Hello, everyone! My name is Ashley McNamara and I am a senior at Pitt-Greensburg. My major is secondary education with a focus in social studies. 

Today (Friday) was our last day working for Union-Anson Habitat for Humanity. This past week has been an experience that I will always cherish and remember. From previous blogs you may have seen that we got to help with the remodeling of a new ReStore in Monroe, NC. We worked there all day Monday and Tuesday, and then worked half a day on Wednesday. The ReStore was a very fun and rewarding experience. I worked on different jobs at the ReStore but my favorite job was lifting the old tile flooring. Right? Who would have thought! My muscles have been on fire because of it but using a tile machine was so satisfying. 

On Wednesday, we started the day at the ReStore where Brian and I did a good job working on lifting the tile floor. The group took a half day and were treated to lunch at Chick-Fil-a. We then headed into Charlotte and had a ton of fun. Since it was a rainy afternoon, we had to find an indoor destination. We decided to do something we can’t do in the Pittsburgh area and visited the NASCAR Museum! 

After that, the weather cleared up a bit and we explored Charlotte and got some food at the Shake Shack! It was a really awesome day spent together. I got to know the whole group a lot better. 

On Thursday and Friday (today), we got to work on houses for two really great people who will soon be living in them. On Thursday, I was able to do a bunch of things at the house, but my favorite part was using the drill. Today was a really great day too. I learned how to work with and pour concrete. Once we mixed the concrete, we poured it to make a sidewalk. 

All the work we have done was quite challenging, but we had a blast; and it’s for a great cause. My high for the day was probably lunch time because we had hot dogs and snacks, and I cooked the hot dogs for everyone on the grill. 

Working and living together with this group has been the best part about his trip. It’s rare that you get to meet new people and get along with them so great. So many bonds have been created on the trip.  I applied for this Habitat trip not knowing anyone who signed up. I did it because I’ve always wanted to be a part of an organization like Habitat, to help people and be a part of something that will forever help people. 

Hi! My name is Nichole and I am a sophomore here at Pitt-Greensburg. This year I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend this alternative spring break trip to Monroe, North Carolina with Habitat for Humanity. 

Today, we continued working on renovating an old grocery store into a new ReStore facility. ReStore facilities provide furniture, knick-knacks, appliances, and other items for sale to the community at a discounted cost. These facilities help so many families in need get everyday household items at a price that is affordable. I am so glad that all of our hard work these past two days, and the days to come, will be going toward the completion of this facility. When complete, it will help so many people throughout the community. 

Today, I got the opportunity to get to know my peers on a more personal level. It truly is an amazing experience to get to help those in need with a group of 20 strangers who very quickly came to become my friends. Throughout this trip so far, I have learned so much about Habitat for Humanity and its mission, made so many friends, and learned a little bit about what it takes to turn an old grocery store into a brand new ReStore facility. I am so excited for the days to come and want to personally thank everyone who supported us on this trip and donated towards this cause! On behalf of the students on this trip, thank you!

Hello, everyone. My name is Brian and I’m the advisor and chaperone to the Pitt-Greensburg Habitat team. Today was day one of our work week, and we all got quite the workout. 

For the first half of this week, we are scheduled to be working in a building that was formerly home to a Bi-Lo grocery store. The Union-Anson County Habitat for Humanity affiliate recently purchased the building, and we are helping to prepare it for the relocation of their local ReStore. Today, we worked tirelessly to tear up the old tile floor and paint walls in the back of the store.  It was tough work, and everyone was exhausted by the end of the workday at 4 p.m. We still have a lot more tile floor to tear up and walls to paint tomorrow.

Oftentimes, students are excited to work on a home for a partner family but Habitat ReStores are also extremely important to the Habitat mission, because they provide valuable income to support the work of Habitat. Today’s work and what we will be doing this week is just as important as the construction of the Habitat homes that we often think of when we talk about Habitat. In fact, this store will continue to support the Habitat mission in this community for years to come.

Today was a great day. After work, we treated ourselves to smoothies at the local Tropical Smoothie Café. I was a big fan of my Peanut Butter cup smoothie. We had some down time, ate dinner, made our nightly visit to Walmart, took showers, and capped off the night with some conversation.  We spend a half hour together each night during “Circle Time” to reflect on the day, oftentimes sharing our Highs and Lows of the day.

I’m excited for the rest of the week, and I know the students are, as well. Our hosts here have been so friendly, and they have been super accommodating. Each day the group seems to get closer and closer, and I’m so excited for what the rest of the week has in store for us.                                                        

Hello! My name is Hank. I decided to join the Habitat for Humanity trip this year because I have always heard from older students that it is a rewarding and fun experience. This year I am excited to experience it for myself for the first time, as I will get to spend my spring break with friends while doing something that will have a positive impact on others. 

Yesterday we packed our things into two 12-passenger vans, and we began our trip to Charlotte, NC.  We made several stops along the way, at Sheetz for gas and Wendy’s for lunch. The van ride lasted around 8 hours but went by quick since most of the people in my van already knew each other and the ones who didn’t became acclimated very quickly with the group. We spent the ride laughing, singing along to songs, and having fun. We arrived at the Holiday Inn around 9 p.m. Some of us spent our night in the pool and playing card games to relax for our last few hours of the day. After recharging that night, we were ready for a big day the next morning. We ate breakfast in the hotel around 9 a.m. and left for our first activity of the day, touring the Carolina Raptor Center. 

The Raptor Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of raptors (birds of prey). While we were there, we learned about birds such as eagles, hawks, condors, owls, and more. A highlight from the visit was a 20-minute presentation about a Eurasian Eagle Owl named Bart, where we learned lots of interesting facts about him as well as the differences between owls and other birds. 

After visiting the Raptor Center, we had lunch at the Mellow Mushroom in Charlotte and then decided to spend the rest of our day at Camp North, a colorful area of Charlotte with various businesses as well as lots of art and places to hang out. We enjoyed spending time on chair swings, doing activities such as cornhole, and poking around through the small businesses. After Camp North, we finally arrived at the Habitat ReStore that we are staying at for the week. We met Mike, the Executive Director of the local affiliate, and he showed us the facilities we are staying at, as well as where we will be working. 

We finished the night with dinner at Golden Corral and a trip to Walmart that consisted of lots of shenanigans. Overall, I had a great day seeing what Charlotte has to offer and I am excited to spend the rest of the week with such a great group of people.