Alternative Spring Break National Program Day 3!

Today was probably the most rewarding day we’ve had thus far.  It was also the saddest day, because it was our last day of service, and the unforgettable experiences we’ve had, have left us wanting more. In gorgeous weather, the members of our ASB team began by splitting into two separate groups. The first group was sent to clear out neglected items of our previous site’s former occupants (while dirty, was a positive experience!) so that the remaining students could move on to the larger task of demolishing the third and final site. The first group joined them a few hours later.

   Along with our neighbors for the week, students from the University of Delaware, we tore down an already-standing house in less than 6 hours! In amazement at witnessing the bulldozer collapse the structure, we gathered our tools and got to work. No one person was in charge as we were all novices in the practice of deconstruction.  However, as a team, we knocked down drywall until there was nothing remaining but the frame.  By the end of the day, the work site was completely cleared!

Below is a picture timeline of all that we accomplished today!

At the beginning of the day, a full house was standing

A few hours later we had removed all the drywall and siding

 

The bulldozer knocked over the house so we could carry the frame and roofing to the dumpster

By 3 pm, the entire house was gone!

Special moments of the day included lessons in “humility and flexibility.” Amanda, a local camp counselor whose program was destroyed by Hurricane Irene, helped us place a face with the situation. She explained to us the sites we are working on are in a depressed section of town, and that we were not only tearing down condemned structures, but rebuilding the community. Her gratitude for all we have been doing was humbling.

We started by tearing down all the drywall

After the house was down, we carried the debris to the dumpster

The fulfilling aspect of our service is not just in changing a situation, but in inspiring those affected by it. During Amanda’s speech, she thanked us for our loud cheers, which she could hear from her porch (unbeknownst to us) and claimed lifted the hearts of her neighbors. See the link below!

After three full days of challenges, we could not have asked for a better trip. Not only have we seen a change in Bayboro, North Carolina, but we’ve seen a change in ourselves through teamwork and bonding. Between helping others as well as one another, we have a full concept of why we choose to do service work. Coming together for a common good and realizing that the smallest thing can brighten someone’s day is a true gift. 

Above is a photo from our semi-professional on-site photo shoot with our ASB Men!

Blog written by:  Jeanine Russaw, Class of 2015 and Julia McGuire, Class of 2016

Alternative Spring Break National Program Day 2!

As we began our second day in North Carolina, the sun was finally shining and we were ready to go!  While we did not get rained on today, the day certainly presented challenges of its own.  The Hofstra Alternative Spring Break crew continued to clear the last few bits of debris from our work site from the previous day, and it was especially rewarding how we worked together to reach the end result.  Once our work site had cleared, we began to assist our neighboring school group from the University of Delaware.  At their site, we were again faced with the daunting task of removing more personal items of the home’s former occupants which were damaged in the flood. Every item was a reminder of the importance of what we are doing and made us even more motivated to continue our work. 

One of the highlights of our day was helping to remove the concrete foundation of the old house to prepare for the building of a new home in the future. We found that some of our teammates have a real passion for concrete foundation removal and it was a lot of fun mixed in with a lot of hard work. Some even willingly gave up their lunch time to continue working.

We have to break up the foundation.

And then we can remove it!

 Perhaps the most important lesson learned this afternoon was “patience.” What we are realizing is that the goal of our work here is to bring about positive change in the Bayboro community that can be seen in the future—not for immediate gratification. The point of community service is not to get praised or complimented by the progress that your work has brought, but for a person to feel secure in the fact that they did a good thing for the sake of others.   

It's all about patience and teamwork!

 In the evening after reflection, we enjoyed the night with the world’s biggest Apples to Apples game (ok, maybe that is an exaggeration, but it was pretty big!). It was nice to relax and just laugh while we were all starting to feel the soreness come on from the day’s work. We are looking forward to what we will be doing next. Stay tuned tomorrow to find out!

We may be dirty, but all the debris is finally gone!

Blog written by:  Megan Kennedy, Class of 2014; Melaine Morgan, Class of 2014; and Jeanine Russaw, Class of 2015

Alternative Spring Break National Program Day 1!

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