Habitat for Humanity: Taking a Stand or Changing the Channel

     On Saturday May 14, 2011, I participated in a Habitat for Humanity Project in Annapolis, MD with three other NCHS Key Club members, and several Severna Park Key Club members.  I have long had a desire to volunteer with Habitat and help make a difference in the lives of a needy and deserving family.  Just like most things I find in my life, my initial expectations were vastly different than the actual outcome.  Even though I was entirely unprepared for the work I was going to do that day, and I do mean work, I had a lot of fun, and am richer for the experience.
     Three North County Key Club members and I arrived at the site bright and early that Saturday morning, excited and ready to volunteer.  We were broken up into groups and were assigned tasks for the day.  This is when I learned that when Habitat for Humanity says they build houses, they build houses.  I was not expecting to do actual construction work that day, but I did.  They put me right to work, and it was not easy either.

Me using a jackhammer to
break up the concrete.

     Another Key Club member and I were directed to a basement of a house where concrete rocks needed to be cleared.  After hauling the rocks up the street to a dumpster, we then had to clear all the gravel and concrete out of this trench so that we could begin to dig deeper into the trench, which began to quickly fill with water.  So for the record, Habitat for Humanity while fun, puts people to work.
     I would highly recommend Habitat for Humanity to anyone who really wants to get their hands dirty and volunteer.  Make no mistake, it was hard work.  But it was really fun, and we truly did make a difference.
     One of the things that made the biggest impact on me while at the project was the amount of poverty where I live.  The project was in Annapolis, within walking distance of the Capitol, and yet there were so many people that lived in less than sustainable conditions.  People often watch those T.V. shows, such as Feed the Children, that ask you to donate to people in need, and they often think "This happens in other countries, it could never happen where I live."  I know I am guilty of this as well.  Well people, it doesn't just happen in other countries, in places far from home.  It's here right in our own backyard. What are we going to do about it?  Are we gonna get up, take a stand, and do something about it?  Or are we just going to change the channel?