I have been in New Jersey for over two months now and I could not be happier. I have fallen into a routine with Habitat for Humanity and it feels like home. I am in the office Mondays and Tuesdays and out on the construction sites Wednesdays through Fridays.
In the office, I do everything from filing and entering data to working on our new website and database. I am also in charge of some special projects which, at the moment, include setting up a fundraising page on the internet to raise money for a family who are in need of some serious home repairs. I have also become involved in developing Habitat’s social media sites. I am always busy posting photos and I am also working hard to get a YouTube channel up and running for our affiliate. So many exciting things are happening and it will be awesome to show it to the world!
While on the construction sites, I am in charge of signing the volunteers in and then I jump in there with them to help on whatever task we are tackling that day. I have learned a lot about building a house. I have done a little of everything from laying the foundation to hammering down the roof sheathing. I am always meeting new people, telling my story of how I got here, and building relationships with them as we learn together the new skill that is needed for the day.
Recently, a group came from Habitat International which is located in Georgia. While they were here, we gave them a tour of one of the towns that was affected most by super storm Sandy. While there, we showed them the home that we are in the middle of building now and we took them to a home that we recently finished and one that we have started but still has significant damage visible in the home.
The woman who lives there with her daughter told us all about the night of the storm and the days after. She and her daughter were there through it all. She described in detail what it was like when the near-by sewage plant overflowed, what it was like to have to try to sleep when gun shots are going off from people trying to protect themselves from looters, and what it was like to live in a home where the mold is so severe that you wake up and can’t open your eyes because they are swollen shut. She told us that when Habitat came into their lives it gave her hope, which was something that she had lost. She then said, “You are healing my heart. You touch me profoundly.”
This is what it is all about; being able to be in community with people, learning new things, and touching people’s hearts. I am so grateful to be here and to have the opportunity to do these things. Thank you all for your support and prayers.
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