We flew out of Salt Lake on Sunday March 6th. I was lucky enough to have 2 of my friends sign up for the trip too, which made the experience even better! Once we got to Orlando we met up with another girl whose flight came in around the same time and then we waited for the rest of the group to come pick us up at the airport. While we were in Florida, we stayed at the Habitat for Humanity facility in Lake Sumter, about an hour or so outside of Orlando. It was a really neat facility that had about 10 rooms that had multiple bunkbeds in each room. All 9 of the girls from SUU were able to fit in one room and the 2 boys had plenty of room in theirs. We were given a tour of the facility and were told that we would get most of our information about the upcoming week the next morning. So we settled into our new home for the week.
The next morning we were given information about how Habitat works and were given a look at some projects they've had in the past. Throughout the meeting we learned that the students from SUU would be split into two groups, each group working on a different site. We were kind of upset that we wouldn't all be able to work together but because 3 of us were already friends, they sent us and our advisor to one site and the rest to the other. The meeting only took a few hours in the morning so the rest of the day we were able to go off and do whatever we wanted. So when a group of college kids come to Florida all the way from Utah for spring break and have free time the place they are most excited to go is Disney World! We spent the rest of the day at the Magic Kingdom and after a few hours at the end of the day finding some lost car keys, we made it back to our facility at 2 a.m. Tuesday morning! Even though we made it back really late and needed to be up at 7 that morning, the few hours we spent in the parking lot of Magic Kingdom are some of my favorite memories of the trip.
Tuesday was our first day working on the Habitat sites. My group was assigned to work on a house that was in the process of being built. The outside structure and siding was all complete which meant that we spent our time working on the inside. All that day we spent our time putting in flooring. The pieces of floor would hook together on every side. At first it was a little difficult to get the correct side to hook in with the other pieces but soon we got the hang of it and got into a good rhythm. Two of us worked with a volunteer in one room and the other two worked in the other bedroom. By the end of the day, together we had completed the master bedroom, all of one bedroom, most of the last bedroom, most of the master bathroom, and had a good start on the other bathroom. We spent about 8 1/2 hours at the house everyday, which meant that for about 8 hours we were on our knees all day! By the time we left, none of us thought we would be able to kneel again! That night once the other group got back from their site, we had some dinner and then went to a movie together.
Wednesday was another day spent mostly putting in flooring. We were a lot slower and getting up off our knees that day. I even had spots on my knees that were raw and later turned into little scabs. It was fun though because as we put the flooring into the remaining rooms of the house, we had the opportunity to talk with the local volunteers. It was nice to be able to talk with them, most of them being people who are always volunteering with Habitat. After we finished the floors, some went and helped install doors while I helped glue some finished wood pieces to the cabinets. When we left the house that day, it looked so much more like a home. I never knew how much of a difference a decent looking floor made on the look of a house.
Thursday was our last full 8 hour day being able to work on the house. That day the family we were building the house for came by to check on its progress. It was so nice to be able to meet them! They are this cute couple from Haiti and their new baby. They were so nice and so grateful for the help we gave. While there we learned more about the process people go through to be able to get a home. Before the trip I didn't know much about it so it was cool to learn more. When someone is granted a home, they sign a contract with Habitat and agree to "pay" off their house by not only assisted when able on their own home, but also by volunteering at other Habitat sites. Meeting this family was one of the highlights of the trip. That day while others filled in nail holes from installing doors, I assisted the head volunteer on the site in measuring and cutting baseboards. Once the baseboard was cut, 2 other people would nail in in place. Throughout the day, I was given the opportunity to work the table saw and soon had it figured out to where I would be sent out to cut on my own! It was fun to be able to help with the saw and learn how the angle cuts work. That night as a group we decided to go shopping at Disney Springs.
Friday was our last day at the house and it was a half day. We spent our time filling nail holes around baseboards and painting doors and door frames. I am someone who enjoys painting so the day went pretty quick. It was sad to leave though since there were still things to do in the house. Even though I did not get to see the finished house in person, I am so glad that I was able to help build a home for this young family to grow up in! It was an amazing experience! The rest of our Friday was spent at the beach. We drove out to Daytona Beach and enjoyed some time in the sun and sand. Overall the week flew by way too quickly. Like I said before, being able to use this as my EDGE project for school was an added bonus. While I was on this trip, I was able to do service for people who needed a home, I was able to get to know and create memories with some really great people, and I was able to go on a new and amazing adventure. I learned more about things I didn't know about and I was able to gain a stronger belief in the power of community service and how service is able to bring people together. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to spend my spring break serving others.
