Pace University students from the New York City and Westchester campus joined forces during their spring break to rebuild homes in Far Rockaway, New York that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The students helped with a group called Friends of Rockaway, which is described on their website as “a local affiliate of the St. Bernard Project, dedicated to rebuilding and repairing homes for Sandy survivors in the Rockaway peninsula who cannot afford to rebuild on their own.” Most people don’t hear much about Hurricane Sandy victims anymore because there isn’t a lot of coverage in the media, yet people are still lacking the basic necessities, like electricity and proper sewage.
The
first day Pace students spent time getting to know one another and watching a
documentary about people who had to relocate to hotels and shelters. Students
also learned that there wasn’t much disaster relief provided by the government.
In addition, Pace students were assigned days to write blog posts about their
day, as well as the people they met.
Students
met with volunteers the second day, where they could get their hands dirty,
literally. No prior experience was necessary for students to lend a helping
hand because two volunteers at each location trained/assisted students throughout
the entire process. They instructed them on basic rebuilding, like using power
tools, sanding, mudding walls, painting, etc. The students split up into two
groups, working on two different homes at the same time.
“Participating
in Pace’s Alternative Spring Break was extremely rewarding,” Elizabeth Garcia, junior and English Literature and Language major said.
“It opened my eyes to a problem so close
to home. At first, I couldn’t believe two years had gone by because there is
still so much more work to be done. After taking part in this trip, I want to
go back and continue helping in the Rockaways and inspire others to do the
same.”
Students also had the opportunity to speak
with a news editor from the local paper, The
Wave, as well as representatives from the St. Bernard Project. After four
long days, students were proud of what they had accomplished on their trip.
Ashleen Ulysse, a sophomore and accounting
major said, “It was definitely a life changing experience that I am honored to
have been a part of. Even though the house was not complete when left, I feel
like our team had made a huge impact in the life of the family we helped.
During my trip I also got the opportunity to meet with the writer of a local
newspaper who gave us recommendations on topics to write to local elected
officials. Not only did I get a chance to volunteer for four days in the
Rockaways, but I also got a chance to speak up for that community. I genuinely
recommend this experience to all Pace students.”
When Ulysse mentioned her opportunity
to speak up for the community, she was referring to letters that students wrote
to elected officials, which was a requirement once students returned to campus.
Ulysse wasn’t the only student who was impacted by her experience at Far
Rockaway.
“The highlight of my trip was seeing the
drastic change in progress on the home, because in the span of a few days, as a
team, we had worked together and completed the tasks we were given,” Tiffany
Pabon, a junior at Pace said. “Seeing how happy Mr. Obola was to see the work
that was being done on his home was so satisfying and reaffirmed why I chose to
volunteer. I got to help the Obola family and I made new and fond
memories. That week I was doing things that I never thought I would ever find
myself doing; I worked with drywall, power tools, and mudding. I am a volunteer
because I want to see change in the world. Although I am only one person out of
the billions, knowing I can make the difference is encouraging. All it takes is
one to make a change.”
For more information about how to get
involved, visit: http://friendsofrockaway.org/
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