By Jim Mahar, Professor Columnist
This is the second series of volunteer reflections from our Spring Break trip to Dickinson, Texas.
The first reflection is from “Karen,” Yongjing Ye, who is a senior finance major from China:
“Last week was the most fulfilling week in my life so far. I spent a whole week in Dickinson, Texas, helping people recover their homes, which were damaged by the hurricane. I know how strong hurricanes can be because my hometown is hit regularly by typhoons. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to help people. In Dickinson, I went to different places and helped different people. The local people are so nice and friendly. When we were working at their house, they would share their food and water with us, which moved me so much.
The most memorable moment was when the owner of the house went and purchased a fan for me because I was sweating when I mudded the wall in the hallway without any windows and doors. Sometimes, when you help others, actually, it’s also a time that someone can help you in return. When I volunteer, I not only make others feel happy, but I also myself feel happy, too.
In the course of the week, I helped build some ramps, worked at hanging drywall and even put some ‘mud’ (plaster) on the newly hung drywall. I learned much on this trip, but everything was not perfect. For instance, on the first day, I made some mistakes when I was measuring lumber for the ramp, and that led to the team having to make corrections later on and rebuild the ramp. I felt very guilty, but it was also a good learning experience, as I came to realize that quality is even more important than quantity.
During the trip, I made some new friends and met some new people. I became closer to the students I knew. We spent some time working together, watching the basketball game and enjoying a good time on the beach. All in all, this was a very special trip for me because it made me happy and sad at the same time. It truly was the most unforgettable experience in my life. I hope I can do more volunteer jobs and help more people.”
The second volunteer to share a reflection is Evan McCabe:
“I worked at a trailer park in a small town called Dickinson. The roads through the trailer park looked like that of a third-world nation. The houses were small and falling apart, the street was torn up with potholes and there were stray dogs roaming the streets.
The houses we were working in were literally falling apart from the inside out. The floors were rotting away, and the walls and ceilings were covered with mold. While millions of people were affected by Harvey, the recovery here was much slower for one simple reason: The people lived on the ‘wrong side’ of the fence.
This is not a metaphor or analogy. As I was working in the trailer park, I was in the backyard of someone’s home and noticed that the fence was falling down. As I walked over to look at it, I couldn’t help but notice what was on the other side of the fence. It was an upper-class development with white picket fences surrounding most of the two-story homes. While on the ‘other side’ of the fence, little had changed in the preceding six months.
What this showed me was that the main difference between people who got help and people who did not get help was a fence. I found this to be very upsetting and wrong that on one side of the fence people were able to recover from the hurricane but, on the other side of the fence, people were still struggling to recover with no end in sight.
The people living in the trailer park, many of whom could not speak English, were left to fight for themselves. They received no help from FEMA, the U.S. government or their state and local governments. The people whose standard of living is as low as third-world countries could not get help from their own people. The superpower of the world could not help the people who needed it most. BonaResponds was the first group of volunteers to help the people at the trailer park. The people were so grateful for not only the work, but for us being there and showing them that others do care about them.
It was our job to show them that. It was our job to tear down that fence and help anyone who needs it, no matter who they are or where they come from. Houston is not the only place where you can see such a definite divide between the wealthy and the poor. Every city and town in America has rich and poor, the “nice” and the “underprivileged” part of town. Everywhere you go in this country there will be a fence; it is our duty to look over that fence and help those who need it most.”
BonaResponds Notes:
• We regret to announce that we failed to get the insurance certificates needed for Praebibo, and hence, the event had to be canceled.
• Quote of the week: “We may not be able to make things perfect, but we can make things better!” -BonaResponds
This is the eighth in a series of articles by BonaResponds leader Jim Mahar, Ph.D., and serves as a follow-up to the sixth edition’s Spring Break reflection.
