After we got back we asked members of our group to each submit a short reflection on their experiences in War:
I really enjoyed the trip to War, WV because I really felt appreciated by the people there, I really felt like I was making a difference - doing work that counted. I helped rebuild a floor in a house that had a leak and had water damage, then helped carry furniture out of an abandoned school to people who needed them. everyone I saw who lived in that part of WV was nothing but full of love for me and the rest of the group, simply because they appreciate someone looking out for them.
-Alex
I had a great time in War, West Virginia volunteering my hands and time to benefit a community in need. I put a drywall ceiling in a school to make it to fire code, and afterwards when the job was finished I felt really good about myself and what I accomplished for the community. I can't wait for the next one!
-Frankie
War, WV is like a coal seam in one of the mines that the town once prospered from: from an outsider's view, the town seems small, gritty, quiet, and has an air of danger, of sullenness and fatigue. To a visitor like me, the coal mines represent overworked and imperiled lives struggling to keep their heads up despite the system. When I went to War with the Campus Support crew, I saw the inside of this metaphorical mine--I saw the intricacies of the coal seam in the community. I learned that while the coal seam may be dark and gritty from one point of view, it is also shimmering with geologic and cultural beauty. Our first night, two local men came to entertain us. Chester sang us songs about the history and culture of the town--he engaged us and asked us questions as he opened our eyes to the tragic history the town has had with natural disasters, the political injustice the people have endured, and the way the town has reacted to it all. He showed us that the community still finds hope and they have faith to carry them on. Manuel showed us how to flatfoot and danced the night away. Both men had worked in the mines, and Chester said he wouldn't trade that experience for anything. He told us of the pride of coal mining communities and their close bonds with each other that transcended race and cultural differences.
The next day, I got to see and work with the Campus Support crew in their element. I helped tear up a dirty scrappy linoleum floor and replace it with faux-wood flooring. I sure did hammer in a lot of nails! It was great to work alongside the man who lived in the house and hear about his life, and to work with the crew and experience their competence and confidence in their job. Overall, my experience in War is one that I will not forget and that I will revisit to help guide my future experiences in new communities.
-Nora
It is such a privilege to work at a college that encourages it's staff to reach out to help people in need.What a blessing it is to see the students so eager to help others and to do what ever it takes to make a person life a little better.We are truly blessed!!
-Doug Bradley (Crew Supervisor)
