By Avery Giguere, Staff Writer

This year, the student volunteers for the Friesen Center took their fall break in West Virginia; however, most people would not call it a break. These students, instead of relaxing at home or spending time with family, spent their break volunteering. The students worked alongside a small crew of house-builders to help a woman whose house was destroyed in a flood back in 2016.

The students were broken up into small teams, and each team had its own task to work on within the house. These tasks included working on wiring all throughout the house, plumbing, and drywall. They also worked to clean up the landscaping around the house and worked on the siding. The volunteers worked hard though Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, but they were also able to go for a scenic hike later in the day on Monday at a state park outside of Charleston. 

Isaac Sponseller described his favorite part of the trip as meeting the woman they were building the house for. She has been living in a camper since losing her home and Sponseller said it was, “nice to see how excited she was to be so close to living in a house again.

Most students would not take time out of their relaxing breaks to travel and work hard all day to volunteer for a woman they do not know. The Friesen Center gave Huntington students an opportunity to serve and help other communities of people. Taking time to go home and relax is always needed, but taking the time to serve is a gift God has blessed us with.