by Shuwen N.
[Editor’s note: Shuwen’s reflections on a day working at the Habitat site]
Yesterday was the first Saturday volunteers from local churches working on Valeria D’s home helped out on site. By early afternoon, the cinder-blocks foundations were already cemented into place and the main wood foundation had been bolted into place so it was time to lay on the Stucco (a mixture of cement and sand) to add structure, protect the cinder-blocks and to give the house a more finished look. It was apt that the first day involved working on the foundation for Valeria’s home, probably especially for the big group of student leaders from the Newman Center who used the afternoon as one of the activities in their leadership orientation weekend.
People who volunteer at Habitat homes typically fall under two main categories. Those who enjoy meeting new people while doing tasks with others, and those who only think about the task at hand and don’t chat very much. At risk of seeming anti-social, I probably fall under the latter category. Yet, I enjoy listening to others chat and learn about each other in the background, and see folks build relationships through this process. In spite of my personal tendencies, I do believe that it is good that there are both types. Like anything that requires building, being both open and focused will lead to strong foundations. So no matter which category you think you might fall into, consider taking a few hours from your Saturday and head on over to Hillsborough, where the building of relationships, leadership and community is happening.