It was a beautiful and sunny day in Richmond today! The group was split into two teams again. A group of eight returned to the original site for a third day to continue with the flooring, adding finishing touches to the cabinets, and replacing an exterior window. This group consisted of student-leader David, participants Brynn, Julia, Grace, Stephen, Marie, Tim, and accompanier Emily. Emily and Stephen worked outside the house on ladders removing siding, prying nails, and replacing a window. Julia, Grace, and Marie meticulously worked on finishing the kitchen cabinets and applying the final coat of paint. Brynn, David, and Tim continued to lay flooring in the living room today.
The second group consisted of a team of six: student-leader Amanda, participants Claire, Kaisa, Tierney, Alicia, and accompanier Austin. The team spent a chilly but sunny day outside working cleaning up the yard of a new Habitat for Humanity house. Claire, Kaisa, Tierney, and Austin spent their time in the front yard chipping at the frozen ground with pickaxes to move piles of dirt under the porch to level it out. Lots of heavy lifting and shoveling resulted in a rewarding finish in the front yard. Amanda and Alicia worked in the backyard cleaning out dead brush and trees. Amanda was excited to use a saw and Alicia hauled the wood piles around to the front as they worked to clean up the backyard. The landscaping team was later joined by the homeowner, Carlos. "He was very appreciative of the work we were doing, and was surprised how we were spending our spring break. We wouldn't have it any other way!" expressed Amanda.
Both groups took a break for lunch and met around noon for some time to debrief on individual experiences, and were joined by some friendly neighborhood cats! Carlos spent
lunch visiting with the rest of the group and expressed not only gratitude, but also his amazement at how we were spending our spring break.
Our day of work wrapped up early to allow the Habitat for Humanity staff/volunteers as well as members of our team to practice Ash Wednesday. Having some free time today allowed us to enjoy the sunshine by playing corn hole and relaxing while watching a movie. After cleaning the dirt, paint, and dust off ourselves, we gathered together to discuss and reflect. Today our focus was part two of last night's topic of socioeconomic issues that Appalachian people face in their daily lives. This evening Saint Marks Church hosted us for a delicious fish fry dinner. While there we even met a friendly woman with a unique last name... Gannon! Everyone has been so thrilled to welcome our Gannon team, but Ms. Gannon showed a special excitement when meeting our group.
After dinner, seven group members took part in a Methodist Service and five attended a Catholic Mass. Tim remarked that his experience at the Methodist Church was, "...really calming and it felt good to connect more with Habitat volunteers. Charlene and Mike, two of our contacts, were attending the service as well, and it was great to see them." The group was welcomed by the pastor and thanked for the work we've been completing. All in all, the day was full of laughter and fun experiences. Our love for Richmond Kentucky continues to grow!
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