To some, hauling recycled windows in a drafty warehouse might not sound like a good time.

The 15 student volunteers tasked with the job, however, seemed to relish their assigned duties at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore facility. And some of those volunteers are already gearing up for more.

Students worked at a variety of locations last week, including the ReStore, as part of Alternative Break, a week-long community service program organized by the Community Engagement Center, Alcohol Education Program and Student Activities at Sacramento State.

Kati Kouklis, a child development major, said she and other members of the Chi Delta sorority were eager to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity because their sorority already donates money to the organization.

“Our sorority got something about (Alternative Break) in our mailbox,” Kouklis said. “So when we heard about it, we went to the CEC office and got more information about it.”

“Instead of just donating money, we wanted to get involved,” said Jamie Barger, a sophomore liberal studies major.

The ReStore, a retail recycling facility, sells donated building materials to the public. Proceeds are used to fund future Habitat for Humanity construction projects.

Cliff Howe, a supervisor at the ReStore, said the facility relies on volunteers like the Alternative Break participants to help with projects, not only at the ReStore warehouse but also at construction sites. On Friday, students helped move several tons of glass in the form of discarded windows. Howe said some individual pieces weighed more than 400 pounds.

Despite all the heavy lifting, students found the experience worthwhile in more than one way.

“The staff was really friendly and we made a lot of contacts for future events for our sorority house to participate in,” Kouklis said.

Brendan McVeigh, a community partnerships coordinator with the Community Engagement Center, said the Center sent information about Alternative Break to student groups, posted fliers and even created a Facebook event listing.

In addition to working at the ReStore, the 53 total volunteers who participated in the program also worked on a campus beautification project at Martin Luther King Middle School, helped create a community garden and planted trees with the Sacramento Tree Foundation.

The Center already has plans to continue the program for the forthcoming spring break and promises to add volunteer opportunities in the summer and next winter. Information and sign-up meetings for the spring Alternative Break events will begin on Feb. 26.

Kouklis said she and her Chi Delta sisters would be more than happy to come and help again. “We’re going to go back to our house and report about it and let them know how it went,” Kouklis said.

“Hopefully we can bring more girls out next time,” Barger said.