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From: swartzrn
Date: 03-08-2006, 10:12 PM (1 of 7)
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I don't know how many of you are familiar with this organization but they volunteer to build houses. My dad has always been involved with the Habitat program in Alabama where we are from and our church here actually built a house last fall. Anyway, I just had to share something I saw at church tonight..there were college students from Vanderbilt, Penn State and Ithaca here in Columbus (Georgia) working on 8 Habitat houses. They are on Spring Break and every year these schools have habitat for humanity projects here and come for their entire Spring break. So our church has sponsored them and tonight at Wednesday night dinner, they were all there (straight from working onthe houses I might add) and joined us all for dinner, prayer meeting. We have 8 place tables set up where we have our dinner so they had 1-2 of the students at every table with the members. The 2 girls we had at our table were just delightful. Both were from Ithaca and one was a Community Health major and the other an Acting major. There were pre-med students, a pre-dental student, engineering majors, education majors and just a vast array of professions represented. For many of them, it was not their first trip. I was so impressed! I mean, in this day and age, it's not often you see young people like that who are willing to give up their Spring break to come and work their butts off like they are doing. My husband and I were so touched by their dedication to others. What touched me even more was that they funded their own trips out of their pockets. They seemed GREATFUL to our church for letting them stay there. I mean, they just went on and on saying thank you TO US--when they are the one's who deserve the thank you's. We hear such doom and gloom on the TV that it's really nice to see something positive and that's why I thought I would share it with you guys. One of the girls has a brother who is in the Army and with the 82nd Airborne Div at Ft. Bragg and he is at Ft. Benning doing some kind of school..it's uncanny that she would be here from NY and he'd be here from NC at the same time so she was getting to spend some time with him in the evenings. BTW, Ft. Benning is right here at Columbus. On one side of the gate is Ft. Benning and the other Columbus if that makes sense. Didn't mean to ramble but I just thought you'd it refreshing to know that these things are going on (I had no idea.) I am hoping and praying that my 15 yr old will do something like this when she's in college. I think it's a great program. Ok, I'll stop yacking--hope you all are having a nice week so far! Julie
"To see the future, look into a child's eyes." |
User: swartzrn
Member since: 02-17-2006 Total posts: 436 
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From: plrlegal
Date: 03-08-2006, 10:52 PM (2 of 7)
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Thanks for sharing with us. The youth group from our church is going to Louisiana or Mississippi (I forget which one right at the moment) to work with Habitat in that area on their spring break. And, yes, it is nice to hear positive reports about high school and college students giving of their own time and resources to help other. Our kids are great and helped host youth groups from other states when the F5 tornado hit south Oklahoma City several years ago and they came in to help pick up the piecces. IMOP, bad news seems to get the most national attention these days. Our news media people don't seem very interested in positive things going on in our world these days. Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: SummersEchos
Date: 03-09-2006, 10:07 AM (3 of 7)
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Yesterday while reading the news, they had a huge article on the dangers of spring break. The drinking, sex, drugs, etc. Then they went into interviews with people who do the habitat on spring break. They are suppose to tag along with some of the college people from both sides, and record there breaks. A series will be written about it. It won't change the party hardy kids, but it may give the ones who go due to "they have to" someplace else to go.
Summer
FREE FALLIN |
User: SummersEchos
Member since: 09-29-2004 Total posts: 884 |
From: MaryW
Date: 03-09-2006, 10:22 AM (4 of 7)
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Thanks so much for telling us about those young people. Too often we hear about just the bad stuff.
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: KayTee
Date: 03-09-2006, 10:41 AM (5 of 7)
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All sorts of groups are getting involved with Habitat for Humanity. Here's an excerpt from a news story a couple of days ago relating to this topic. (Banff is a mountain resort just over an hour west of Calgary - it has a world class conference centre.) " More than 800 people from a U.S. restaurant chain were in Banff Tuesday for a massive humanitarian project. Volunteers picked up their hammers and began building frames for 21 Habitat for Humanity homes. Nine of the homes will be transported to New Orleans. The remaining 12 will go to Calgary. Local Habitat for Humanity volunteers will finish the homes later this year. Texas Roadhouse restaurants bought all the materials and will leave behind the equipment for the Calgary chapter to use. This is the third year the United States based company has taken on a humanitarian project in the community where they are holding their conference. Conference participants also raised $37,000. The money will be used to purchase much needed items for various Banff groups and organizations. " ----------- Personally, I think more companies should try doing this. |
User: KayTee
Member since: 12-06-2002 Total posts: 98 |
From: Magot
Date: 03-09-2006, 11:51 AM (6 of 7)
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Thanks for sharing that - one of our youngsters from church went out to Honduras in the summer break to build housing- he funded himself. His sister is now out in Northern India working at home schooling some youngsters before she goes to college. Actually I think she could be in Katmandu at the moment renewing visas - which is a bit hairy considering the unrest there at the moment..
love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626 
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From: swartzrn
Date: 03-09-2006, 03:38 PM (7 of 7)
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It was just very refreshing to see these young people so enthusiastic over helping others. I mean, how often do you see that these days? Sometimes I feel like compassion and generosity is a characteristic that just isn't possessed these days. It's a "me" generation and that makes me sad. My parents always encouraged my brother and me to be considerate and helpful and even though it's something I truly believe in doing and try to always, life just gets in the way sometimes. I'm back in school full time, have 2 children and a husband in the Army and work at the same time. Yesterday I was home and everytime I turned on the TV or logged on to the internet, it was gloom and doom..it's SO depressing. I stayed in my pajamas all day and didn't even want to get out of the house to go to church but did anyway. I was SOOOO happy I did because I felt so good when I left. I was more impressed that these kids gave up their spring break that they could've been on vacation somewhere lying on a beach to get dirty and muddy and sweaty. I would only hope that my children would do the same or at least be mindful of the needs of others. At least that's how I hope I am raising them to be. I was familiar with Habitat b/c Daddy has worked in that organization for many years but I had NO clue that colleges participated. I worry alot about the dangers facing my teenager. So far, so good. I also worry ALOT about what dangers will be lurking when my little one gets older. Right now, I can keep my eyes on her but they sure do grow up fast! Julie
"To see the future, look into a child's eyes." |
User: swartzrn
Member since: 02-17-2006 Total posts: 436
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