Habitat for Humanity Partnership Chairwoman Pat Galvin holds up a $745 check that the students at the Hansen School raised for the non-profit organization. Habitat is in the process of building one Habitat home, soon to be followed by a second in Stoughton.

The fifth grade fundraising project at the Hansen Elementary School in Stoughton usually generates somewhere between $400 and $600 each year for a different cause or organization. But this year the students truly outdid themselves by raising $745--the highest total ever for the annual project. 

"It made me feel really happy that we accomplished something (through this project), said fifth grader Kassandra Melo. "It made me feel good to help." "It makes me feel good to be helping people," added fifth grader Dan Fountain.

The students may be happy to help, but the recipient of the donation--South Shore Habitat for Humanity--is thrilled. The independent, non-profit organization works to provide low-income families with homes, entirely through its own fundraising, volunteer recruitment and publicity.

"It was one of the biggest fundraisers that we've had," said Denise Lochiatto, Outreach Coordinator for Stoughtonís Habitat for Humanity volunteers committee. "I think the whole aspect of being able to give someone a home really helped. They're just more upset that they can't actually build the home. They did a great job."

Read the complete article in the Stoughton Journal.