Sunday, April 1st, 2012
Heather Carrier
Today we are on the road back to Columbia, Missouri. This trip has been an unforgettable experience and has made me realize how much one group of motivated, caring people can make a difference. Although hard to see sometimes, Chelsea made me realize how we fit into the bigger picture when she related the work we have done to planting a tree. Someone has to fertilize the ground, dig the hole, plant the seed, and nurture the plant until it grows into a beautiful, strong tree. Our efforts were a piece of the greater picture and I am so proud of how well our group worked together to make a difference to the community. I feel so lucky to have met such an amazing group of people that care so passionately about what we are doing that we don't even want to stop working.
The first day we were in Tuscaloosa our group went to a lot to pick up debris. The lot and the surrounding area were the leftovers of a community that had been completely leveled by the storm and then bulldozed over. All that remained were the little bits and pieces of debris that could only be picked up by a helping hand. The house, or the little bit of it that was left standing, had already been demolished and the pieces of debris left over were buried in dirt, rocks, and weeds. I didn't know exactly what to expect when we arrived at the scene, but I was really shocked by state of the trees. It was overwhelming to see that the power of the storm had completely uprooted the trees and left them to lie rotting on their sides or had stripped the trees of all their branches. The first moment I was really struck with the emotion all the destruction was when I was picking through the bits and pieces of glass, wood, and brick, and came across a shoe. It is so heartbreaking that in a blink of an eye, this family's home and all of their pictures and other irreplaceable items were just completely swept away. The work took on a new meaning to me at that moment and it became not just mindless labor, but combing through the pieces of a family's shattered life.
The next two days, I was part of the group who had the opportunity to go roofing with a lovely group of retired Methodists from South Carolina. The roof was cool in the morning, but gradually became so hot during the day that we had to wear kneepads and gloves just to keep from burning ourselves. It was amazing to watch the progress of our group as we went from eyeing the steep roof with caution and fear, to climbing about it and balancing with one foot on a two-by-four while simultaneously holding a shingle and maneuvering a heavy nail-gun.
The last two days our group came together to work with Project Blessing on a home that was being fixed up for a family who lost everything in the storm. We split up to conquer individual tasks and had some people painting the basement, some painting the outside of the house, and others creating a crawl space in "the dungeon". Working together we were able to complete an incredible amount of damage on this house, in a good way of course.
I was so impressed with all of the hard work and effort that every single member contributed to the group. During the week I never encountered complaining, and everyone was so invested in what we were doing. The sense of comradely and teamwork that developed within our group was so rare and beautiful. I felt that our work and the obstacles we overcame together during this trip created a bond between the 12 of us that is unlike that of a normal group of college friends. Our last night together ended with us all crammed into Chelsea's room to sleep, not because we had to, but because we have all become so close and thought it would be fun to pile into one room. I found this trip to be an enlightening experience and hope to pursue similar projects in the future.
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