Helping those Outside the Central Florida Community

...i'm backkkk!

Last week I embarked on an adventure to Biloxi, Mississippi with 28 of the most awesome, good-hearted, and hilarious people I know.

Collegiate Challenge: (noun) 1. a trip lasting one week during which Habitat for HumanityUCF members challenge themselves by traveling a minimum of 8 hours on a bus, waking up before sunrise everyday to do manual labor, and most importantly put aside their own interests to help those in need 2. the ultimate bonding experience.

It has been nearly 6 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, yet the way it affected both the coastal infrastructure and the lives of those who call these shores home is still incredibly apparent. While sharing their stories, members of the community all referenced periods of their lives as "before (or) after the storm" as if Katrina was a common life experience like graduating from high school or getting your first car. Although Katrina brought extreme deprivation to this area, the unity between members of the community is astonishing and its something we will never truly be able to comprehend.

The houses our group worked on were set on stilts to minimize potential flood damages from future storms. Working at such great heights was a challenging first for many of the us on this trip, but at the same time it made our accomplishments seem even greater!

Before:

After:

As Treasurer of HabitatUCF this was my 4th Collegiate Challenge. Although each experience and location has been different, its safe to say that our journey to Mississippi changed my life in ways that are pretty much indescribable. As one of the leaders of this trip, I not only had to look out for my own fun and safety but also the well being of what I consider now to be 28 of my closest friends. It was beautiful to see how much relationships and outlooks on life can change over the course of one week.

My welcome back from The Mustard Seed... 300 mattresses to unload andddd...

MY OWN CARDS!

Lo Lesson 3:

What Tim the Tool Man Taylor never told us:

If you think it is a good idea to get crafty with a table saw, think again. The piece of wood you are trying to cut a little triangle out of (to give to your site leader as a gift) may be too short for you to "steady" without sawing off your fingers. This is simply because you are not only steadying the wood you are also holding it down so it doesn't shoot off at the speed of light in the direction your closest friend (just like you would see on an episode of Tool Time.)