The whole group is ready to work! |
Today
marked the first full day of service for the Alternative Spring Break National
Program where thirty Hofstra University students and two staff members are
working with the National Relief Network in Bayboro, North Carolina. We arrived
on site bright and early this morning to a pile of wood, shingles, doors, and
pipes. A home that had been condemned due to water damage from last year’s
Hurricane Irene was demolished and gutted out. While it was not highlighted in
the news, the Outer Banks coast of North Carolina suffered greatly after
Hurricane Irene came through. All day we broke up all the debris, mostly wood, and
transported it all into dump trucks to be carried away from the site.
The site before we started working |
It
was a lot of hard work, but everyone was challenging and pushing themselves to
try something new and not be afraid to get dirty! The Mayor of Bayboro even
stopped by to thank us all for the work we have been doing and to say how much
the community appreciates our help. After lunch, we had another popular visitor
stop by, a golden shepherd that some of us have named Fred. Later on in the day
dark gray clouds moved in, but we did not let the rain bring us down. We kept
on working just as hard through the weather and the rubble turning the mountain
of debris into a pile of mere shingles by the end of the day. Some may have
looked at this pile as merely a pile of garbage, but we were aware that this
used to be someone’s home. Occasionally we would find lost artifacts (a small
child’s boot, a vintage dial-tone telephone) and we would set them aside as we
continued to work, respecting the family who left them behind. They also helped
to remind us all that the work we were doing was important.
Everyone is working hard! |
In
the evening we reflected upon the obstacles we experienced throughout the day,
both literal and metaphorical. We not only braved through the rubble, but we
developed trust in our fellow trip-goers. We worked together as a team, most
notably when we formed an assembly line to carry all the water damaged debris
to the dumpsters. Moving forward we hope
to keep our morale high throughout the week and look forward to learning new
skills and making lasting friendships that last a lifetime.
At the end of the day, our pile was almost gone! |
Blog written by: Victoria Bohme, Class of 2014 and Claudia Balthazar, Class of 2014
Keep up the great work. We are all proud of you!!! Maria V.
ReplyDeleteLooks awesome! Way to go Hofstra ASB NC Team!
ReplyDeleteHey guys -
ReplyDeleteThat's how you show your Hofstra P.R.I.D.E.!!
Have fun and stay safe! Cheryl Betz
Way to show your Hofstra P.R.I.D.E.!
ReplyDeleteSo proud of all the students. You really can move mountains.
ReplyDeleteLooking good in yellow!!!! We are proud of our Hofstra students.
ReplyDelete