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Sanford’s Service Club Goes to Virginia to Work for Habitat for Humanity

9/4/2017

On July 17th, Sanford’s Upper School Service Club departed for an eight-day trip to Virginia. There, they worked for the charity Habitat for Humanity (HFH) and bonded along the way.

A total of seven students attended the trip along with faculty advisors, Tom Whipple and Eric Peoples, who supervised the students while all participated in serving the community. The group went to Staunton, Virginia to work on the demolition and rebuilding of a house for a family in need. Although Habitat for Humanity usually builds new homes, in this case, the group worked to gut a 120-year-old house. According to Whipple, “The work was very dirty as we tore down walls, ceilings, and even a chimney. We had to dispose of lots of old insulation in addition to other materials as part of the demolition. Habitat is part of an effort to provide affordable housing and to revitalize this neighborhood in Staunton that at one time was a thriving blue-collar factory community but has lately been neglected.”

During the group’s down time from working for HFH, they explored the area between Staunton and Charlottesville. They enjoyed a pool party in Staunton, swam in Sherando Lake, visited the open-air mall in downtown Charlottesville, tubed on the James River, and took a day trip to King’s Dominion. During their stay in Virginia, they slept in a furnished log cabin that they had rented. While at the cabin, the group relaxed playing frisbee, card games, and badminton. Peoples commented, “It was a great experience for everyone, and it was cool to see the kids come together for a great cause.”

This trip was just one example of the wonderful things Sanford’s Service Club does for the Delaware community and beyond. In addition to the group’s humanitarian work in Virginia, the Service Club organizes an annual canned-food drive, sells pancakes for Pancakes for Parkinson's, and informs students of charitable events going on in the area, such as runs and dances. The club hosts a spaghetti dinner to fund its charitable efforts, organizes a blood drive in the spring, and creates “hope totes” full of basic hygienic supplies for homeless people. In the past, they also organized a summer trip to Nicaragua to help in the building of a school.

Overall, this humanitarian trip was a great experience for the students and faculty who participated. It taught selflessness, work ethic, and humility—and the group had fun while learning. According to Whipple, “Overall, the group seemed to have a great time. We worked hard when it was time to work, played hard when it was time to play, and rested well when it was time to sleep. Everyone on the trip should be proud of the work we accomplished for the town of Staunton.”

Welcome back and congratulations to everyone who went on this fulfilling and charitable trip!

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