http://www.rtno.org/news-press/entry/volunteer-life/
4Mar 2010
Volunteer Life: Spring Break
By Tony Hahn, AmeriCorps Program Manager Assistant
Every volunteer has a life outside of volunteering. For students coming down for Spring Break, life probably includes spending time cramming, procrastinating, Facebooking and more procrastinating. Whether you love your classes or dread them like the plague, you’re learning something; even if it’s begrudgingly so. If you’re planning on volunteering with Rebuilding Together New Orleans for spring break, we hope you’ll learn something different than you’re used to and that you will truly enjoy the process. Who you are can be defined by what you do, the things you learn and how you use that knowledge. Your volunteer experience with RTNO has the potential to be a defining and memorable learning experience in your life and we encourage you to take full advantage of it.
Your volunteer experience begins the moment you show up to the work site. Orientation consists of a short briefing about the neighborhood you’ll be working in, the story of the homeowner, the goals for the week, safety precautions and a brief history of Rebuilding Together New Orleans. An AmeriCorps House Captain guides you, step by step, through the house’s work scope and will be your on-site leader for the entirety of your time with us. It doesn’t matter whether you have years of experience in carpentry or paint or no experience whatsoever, RTNO will utilize your skill set the best way possible for a house’s current stage. Volunteers may do anything from deconstruction, scraping, or painting the exterior of a home to tiling and finishing carpentry inside a home.
“Seeing firsthand how a few hours of my time, combined with all the volunteers, could truly make a difference. I was amazed at the amount of work accomplished in one day.” – RTNO Volunteer
As a former House Captain, the greatest part of working with volunteers was seeing them take passion in something they might otherwise never do. Not only is the work stimulating, but it’s channeled for an altruistic cause. The reward of a week’s work is seeing the visible progress made in bringing someone back to their home.
“With regard to the work that still needs to be done… the only tangible progress being made is from organizations like RTNO and volunteer groups willing to lend a hand… and the rebuild effort is grass roots, focused on ‘one family at a time’. Somehow we need to help build on that momentum… thousands of families are counting on us.” – RTNO Volunteer
Your volunteer life may be short, but the impact you make will remain in the homeowner’s house long after they move back in. After spring break you’ll return to your everyday life, but you’ll have a vivid picture of the city and its people. Being a part of the recovery efforts takes on a life of its own-you’re giving back, learning about the rebirth of a city and taking that knowledge back with you. That is something you’ll never get simply from a week on Bourbon Street.
“I was truly touched by the warm welcome that we received from all the people in New Orleans, not just the ones whose homes we were rebuilding. People were so kind and welcoming – they made me feel like it was my home, my city that we were helping to restore. The people I met made such an impact on me because it reminded me that we were there to restore more than just homes. We were there to remind others that our hearts are open to the people of that beautiful city.” – RTNO Volunteer
