13 March 2017
Today was our first day at the work site, and we helped construct the framework of the house. We used measuring tapes, saws, hammers, nail guns, and glue to build the frames for the walls, doors, and more. The volunteers and workers of Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s took the time to teach us how to use each tool, while fostering an environment that was clearly welcoming and friendly. Even as we worked, I asked so many questions, and never once felt like I was bothering them. When we made mistakes—which we undoubtedly did—we were corrected in a calm fashion. These volunteers and workers, as our supervisors, could have given us easy, menial tasks, but instead they trusted us to work alongside them. The pictures below depict the before (right as we arrived to the site) and after (when we decided to call it a day) photos of our work. It was tiring and difficult, primarily because a lot of the things we did were new to us, but it was so worthwhile. Knowing that everyone was invested in completing this project and had such positive attitudes was so very encouraging, and I think today was a fantastic example of how the rest of our week will go.
Afterwards, we had a couple hours to take a nap, catch up on homework, talk to our families, and relax before a terrific dinner at the Maloneys’, who had been so generous to us since the moment we got to Alabama. After a hearty dinner and casual conversation, we spent the rest of the night at a local bowling alley for unlimited bowling. There, we divided ourselves into two teams: Team Dopple-Strikers and Team Sparewolves. I unfortunately did not contribute much to the Sparewolves, and we ended in an unexpectedly devastating but gracious defeat. After a couple hours of bowling and some more rounds of playing our new favorite board game—One Night—we decided to call it a night.
PBHA Alternative Spring Break Trips 2017 