'Habitat' takes Midd to Exmore

Author: Erin Lackey

A group of 20 Middlebury students participated in a Habitat for Humanity trip this past spring break to Exmore, Va., traveling to two of the poorest counties on the state's Atlantic coastline. The group's volunteer work focused on the rebuilding of local homes, with their work ranging from remodeling to landscaping.

Bryce Loidolt '07 and Ashley Asmus '09 co-led the group of Middlebury students to Virginia, while Assistant Director for Student Organizations and Administration Charlotte Chase helped them organize the trip. The students who volunteered their time paid for themselves and contributed to the donation of 2000 dollars made toward the purchase of supplies used in the project.

The group's initiative was to help the people living in the area of Exmore, Va. by rebuilding houses. Many of the city's residents do not have access to running water, and many people live in trailer year round. Bryce Loidolt '07 discussed his experience: "We had a lot of contact with homeowners who were already living in Habitat for Humanity built homes in the area, as well as with future homeowners whose houses we were working on. They took a lot of pride in their homes which encouraged us to take more pride in our work. We worked side by side with homeowners, " he said.

The students who attended the trip formed a deep bond with the members of the Exmore community and were very enthusiastic about helping out. The inspiration for the work that they accomplished came from the people they worked with.

Asmus described her experience: "Although this might not sound like much, I think it ended up helping the 'regulars' of the Eastern Shore volunteer crew a lot. Most, if not all, of the Habitat volunteers in ESVA are retired people, and usually a crew of five people working twice a week is all they can count on. My hope is that we gave the Exmore Habitat volunteers a leg up for the work they'll be doing in the spring and summer." Since so many individuals who normally work on these projects are older, having a group of college students invigorated their spirit.

Throughout the project, the Middlebury students focused on the completion of two houses in the area. Because so much construction had been previously completed o the houses, the students split up into several groups. One team focused on construction on the inside, working on hanging doors, placing the trim around the houses and putting up windowsills. A second team worked outdoors on the landscaping around the house. They added shrubs and planted trees to give the outside a more complete look. A third group was created to clean the ESVA's warehouse so that it could be used as a staging area in the future.

The project greatly impacted the students who took part in it as well as the residents of the area. Asmus discussed her feelings about the trip, saying, "As for ourselves, I think we all learned not only a few new construction skills, but also a lot about working in a group." Asmus said that meeting people outside of the campus community and learning about an area of the country that was unfamiliar to her were her favorite parts of the trip. "I don't think I've ever made that many good friends that quickly in my life," commented Asmus. "I definitely plan to go on this Habitat trip to an urban area next year. It's an exciting, worthwhile and constructive use of time." The Habitat for Humanity volunteers saw the trip as a great success, and hope to continue it for years to come.