OXFORD — Habitat for Humanity volunteers like to think they're ordinary people doing God's work. More than a hundred of those ordinary people gathered Sunday to dedicate the projects they helped make possible: two nearly complete homes.

        The houses, on adjacent lots near the outskirts of Oxford, were financed and built by Habitat groups from Miami University.

        The Miami University chapter of Habitat raised $50,000 and constructed a home for Marie Marcum and her four children.

        A group of fraternity and sorority members, dubbed Greek Habitat, raised $80,000 and built a home for Brian and Pam Dickman and their four children.

        “This day makes all the splinters, the times I hit my hand with a hammer, worthwhile,” said Derek Adye, a 1999 Miami graduate who helped start Greek Habitat several years ago. “Not only are (these houses) beautiful, but they meet code!”

        The project is remarkable for the level of student involvement, said Richard Bement, a member of the Oxford Habitat chapter, which has helped oversee the work.

        “This is the first time that a Greek organization — especially an organization representing many fraternities and sororities — has sponsored and built a Habitat home,” he said. “Sometimes Greeks will sponsor a house, sometimes they'll volunteer to help build one, but never before have they taken on the whole project.”

        It's not often that a university chapter tackles the job either, Mr. Bement said.

        Miami chapter president Molly Beecroft said there are more than 2,000 Habitat chapters on college and university campuses nationwide, but their goal is usually to help existing Habitat projects in the surrounding communities.

        The Dickmans and Ms. Marcum have waited patiently while their sponsors negotiated setbacks, red tape and weather delays.

        “I've waited more than four years, but this house has been done in God's time,” Ms. Marcum said. “He has been working on this family at the same time we've been working on the house.

        “Now we're ready and the house is ready.”

        When the Marcums move into their handicapped-accessible home, the world will expand for wheelchair-bound Sarah Marcum, 14. For the first time, Sarah will have her own bedroom, a shower built to accommodate her needs, and a house in which she can maneuver.

        “It will be a big difference for Sarah and for Michelle,” said Ms. Marcum's mother, Nancy Marcum.

        Mr. Adye said Habitat changes lives.

        “Not only does it build homes, it builds a sense of accountability and a sense of community,” he said.

        Working with the two families has been an exciting and unifying experience, say many of the students involved. And they're not finished.

        Brian Young, now president of the Greek Habitat House Project, said this project went so well that organizers are already raising money to start another one. The Greek Habitat group bought a second lot next to the Dickmans' home and will break ground soon for another structure.

        They are also working on a Habitat manual to send to Interfraternity and Panhellinic councils at other universities.

        A $5,000 grant from Phillip Morris helped a great deal with the first house so the project's executive council put together another grants request package. Letters went to such companies as Procter & Gamble, Ford, Home Depot and DuPont.

        “It's a way to give back to the community,” Mr. Young said.

        Enquirer reporter Kristina Goetz contributed to this report.

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