Franklin - Habitat for Humanity

Thursday March 31st, 2016

Nicholas Jones

We have traveled far with trusty silver bullet and big red. We have taken up shelter in a service building, where it seems many have come before us. We are running high on supplies, as we have made a trek to the local supermarket. Our moral is high, as we have befriended two knowledgeable gents by the name of Jonathan and Walter. We have been channeling our gumby hardcore. Throughout the week, I have been the go to power-saw man. I am glad to be the go-to person, but I have shared this knowledge with other volunteers and have served, not helped them by teaching them the saw.

Today Tara, Walter, and I’s morale was low. Poco-a-Poco was our slogan. As we attempted again and again to fix the garage door with nuts and bolts, our attempts only met its demise as the garage doors measurements were off. But it was all good, because we channeled our inner chill, chill, chill, chill, chill.

MAB Franklin dropped a mixtape shortly after the day was done. Check out the cover art on twitter or the gram.

On a more serious note. Through service, I have befriended the other 10 volunteers. I have gained a broader view on the world, socio-economics, and developed a deeper respect for other views and opinions. What’s even better, is that we all have developed these things. It is interesting to learn how you can become so close to what seems to be complete strangers over a week. When you work in a team atmosphere, break bread with others, and share stories, laughs, and personal things with a random assortment of individuals, you come to understand the power of MAB. All of this is in the name of service.

An amazing choice for spring break. Basically chicken noodle soup for the soul.

Abby Uhlar

My college experience has been an overall positive one: I’ve made friends, learned a plethora of information and brought myself out of my comfort zone in more ways than one. Mizzou Alternative Breaks has been the most amazing way to represent all of that. The last five days have consisted of hard work, extreme bonding and crazy moments. Out in rural West Virginia, my group has come together to work on making a house a home.

This week has brought about different challenges and opportunities for every member of this group. I’ve never really used power tools, let alone been trusted to build a window frame or paint a building without supervision. This trip has given me the opportunity to expand my skills and learn new ones. At our site, we worked with Walter and Johnathon (Habitat for Humanity supervisors) who couldn’t have been a better fit for our participants. They are positive, reassuring and supportive in a way that helped our group grow both individually and as a whole.

I was fortunate enough to go on the stereotypical college spring break twice in my life. I thought that nothing would ever trump those memories but I am so happy to be wrong. Not only have I bonded with other participants and our site leaders, but with members of this beautiful community. We’ve collaborated and become a team and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

Franklin - Habitat for Humanity

Wednesday: March 30th, 2016 

Waverly Colville

Throughout this trip, I’ve learned the value of a home.  Every sixteenth of an inch matters. Each individual nail is placed with care.  I love that every little detail will create something so monumental in the Alt Family’s life.  Today, perhaps I only made a bathroom shelf.  But that bathroom shelf can house Mrs. Alton’s favorite soap or other things that carry a memory with them.  The window I framed yesterday is the one that the sun will beam through to greet The Alt Family each morning.  We are not only building a house; we are building a home that will contain memories, events and lives.  Sure, pounding nails for hours on end can leave me with a headache and measuring every sixteenth of an inch can strain my eyes, but it’s worth it knowing that each of these minute details contributes to something way more than some wood bound together with a roof.  Even though this trip is a mere six days, I know what I’ve learned will stay with me for much, much longer and for that, I am so grateful.

Cassie Li

We went back to the house for our half day. We got an extra 30 min of sleep which made all the difference in the world. We arrived late but it was alright because Walter is super chill. It was nice not having to worry or stress a lot about it. I didn’t anyways – can’t speak for Maya or Jasmine. Jasmine and I were tasked with hanging up lights which was literally one of the most frustrating things I had ever done. But we made it work, even after accidentally cutting the wires, losing a very important piece (we ended up stealing Tweedie and Tara’s to finish ours), and utter confusion. I have a newfound appreciation for electrical engineers and electricians.

Free Day:

We went to an insane asylum. Of all the places in WV, we went to a museum. Even though I really had my hopes set on white water rafting or zip-lining, it was pretty cool and interesting. Everything turned out fun. I really wish I hadn’t watched American Horror Story though. It was hilarious watching Nick try to scare people and Waverly walking in a perpetual state of fear. But in that, it was awesome to see how supportive everyone was of others. It truly made me realize how great this group of people are and how close we had all become in a few number of days.

We ended the day with a bonfire that made me miss the beach. Roasting marshmallows and playing with some light photography was certainly a night to remember. The conversations we had about race, religion and just anything that came to mind made this trip one of the best decisions I have made. Love y’all and thanks for the mems.

Franklin - Habitat for Humanity

Tuesday, March 29^th, 2016 

Day Two of service was full of hard work, progress and confidence. Same projects yet different experiences. Some projects we did include measuring and installing wooden window finishes, installing door stoppers, sanding and painting.

Today we received the opportunity to meet the home owner of the house, Mr. Alt. It was really great to not only bond and get to know Mr. Alt, but to see who this house is going to, that we are all working so hard on.

We connected more with our Habitat Service Leader, Mr. Walter. Walter is great. He is intelligent and has lots of patience (let me tell you). There was no such thing as a mistake, they were always fixable. He motivated us and challenged us to trust ourselves and our hard work. He is a wonderful person with great advice. He’s quite a character.

The feeling of completing the very first project of the week was indescribable and rewarding. We all became extremely confident about our work and could not wait to start on new projects.

Later that evening we explored Seneca Trails and ended the night with delicious lasagna and cupcakes.

The two principles that shined today had to be communicated love. Our participants were always around Walter, engaged in his conversations and made the effort to develop a connection with both Walter, The Alt Family and of course with each other. Great Job guys!

Franklin - Habitat for Humanity

It took us over 15 hours, with 9 stops, and 500+ songs but we finally made it to Franklin, West Virginia. Along the way we saw many cows, many sheep, and the beautiful Appalachian Mountains (We definitely weren't in Missouri anymore). Our journey East wasn't always rainbows and butterflies as we dealt with problems from contacting our housing site to having zero service throughout Pendleton County, to everything in between. Amber had this to say about the issues of our trip so far,

"So far, I have learned how important it is to be gumby and show love…At. All. Freakin. Times.

Our group went to Walmart earlier today and I cannot explain to how awful some people were looking at us… However, I am representing Mizzou Alternative Breaks and I cannot afford to talk out of the side of my neck. Cannot. I had to continue to be respectful and show love even though I was not receiving the same respect from some of the good-Christian people of Franklin, West V's."

Despite our obstacles and setbacks, we remained positive and persevered. (We truly learned what it meant to Be Gumby).

During the first two days of service we worked on a house for the Alt family. Our work days consisted of working on small projects on the interior of the house like window framing, touch up painting, and installing door stoppers. It was great seeing everyone so eager to work on their own projects. There was even some friendly competition to see who can build the best window frame. (They were all perfect though). We were also able to challenge ourselves through the projects we took on. With help from Jonathan and Wise Walter, our site managers, we were able to learn new skills like how to use power saws and nail sinking.

"Before today I never did anything with house construction or anything even close to that. But throughout the day I could feel myself growing more confident. I started to get the hang of using a hammer and nailing the window frames into the wall. Things started to go faster, and I got excited about working on the house. By the end of the day I did something I never thought I would do; I used a power saw!" – Audra

 

While the scenery and nature of West Virginia is beautiful, it has not distracted us from the reason we choose Franklin to serve with Habitat for Humanity. Being in the rural area we have seen a lot of the issues with housing. We are very excited to learn more about homelessness and poverty and continue our work with Habitat for Humanity this week!