Habitat for Humanity: A Student's Perspective

Champlain student Liz Muroski recalls her trip to Virginia, building houses (and learning new life skills) while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity

Travel Blog – Rockbridge Area Habitat for Humanity
Liz Muroski

Day 1 (March 7)

Day one working with Habitat for Humanity was full of varying emotions about working on the site. The group and I had spent the past two days travelling so we were full of anticipation, excitement and a bit of anxiety about getting comfortable with the tasks we were assigned. We arrived to the site in Buena Vista, VA at 9am and worked a full eight hour day until 5pm, with a half hour break for lunch in between. Among the five days that we had worked with Habitat, day one was the hardest for me. I was assigned various tasks and they were all to be completed by the end of that day. Working in construction was something I had never participated in before so, I was nervous about how well I would perform. Looking back, this seems to relate a lot to most first days on the job.

On the first day I painted four closets, touched up paint on all the walls of the house along with the window sills, scraped paint off the floor and helped to picket the fence in the backyard. These were the most tasks that I had been assigned to accomplish in one day throughout my five days spent working for Habitat.  Luckily, I had a great support system to help me achieve my goals. There was always a helping hand around when I was in need of assistance or further direction. It was very comforting to know that I had group members who were willing to help one another on a regular basis.

From those experiences on my first day, I could tell that this trip was going to prepare me a lot for the future. I was appreciative that I was able to put my expertise out there and engage with the other individuals throughout the work days. I was even more appreciative of how much I got to learn while on the site.

Day2 (March 8)

The second day on the Habitat Site in Buena Vista was very similar to the first. On this day we finished a lot of the tasks that we had started on the first day. We had finished picketing the fence in the backyard, I got to rip pickets, excavate and, help lay cement. I took part in various tasks on the second day. I was running from one station to the next to assist others.

From what I did on this day I could start to relate the hectic work schedule to how this would further prepare me for the future. I am a public relations major which means that I am going to be working with many clients throughout the day. Although construction has very little to do with PR, I was still able to get a sense of what it was like to be part of an occupation that has that same type of busyness about it.

What was also unique about this second day was that part of the group got to prepare food that night for the local food pantry. A group of five of us went to the local University and helped to cook and prepare food with an organization called Campus Kitchens. For two hours we sorted food, baked cookies and prepared to go meals to be served at the Rockbridge Area Occupational Center the next day.

It was really interesting to be a part of this because I got to view volunteer service work in a different light. Serving and preparing food to those in need is just as helpful as building a home for someone. It was a great experience because I got to work with some of my peers to do something for the common good. This type of activity reminded me of the type of group work that the Core program has to offer at Champlain College. Often times in Core classes that I have taken, group work is required to facilitate and encourage learning.

Day 3 (March 9)

The third day for our Habitat crew was unfortunately a half day because we had encountered some bad weather. On this day we all drove to the Re-store, Habitat for Humanity’s “home-base,” and were assigned specific tasks to complete inside for a new house. This was the day that I had tried something I had been nervous to try!

My one job that day was to work with two other group members and cut foam to be used for insulation framing on the house. This was an easier job but it required steady hands and, the use of a jigsaw. I knew I was going to have help use this tool and it really freaked me out. I had never used any kind of saw before in my life!

As we began our project I first decided that I wanted to observe and learn how this tool was used before I used it myself. After our second cut, I was offered the saw. At first I said no but then my gut told me to just try it, so I did. After another quick lesson and about half an hour I had cut through three more foam boards. It was a great feeling to have learned something new and, in fact, that tool ended up becoming my favorite that I had gotten to use while on the trip.

Trying new things is going to be something that I will have to accept as I enter the real world. My career is going to ask a lot of me and I need to go into it with an open mind and, take advantage of opportunities when they arise. Using the jigsaw that day and completing the tasks with my team members was a great accomplishment and, that is something that I know will also apply to me in my career someday if I am frequently engaged.

Day 4 (March 10)

On the fourth day, we had another half day due to the weather. Our Habitat leader also told us that if we all finished our jobs for the day then we could have the afternoon off and, that is exactly what we did. This day was spent putting together 30 interior and exterior T-frames (structures used to support the house). At first it was difficult because this was a task that required accuracy. After each of us got the hang of it though, we did really well and it actually became a fun chore.

On this day, the group had also split up again and at lunch time went to serve food at the local Rockbridge Area Occupational Center that we had previously prepared food for. A group of five of us headed there where we once again met up with the leader of Campus Kitchens. She had brought the food and for an hour we served it. What was interesting about this was that many of the individuals we served suffered from long-term mental and physical illnesses. It was interesting to be able to talk with them and hear what they had to say but, it was also very hard. This was an eye opening experience for me and it really made me feel fortunate for all the opportunities that I have had. It also made me feel really good about all the service that we were doing to help the people of this area.

Day 5 (March 11)

On our fifth and final day, we had another half day because we had to hit the road by the early afternoon.  This day was mostly dedicated to cleaning up the old site in Buena Vista and moving all the materials from the old site to the new site. This was a day of a lot of back and forth but, because of how much we all worked together it seemed to go by very quickly. This also goes to show how beneficial it can be to work in groups. This is something that the Core program promotes to all students who participate in those courses. Students don’t often realize how much of real work is group work, so it is always good to experience it before you obtain a real job.

It was kind of difficult to say goodbye to the Habitat leaders that we had become close with throughout the week.  They had done so much for us and taught us so many things. Once we got into the swing of getting up to build for the site, with their help, it became harder to say goodbye to it all. We were all very fortunate for the opportunity to help them out and, many of us will continue to do similar service projects more locally.