Tuesday, Ahh!
Background: I'm a 17 year old senior in high school and this is my first trip. Whooo!
I felt so much more productive today then yesterday! Granted my group didn't get there late today or leave early so we had a lot more work hours. We finished laying the bricks for the patio (which looks phenomenal, nice job everyone!!) and my dad and I started working on a bench to go right by the patio. He is a perfectionist, and so far, it looks perfect. I'm really excited to finish that with my dad. We also finished all the grouting of the tiles, another thing of the checklist. Others worked on painting the window frames and doing some work under the house. We're trying to fill up the dumpster asap because there is an awful smell protruding from it. A church nearby told us a dog in the neighborhood had died and it might have been tossed in there. Who would do that? Then again, someone stole 2 plants from the yard. Planted plants. Like, in the ground. Fo' real?
Most other people appear to be really happy with our presence though. Several people from in the neighborhood have stopped by already to say hello and show their appreciation of all the work we're doing. People honk and wave when they drive by. Its just a great feeling of community.
Everyone is really starting to work as a team, and we're all learning each other's names. (whoo!!) One of our site managers, Christina Drake, has a really inspiring story. She lived in Pennsylvania before the Hurricane hit and then quit her job completely to come help. Shes been living here for 4 years and works as an unpaid volunteer full time. I can't even begin to know how bad her financial stress is but she continues doing work only for others. The way she gets her income is from selling music CDs that she has recorded herself. (Her voice is amazing, when I heard her sing in the background I thought a CD was playing. Crazy) She has truly inspired me to consider coming down here to for a longer period of time in 2012.
So far its been a truly enlightening experience, it feels good to actually physically be helping someone rather than just tossing a few bucks in a donation box. Its really not the same. I can't wait to keep working on making this house even more beautiful. I really wish I could stay another week and finish. However, its still early in the week. Who knows how I'll feel by Friday. :)
-Michelle Friedow
No comments:
Post a Comment