Fair / 57° F
Habitat vaults Jenson’s career
Published 12:00pm Monday, August 4, 2008Lindsay Jenson, holding a Logix insulated concrete form at a Habitat for Humanity house under construction at 320 West Adolphus Avenue, Fergus Falls, reflected on all that she’s learned the past year as a member of AmeriCorps.
Her final day with Fergus Area Habitat for Humanity is Aug. 8. Jenson started her one year of service in August 2007. She’s a 2007 graduate of Minnesota State University, Moorhead, where she majored in Mass Communications and minored in Spanish.
Her next step in life is joining the Peace Corps and serving people in Nicaragua in Central America
“I feel blessed in my life and want to give back to society,” Jenson said. “As for my upcoming work with the Peace Corps, this will help fulfill my goal of getting involved with work on an international basis.”
Each year, AmeriCorps offers opportunities for adults of all ages and
backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and
national nonprofit groups — such as Habitat for Humanity.
The program gives individuals the satisfaction that comes from helping others. In addition, full-time members such as Jenson who complete their service earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $4,725 to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back qualified student loans
Jenson is a graduate of DGF High School (Dilworth-Glydon-Felton) and has two younger brothers.
During the past year, as a volunteer coordinator, she worked with churches and various organizations to get volunteers involved with Habitat at the local level. Jenson also recruited students from MSUM and nearby Concordia College.
“It’s been great to work closely with Shirley Seyfried, Habitat board president, and others,” Jenson said. “We’ve had great support from MSCTC, Fergus Falls, and from other local volunteers.”
Other duties, in addition to volunteer coordinator, included newsletter
publishing, working on the Habitat web site, marketing etc.
“Lindsay has done a wonderful job with our local Habitat for Humanity this past year,” Habitat house builder Tom Cordner said. “We appreciate what she’s done in the way of getting more volunteers involved with this program.”
Two others, working with Cordner at the new Habitat house Tuesday afternoon along West Adolphus Avenue — Gary Jenson and Jerry Peterson — agreed wholeheartedly with Cordner’s sentiments.
Jenson said it will be hard to leave her Habitat work, but is appreciative of many good memories as she embarks on the next step of her career, going from AmeriCorps to the Peace Corps.
