Arctic blast no match for volunteer spirit
Eric Redline, WG'08
Issue date: 3/26/07 Section: News
Despite the wintry weather two weeks ago, over 40 Wharton volunteers made their way to West to begin the Rebuilding Together work weekends. While the cold and snow may have deterred some volunteers, it certainly did not dampen the spirit and enthusiasm of those present. Once the homeowner got over the initial shock of seeing 13 anxious students and partners (nearly a quarter of volunteers were partners) and we unpacked our trash cans full of "goodies", we got down to business. "Who wants a door knob?" the house manager asks, pulling a package from another bin. And then the frenzy started, people were scrubbing down the walls in preparation for painting, others were installing the door knobs, and still others were putting in new smoke alarms, vanity lights, and a new hand rail.
Throughout the day, the homeowner sat at her desk, taking in the activity. At first she was quiet and reluctant to engage in conversation with the volunteers. Perhaps she was still in shock that this many people were in her house, maybe she was embarrassed that her house needed all the attention, or perhaps she just did not know what to say. Being skilled in the art of emotional intelligence, some of the volunteers tried diligently to decipher the homeowner's state of mind, asking probing questions about her children, the sewing table in the living room, and how long she lived in Philadelphia. It took until the early afternoon before she engaged in conversation, but when she did, the flood gates were opened. We learned she loves to sew, having made her daughter's dress for the prom and clothes for her grandchildren, she has lived in the same house for the past twenty years, and is very proud of her son, who is a Philadelphia firefighter.
For me, personally, one of the greatest benefits of volunteering is getting the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. Rebuilding Together provides that experience, but more importantly allows us, as volunteers, to see the change take place over four weekends of the program. As we prepared to leave for the day, our homeowner thanked us profusely and was amazed at all we had accomplished in a short period. She is excited to have us come back this weekend and the next to continue working with her to create a more pleasant living environment. We are excited too to go back and continue the work we started, relive the funny moments of last weekend and hopefully continue to create fond memories that will last a lifetime. Some of the highlights of the weekend include Barry and the 'Great Stuff'; he commanded quite an audience as he braced a can of 'Great Stuff' against his thigh and tried to squeeze out enough "stuff" to fill the hole in the door jamb. Let's hope we can open the door this weekend; we know the door knob Stef and her husband, Mark, installed actually works (at least it did when we left), but how the "stuff" dried remains a mystery.
I want to thank all of the volunteers that braved the elements and were able to contribute this past weekend, the Wharton staff who organized all logistics and made getting involved easy, and of course the homeowners for letting us into their lives. One thing that we as volunteers sometimes forget is that those we are helping are often proud individuals and, although they know they need our help, are sometimes unwilling to welcome us in. They may perceive our laughter and jokes as against them when in reality we are laughing at ourselves. But by committing to several weekends, you can get to know your homeowner, break through the "ice", and create a lasting impression on someone who needs a helping hand. Next weekend (March 30th and 31st) is Big/Little Cohort weekend and media day; if you are going to participate, this is the weekend to do it. Partners, friends, and family are all welcome to come out and join the fun. Transportation will be provided from Rittenhouse Square (at 10am) to the neighborhood and returning to Rittenhouse Square around 4 pm. If you have any questions, please contact your cohort house manager.
The following volunteers made the trek to commence Rebuilding Together:
Cohort B
Raymond Aronoff
Marek Wiernusz
Christina Yeh
Obi Obinna
Samra Haider
Ali Zipf
Joyce Chow (+ husband, Ryan)
Jan Dornbush
Cohort F
Shiry Zofnat
Isaac Mason
Anna Andonova
Ari Endrotomo
Canset Eroglu (+ boyfriend)
Kelly Meissner
Ryan Penn
Jan Hellmich (+ spouse)
Matthew Ulman (+ spouse)
Clarice Wong
Cohort G
Adrian Ironside
Patricia Wehahn
Melissa Bryan
Cohort I
Eric Redline (+ fiancé, Amanda)
Geralyn Villaflor
Dan Bowermaster
Susanna Brown (+ husband, Drew)
Alexander Gitnik (+ wife, Anatasia)
Barry Mattson (+ wife, Amelia)
Jamie Merriman
Stef Silverstein (+ husband, Mark)
Throughout the day, the homeowner sat at her desk, taking in the activity. At first she was quiet and reluctant to engage in conversation with the volunteers. Perhaps she was still in shock that this many people were in her house, maybe she was embarrassed that her house needed all the attention, or perhaps she just did not know what to say. Being skilled in the art of emotional intelligence, some of the volunteers tried diligently to decipher the homeowner's state of mind, asking probing questions about her children, the sewing table in the living room, and how long she lived in Philadelphia. It took until the early afternoon before she engaged in conversation, but when she did, the flood gates were opened. We learned she loves to sew, having made her daughter's dress for the prom and clothes for her grandchildren, she has lived in the same house for the past twenty years, and is very proud of her son, who is a Philadelphia firefighter.
For me, personally, one of the greatest benefits of volunteering is getting the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. Rebuilding Together provides that experience, but more importantly allows us, as volunteers, to see the change take place over four weekends of the program. As we prepared to leave for the day, our homeowner thanked us profusely and was amazed at all we had accomplished in a short period. She is excited to have us come back this weekend and the next to continue working with her to create a more pleasant living environment. We are excited too to go back and continue the work we started, relive the funny moments of last weekend and hopefully continue to create fond memories that will last a lifetime. Some of the highlights of the weekend include Barry and the 'Great Stuff'; he commanded quite an audience as he braced a can of 'Great Stuff' against his thigh and tried to squeeze out enough "stuff" to fill the hole in the door jamb. Let's hope we can open the door this weekend; we know the door knob Stef and her husband, Mark, installed actually works (at least it did when we left), but how the "stuff" dried remains a mystery.
I want to thank all of the volunteers that braved the elements and were able to contribute this past weekend, the Wharton staff who organized all logistics and made getting involved easy, and of course the homeowners for letting us into their lives. One thing that we as volunteers sometimes forget is that those we are helping are often proud individuals and, although they know they need our help, are sometimes unwilling to welcome us in. They may perceive our laughter and jokes as against them when in reality we are laughing at ourselves. But by committing to several weekends, you can get to know your homeowner, break through the "ice", and create a lasting impression on someone who needs a helping hand. Next weekend (March 30th and 31st) is Big/Little Cohort weekend and media day; if you are going to participate, this is the weekend to do it. Partners, friends, and family are all welcome to come out and join the fun. Transportation will be provided from Rittenhouse Square (at 10am) to the neighborhood and returning to Rittenhouse Square around 4 pm. If you have any questions, please contact your cohort house manager.
The following volunteers made the trek to commence Rebuilding Together:
Cohort B
Raymond Aronoff
Marek Wiernusz
Christina Yeh
Obi Obinna
Samra Haider
Ali Zipf
Joyce Chow (+ husband, Ryan)
Jan Dornbush
Cohort F
Shiry Zofnat
Isaac Mason
Anna Andonova
Ari Endrotomo
Canset Eroglu (+ boyfriend)
Kelly Meissner
Ryan Penn
Jan Hellmich (+ spouse)
Matthew Ulman (+ spouse)
Clarice Wong
Cohort G
Adrian Ironside
Patricia Wehahn
Melissa Bryan
Cohort I
Eric Redline (+ fiancé, Amanda)
Geralyn Villaflor
Dan Bowermaster
Susanna Brown (+ husband, Drew)
Alexander Gitnik (+ wife, Anatasia)
Barry Mattson (+ wife, Amelia)
Jamie Merriman
Stef Silverstein (+ husband, Mark)
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