BLOOMINGTON -- About a dozen university students braved the mud, working side-by-side Saturday morning with the Jolly and Waller families to start building their Habitat for Humanity homes.

Four hours later, at noon, more than 100 people gathered at groundbreaking ceremonies at 1204 and 1206 W. Grove St., Bloomington, standing on the drier spots of the former Beich candy factory parking lot.

The guests praised the dedication of students in the Illinois State University-Illinois Wesleyan University Collegiate Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

"No way on earth I would have been up at this time (when I was in college), let alone building a house," said Heather Paul, a board member of Habitat for Humanity of McLean County and a community development manager at State Farm Insurance Cos.

These two adjacent homes are groundbreakers themselves. They will be the first homes in McLean County built to federal Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, "green" building standards. It will also be the first time the ISU-IWU group tackles two homes in a year, their 15th and 16th, rather than one.

At the groundbreaking, ISU President Al Bowman said he was proud to see the students put their values into action "to build homes that change lives."

Darcy L. Greder, the IWU associate dean of students, thanked students for holding the hammers, raising the money and supporting the families. Local ministers and community members also praised the efforts of the students and the families.

"It's a nice combination with the two schools working together," said Kelsy Hample, an IWU senior who is co-president of the chapter's IWU board. "It's always fun to meet the families."

Several students commented on how much fun the families were. Coretta Jolly and her four children, D'Onna Stokes, 15, Da'Quan Jolly, 12, De'Jah Jolly, 10, and Oreriyona Jolly, 7, will live in a four-bedroom home at 1206 W. Grove St. Next door are Natalie Waller and her two children, Marcus Waller, 8, and Micah Waller, 7, in a three-bedroom home at 1204 W. Grove St.

House blessings are set for mid-April.

"I'm so excited. I used a saw for the first time today, and I cut right on the line," said Coretta Jolly.

"It's a lot of fun," agreed Natalie Waller, joking that the high-energy university students make her feel old.

Besides building the homes, raising the money is a big job for students this year, said Joe DeLazzen, president of the chapter's ISU board, and a senior finance major.

The ISU-IWU chapter hopes to raise $80,000. Of that $30,000 would go towards each house and $20,000 would be used to build homes on a mission trip.

Until five years ago, the McLean County Habitat chapter also funded the student projects, said Bill Waller, Habitat for Humanity construction manger, and not a relative of the Waller family. Now the students raise funds at the level of other groups, he said.

Habitat families have likewise been successful.

In its 22 years, Habitat for Humanity of McLean County has never foreclosed on a family, said Bill Waller. He attributes that to the family selection process; required "sweat equity" by future homeowners who help with building; and financial counseling for the new homeowners, who pay 25-year, no-interest mortgages.

"We make them earn it," he said.

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Habitat for Humanity counts

A group from the ISU-IWU chapter of Habitat for Humanity worked on homes on Grove Street on Saturday. Here are some key numbers:

The students

-- 15 Years of building houses - this time building their 15th and 16th home this year

-- 40 IWU freshman kicked off efforts Aug. 22 building a shed on the Grove Street, Bloomington property

-- 450 Students affiliated in the ISU-IWU chapter, some build, some raise money, some offer support

-- 80,000 Fundraising goal this year, in dollars

The Grove Street homes

-- 40 Estimated monthly utility costs, in dollars, in the high-efficiency homes

-- 250 Number of hours of "sweat equity" to be invested by all Habitat homeowners as a requirement for homeownership.

-- 450 Approximate monthly mortgage payment, in dollars, paid over 25 years

-- 2,000 Approximate annual taxes, in dollars

-- 88,650 Price of home to homowners, in dollars; grants can lower priceanity homes.