“To everything there is a season, And a time for every purpose under heaven; A time to break down, And a time to build.”
While most students were resting at home or vacationing in warm areas, eight Fairfield students and two administrative leaders traveled 12 hours in two packed minivans to spend spring break in Flat Gap, Kentucky (don’t blink or you’ll miss it).
Campus Ministry sent two groups of students to Kentucky and Maine, and Jogues sent a group of freshmen to Kentucky as well. Through Christian Appalachia Project, I had the pleasure of repairing one of nine poor families’ homes with Assistant Vice President for Student Services Jim Fitzpatrick, Associate Vice President for Development Fred Wheeler, Katherine Garger ’04, Joe King ’05, Tara Cushman ’05, Erin Teeling ’05, Patrick Ginnetty ’07, Brad Martocello ’07 and Kevin Donahue ’07.
We rose at 6:30 AM every day, worked until 4, and slept in freezing shed-like cabins with dysfunctional space heaters. Hot water for a shower? Only if we were lucky! We drove on mountainous bumpy dirt roads; we used porter potties. We hammered our thumbs; we listened to country music. Some survived merely on mass-produced peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
What I just described to you may not sound appealing, but if you ask any of the members of our group, none of us would have traded this experience for a trip to Cancun or Florida.
We were plucked from our everyday suburban lives and shown first hand what it is like not to have a solid roof over your head and a warm home to house your children in. We learned how to shingle, hang dry wall, install windows, and build porches and roofs. For some of us, it was our first time picking up a hammer. But we learned more than just these tasks: we learned how far a little love can go from the families we served and one another.
It was overwhelming to see how thankful the families were of our service. They often worked alongside the CAP crew throughout the day. They cried when we had to leave, hugging and thanking us. On the last day of work, a father said, “It’s not everyday you find people that want to help others. Thank you- I will never forget you.”
But little did they know that we received just as much, if not more from them. They taught us that it is not important what kind of car you drive, if you even have a car, what you are wearing, or what you look like.
In the beginning of the week, the families appeared to have nothing. But by the end of our stay, realized they did not need money to be considered rich. Their love for one another radiated and inspired us to work harder. They welcomed us into their lives, offering friendship, experience, stories and food. Like Jack London says, “Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” It is not everyday you find people like this.
Our group also had the opportunity to bond with several other universities from around the country. Some had southern accents; some said “wicked”. Some came from the East, and some came from the West. We were so different, yet all came together to serve the poor and God.
Our trip was not just all work and no play. We took an hour drive on Saint Patrick’s Day to play football in K-Mart and have ice cream at a McDonald’s (the best we could find). We danced at a bluegrass concert, and Brad and Kevin even played guitar along with the band. We preformed an altered version of Sublime’s “What I got” for the other universities and took long evening strolls in the mountains of nowhere in the pitch-black night. Some of us slid down a 290-foot waterslide into bone chilling lake water. We peer pressured one another into crossing a collapsing bridge over the lake, single handedly mastered the art of ping pong and accidentally set off a fire extinguisher in one the vans while coming home.
Going into this, I did not know any of the group members. Now, I have nine new best friends who I truly love. I have never trusted, laughed, and prayed with people so quickly. Together, we developed a family away from home.
Our leaders, “Mr. Fitz” and Mr. Wheeler, selflessly sacrificed their spring breaks to help the needy and lead us on our journey to Appalachia. They put up with and participated in our jokes, mishaps and games right up until we got out of the vans. They became more than just adults to us- they became our friends.
When we packed our minivans for the two-day trek back to Fairfield, many of us did not want to leave. I remember one of the group members saying, “I’m just not ready. I want to stay longer.”
Although we may have affected the lives of the nine poor families we tried to help, it is hard to express in words how much we got out of this trip. It was a life changing experience and we are extremely thankful to Campus Ministry, the 11 am mass, and the university for granting us the opportunity.
At the end of our trip, our bones ached, our muscles were sore and we collapsed into bed. But we were happy. We learned how lucky we are to have been blessed with so much, and that God has granted us the gift of being able to help others. We also learned just how fulfilling helping others can be. Through CAP, our hearts and minds have been opened to the world. If you’ve never been on a service trip before, take the chance and go next year.
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