So, as we have had a few days to revive from our last trip to NJ, I am reflecting upon the work we had accomplished last week. So far with all of our trips, the weather has been favorable. We have been fortunate, considering working in the winter and spring months to not have been snowed, rained or frozen -out of working, not even for 1 day. Actually, the weather could be described as very nice for all four trips so far.
Last week we concentrated on one home that had flooding on the first floor. The minor repairs to the sub floor were determined to be part of the new floor installation. This left us to focus strictly on installing new wall insulation and drywall in the kitchen, dining room and living room (about 500 SF of living space). With some of the drywall already installed, this project turned out to be just about the right size for 3 days for 6 workers with our experience level. Since almost everyone had worked together before, we hit the ground running in terms of delegating tasks. Most of the the work was similar but it seemed everyone had a good idea of where to go and what to do and what job suited them the best.
Our homeowner is an animal lover, which became obvious from the population of common yard animals frequenting her back yard. She provides a steady supply of food (mostly peanuts) for the multitude of squirrels (who have names) and whatever other types of critters might show up. I even witnessed one squirrel climb up her leg and eat a peanut right out of her hand!
After our three 8 hours days of work were completed, it is satisfying to reflect on what we have accomplished. An importatnt part of volunteering is getting the homeowner excited about fixing what's been broken and moving on. Some need it more than others, but all of them, so far, are noticebly in better spirits by the end of the third day that our group is on site. The discussions are more about 'what will happen' rather than 'what has happened', a big step in making things better.
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