Students To Host Breakfast For Charity

BENTONVILLE — Hannah Tomlin of Bella Vista and a group of her friends have spent the summer doing something special.

Tomlin, Lauren Presley of Bentonville and Christine Chen of Bella Vista started a student group at Bentonville High School dedicated to helping Habitat for Humanity of Benton County. The group is called BHS Habitat for Humanity.

"These girls are awesome," said Debby Wieneke, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Benton County. "They are dynamic, and it's very refreshing to know that this generation coming up has still got the mindset of how can we give back, how can we help out."

Tomlin, Presley and Chen will be juniors when school starts next month. They're excited to see what the new school year brings for their group, but mostly they are ready to get busy helping others.

"When you think of girls our age, you don't really thing of us building houses, and I'm doing it because I think it will make me a better person just to know that I have helped someone else," Chen said.

There are 11 members of the BHS Habitat for Humanity group. More than 180 people are listed as fans on the group's Facebook page.

Tomlin said the group already has raised $416 through membership dues and from a car wash held earlier this month.

The girls will try their hands at waiting tables in August when they host a pancake breakfast at Applebee's in Rogers.

Tomlin hopes the event will raise an additional $500 to help build homes with Habitat for Humanity.

"This is something we can do in our community for the people around us," Tomlin said, noting she has spent several days this summer helping build a home in Centerton for Habitat for Humanity.

Chen said she has never built a house before, but she looks forward to the challenge in mid-August when the high schoolers are scheduled to help build with Habitat.

The home will either be in Rogers or Pea Ridge. The final decision on the home's location will be made next week, Wieneke said.