Lending a Hand in AppalachiaAs is often the case at NDCL, students and faculty members came together in order to make a difference in the…
Lending a Hand in Appalachia
As is often the case at NDCL, students and faculty members came together in order to make a difference in the lives of others. During the week of June 7, 11 students, along with faculty Phil LeMay and Beth Davis, made their annual trek to Wayne County, W.Va., to join with other high school students from around the country to help those in need.
Throughout the week, they built porches and ramps, poured concrete and helped brighten up the lives of those living in the poverty stricken area of Wayne County, W.Va.
“There are so many basic necessities that we take for granted and it is hard to imagine life without them,” shares rising senior Chandler Brandetsas. “Yet, these families do it every day.”
The week included an opportunity to spend time with the families they were assisting.
Wayne County, located in the southwestern tip of West Virginia, is a rural area with rugged mountains and deep valleys. The area is typical of much of Appalachia with rich natural resources primarily timber and coal. The winding roads share the narrow valley floor with creeks, which often overflow their banks. With the economic challenges of high unemployment, declining population and low tax revenues, the communities and residents are faced with many problems.
NDCL joined 100 volunteers from all over the country at the Wayne County Work Camp. The program is a summer service experience for teens and adults who desire a hands-on opportunity to put their Christian faith into practice by engaging with and serving those in need. The Work Camp began in 1983. Since that time, hundreds of youth and adults of different denominations and from different parts of the country have come to live, work and worship with the people of the Wayne County community.
Mission to Serve in Cleveland
More than 60 high school students from schools presently and formerly staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame prayed, came to know one another and were “all in” as they served and interacted with those living on the margins of society in Cleveland. Sites such as Blessing House in Lorain County, the West Side Catholic Center, the Cosgrove Center, and Migration and Refugees Services were an integral part of their immersion week.
