Despite the grueling heat and joint pain from a few days of hard, manual labor, this trip to Baton Rouge is definitely one of the best ways I could have spent my spring break. Seeing the progress from the first few days is rewarding, since so much has happened! When we first showed up the houses were just slabs of concrete, but within the first hours of the day the walls were raised and the interior walls finished. Raising the roof and securing the walls was hard work, but with all the teamwork necessary and happening makes anything possible. It’s weird- working on a team with people you see every day but never really got to know and getting all sorts of jobs done just brings everyone so much closer together. It has been said many times on this trip: “I feel like I’ve known you forever.” The teamwork and good attitudes are what make everything possible. With the storm coming today, nobody lost hope but we all trudged through and supported each other and worked all the way through the heat and the rain. The homeowners came around and are good motivators and “water girls” as well as encouragers. Without them, things wouldn’t be possible.
Just seeing the look on the homeowners’ faces when we came to help and presented the gift cards to Home Depot a few days ago was inspiring. It reminded me why we came on this trip in the first place- not to hang out for spring break or eat alligator and experience southern culture or even to catch sun rays, but to change somebody’s life. Although these things happened anyway, we came here to help these people who had lost everything; every baby picture or prom picture taken, every last wedding present, and every single piece of china was smashed and mutilated beyond recognition. To be one of the people who helped reconstruct not only these people’s lives and homes but also their hope is simply amazing -there is just no other way to put it. When everyone looks back on Hurricane Katrina years from now, I will have the satisfaction of saying that I, a sixteen year old junior in high school helped changed somebody’s life and the world… I know it will be one of the greatest satisfactions ever. One measly high school student can help change the world! Who would have thought?
-Michelle, Junior, Nashua High School South
This whole trip has still not hit me yet. I cannot believe that I have been given the chance to help in the hurricane relief effort here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. All the anticipation and fundraising has finally come to a point where it is now up to us to get the job done. I have no doubt in my mind that we are perfectly capable of doing this and as of now, our efforts as a team prove my thoughts. The most rewarding moment that I will never forget about this trip was seeing the faces of the families of whom we are building the houses for. I cannot imagine what they have been through in the past year, and I feel that building this house is the least I can do. Without the help of my team and house leaders, these houses would not be where they are at this point in time. It’s amazing to me how well we all are working together as a group; nothing has been able to stand in the way of our success thus far. I am appreciative of the respect and attention I have received from the adults on the site. They have given us, the students, the chance to prove that was are capable of building too. I now have stronger friendships with the students on this trip and have also been able to make new ones along the way. There is no place I’d rather be on my spring break than here. I could never go off on vacation when I know there are people left here without the support they deserve. I have had an amazing time here working with Habitat and cannot wait to work with them again.
-Corynne, Junior, Nashua High School
I am covered in sweat, sawdust, and Gatorade. I am sore throughout my entire body, and I’m sunburned in places that I didn’t know could burn. I am farther away from home than I’ve ever been with almost complete strangers. Yet somehow, I am having the time of my life. Most teenagers I know would groan at the thought of spending their Spring Break in such conditions, but for me and my 19 fellow students, this is one of the best vacations ever. We’re giving two well-deserving families a place to live, and having that sort of impact on somebody’s life is amazing. With every swing of my hammer, I think of the people who will one day be living in that home. Just as impressive is the way that everyone has come together. We’ve all really connected with each other, and it shows in the way we work. In just three days we have gone from a slab of concrete to a house with four walls, a partial roof, and even windows! I’ve met so many great people and done things I didn’t even know I could do – I’ve hammered walls, lifted tresses, and used a power saw (and managed to retain all four limbs!) Working with Habitat for Humanity has been a fantastic experience for me, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.
- Hilary, Senior, Nashua High School South
When talking about Habitat for Humanity most people think of long hard days that help extraordinary people but it is so much more than that. My school, Nashua High School South, first discussed going down to Baton Rouge about two months before the trip and I was excited then. I thought that it would be a great experience but I had no idea. When I first walked onto Lot #41 on Cypress Glenn Ave it was overwhelming. All that was there were a foundation and the rest was up to us. Of course I knew before hand that we would be building the house from the foundation up but when just seeing the house it hit me that it was up to my team and I to build this house. A few moments after seeing the lot for the first time I met the woman we were building the house for. Her name is Eunola Manison. She lost her house to Hurricane Katrina and was even in the Astrodome for 2 days. After meeting Eunola it made me want to work even harder on the house because she is the kindest and sweetest lady.
As the day got under way and the sun was beating down on us the house was actually coming together. By the end of the first day my team and I had put up the framing to the house. When the day was over I felt that I had accomplished a major task. Now that it is the 3rd day of building and the roof is going up I am still amazed that a hand full of people could do all of this. Besides the since of accomplishment working on a house is actually more fun than most people would suspect. I would give up every vacation to come down and help deserving people like Eunola Manison without any hesitation.
-Megan, Sophomore, Nashua High School South
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