As our second full day of work here in Greensboro comes to a close, we reflect on our experiences so far. What comes to mind is not the hours and hours of painting, scrubbing bathroom floors, pressure washing, caulking, window cleaning, sweeping, removing cobwebs, and (my personal favorite) shooting the nail gun; what comes to mind are the people - the twelve strangers who have become a little bunkhouse family, the selfless and kindhearted workers from HERO Housing, and the welcoming and close-knit community that will benefit from our work here.
Before this trip, most of the twelve members of our group barely knew each other’s names; in the past 48 hours we have gotten to know not only each other’s names, but so much more. We know that Brad makes BOMB pancakes, Connor eats triple decker sandwiches and has a hard time with steps, Shannon cheers for the wrong Tigers (we’ll forgive her), Hanna has a knack for coming up with tiebreakers for Fishbowl, and Grant’s pretty good at acting out those tiebreakers (March Madness, Barney and Ostrich in 1:04). More importantly, we’ve learned to communicate with and lean (figuratively and literally) on each other to serve a community in need.
In addition to getting to know each other, we’ve gotten to know the seriously awesome people from HERO Housing who have so graciously hosted us this trip. First, let me tell you a few things about Pam, the director of HERO Housing. Pam is the epitome of glass half full. In fact, a completely empty glass would somehow still be full in Pam’s eyes. I think I speak for the entire group when I say that she is hands down one of the most positive, encouraging, cheerful, supportive, happy people I have ever met. She radiates kindness, and her passion is contagious. She will make even the most mundane, boring task sound like tons of fun, and if you goof up, she’ll make you feel like you did her a huge favor. Basically, she’s awesome, and everyone should be more like her. Next, there’s Mary Cris. Mary Cris is hilarious and super sweet, and she’s helped us feel at home here in the bunkhouse by making sure we have everything we need. Last but definitely not least are Cailley, Keaun, Rod, and the rest of the HERO team. They each have their own unique story and offer so much to this community, which is not their original home. Although we haven’t gotten to know them quite as well as Pam and Mary Cris, we’ve had so much fun working alongside them at our job sites. I think it’s safe to say that this trip would not have been nearly as fun and meaningful if it weren’t for the wonderful people at HERO Housing.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we have gotten to know and love the community of Greensboro. Through watching and collecting candy at the homecoming parade, running/walking (and falling) at the Color Run 5K, and interacting with residents of the neighborhood in which we have worked, we have seen just how close-knit and family-oriented the community of Greensboro truly is. It’s a little town with a big heart, and just knowing that our work here is making a tangible and much needed difference makes the hours and hours of manual labor so worth it.
Also, special shoutout to Kate! Although she couldn’t be here on the trip with us, we had so much fun getting to know her during trainings. We know how much she really wanted to be here and we are truly missing her bubbly personality and selfless heart.
