The Work We Want To Do
For the second year in a row, I took my last week of winter break in Vero Beach—working on homes for Habitat for Humanity with my fellow students. And while the average person might see this as a sacrifice, I disagree. Although my pockets were a little lighter and my joints ached a little more than they might if I’d stayed lounging on my couch at home, this is a small price to pay for everything that I’ve gained during my stays. Some are intangible—the rewarding feeling of giving my time and effort for a good cause, or the feeling that I’m contributing to the growth of new, inclusive communities in a time of considerable division in this country. Others are quite tangible—the new friends I’ve made on both treks, the joy brought to our spectacular hosts and lovely families we’ve met along the way, and the practical skills of working on the job site. In both cases I can say I walked away feeling as if I’d had a week of fun and wonderful memories rather than a week of service. The way I see it, volunteer work is the work we want to do, not the work we have to do; and for me and my fellow Babson volunteers, serving this community is something we want to do—something that warms our hearts—and it’s been an incredible experience finding that so many others share this passion. And although I’m graduating this spring, I can tell that this will not be my last time visiting and working in Vero Beach.
-Vero Beach, Florida Habitat for Humanity Trip Participant