heating and electrical wiring, repaired plumbing, painted and plastered ceilings and walls, and replaced faulty locks as part of their renovations. A house selection committee was given a list of homes in need of repair from local churches and social service agencies. Eighteen homes in West Philadelphia and two in North Philadelphia were selected from the 70 recommended. Morgan said she had never done volunteer work before. "I think this is a critical part of our education," she said. "It starts a tradition of volunteerism among students. This has changed my life." Morgan added that she believes that even though the Philadelphia homeowners have benefitted, "Wharton students get just as much out of this." Budget Rent-A-Car worker John Lanfranchi was assigned to fix the second-floor bathroom in Harris' home. He sanded, plastered and painted the room with co-worker Eric Schlanger, who said he felt the event was a "worthwhile, fun experience."

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