SMU students from Chi Omega help build a house as part of a Habitat for Humanity service initiative on Saturday. (Photo Courtesy of Tessa Gartin)

Billboards with the words “Dallas has a new reality show” portray the launch of Habitat for Humanity’s new website, imgoodpeople.org, along Dallas highways.

These billboards are part of Habitat for Humanity’s effort to reach out to the “iPhone generation” and show them the faces, stories and movements they support.

SMU has had a group involved with Habitat for a total of five years, and received its charter three years ago.

Chapter President Greg Nelson explained that the chapter’s main goal “is to create a service opportunity for the SMU students and also get them out into Dallas to see how fortunate all of us are and how different living situations are only 10 minutes off campus.”

Working with Highland Park United Methodist Church’s (HPUMC) chapter, Carpenters for Christ, and faculty advisor Doug Reinelt, the chapter focuses on gathering volunteers to help build houses.

The development coordinator for Habitat and SMU alumna, Channing Cass, believes there is a specific desire for the construction of homes.

Nelson said, “These families are very deserving, hard-working people.”

As part of what they call the “SMU Blitz Build” in south Dallas, the SMU chapter has taken on the challenge of building two complete homes in only two weeks.

Their next step is to continue working with HPUMC and continue building two to three homes per school year and begin fundraising for a build in Costa Rica this May.

Nelson believes it is important for SMU students to get involved.

“It is important to understand that the community stretches much farther then just a two or so mile radius. All of us here at SMU have so much to offer and be thankful for, so it is important for everyone to see how lucky we really are,” he said.

The SMU chapter is in action building homes for families in places that Nelson describes as “areas that students and faculty would not normally drive to and spend time in.”

SMU’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity’s next event is this Wednesday.

Students who are over 21 can donate 10 dollars and participate in the “Hammered for Habitat” at M Street Bar.