Rutgers AWB: Restoring Hope in Joplin, MO

To say this trip was a life changing experience is an understatement. Going into the trip, all members shared the same feelings of excitement, nervousness and anticipation. During the pre-trip meetings and dinner we all just knew that we were going to have an amazing time together, and an amazing time is what we had. From the second we stepped on the airport there was an instant bond between the thirteen of us. All of us shared the common notion of ultimately making an impact in someway on this trip. Although upon arriving our expectations of what we were doing on the trip fell short, the outcome was much more than we could all imagine. We stayed in a volunteer house that definitely needed some fixing up in itself. So we spent the week completely restoring this volunteer house from the bottom up. We had a wonderful leader, Scott, who volunteered to guide us in our rebuilding and restoring for the entire week. He told us that after three years this volunteer house would in fact be donated to a family from Joplin in need of a place to call home. Even though we expected to be volunteering in several different houses, we all instantly became attached to this volunteer house and poured our hearts and souls into every detail. Our motivation was making this a beautiful house for future volunteers to enjoy, and with the ultimate end of a deserving family to inhabit it. Every night at reflection, we all shared common feelings and findings during our work. With our big hearts and open minds, we slowly became a family. No matter what task was handed to us, we collectively joined together to turn this house into a home. Every single person on this trip was vital in that they we all individually brought something different to the table. Not once was there a moment where one of us wasn't offering the other help or expressing words of encouragement. When touring the destruction from the tornado we also shared a sense of hope as well as sorrow for the loss of a beautiful city. Regardless, nothing would stray us away from the positive attitudes we all shared. The community of Joplin was resilient, no one would let a tornado and its destruction stand in the way of the love for their community and life. Carrying on their positive morale, the 13 of us always kept "hope" in our hearts and minds. Rutgers Alternative Winter Breaks 2012, Restoring Hope in Joplin, MO: love every single one of you. And thank you all so much for creating endless memories that will never fade, and that will continue on forever.

Always,
Dina