Housing Development Alliance

Friday, August 7, 2009

I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello.

Unfortunately, the time has come for me to leave the Housing Development Alliance. School starts again in a few weeks, and I need to get ready. Charlotte will also be leaving to teach at a new school. This has been a somber week for us, hasn't it? First Kelly, now us.

I would just like to say that this has been an amazing experience for me. Being the Volunteer Coordinator's Assistant has honestly been a summer job I could have only dreamed of. I have met many amazing people, explored new Kentucky territory, learned about construction and public relations. Most of all, however, working for the Housing Development Alliance has made me more optimistic about my home. Before this job, I was a complainer and extremely skeptical of Hazard. I ignored all the flourishing aspects of the community, and focused on the wreckage. I now notice the smiles that surround me, and the friendly gestures granted to me day-in and day-out. I now appreciate the beauty of Appalachia, despite its faults.

"I want to thank everyone."-the typical response of a celebrity who has just won an award, and which sounds so cheesy at the time, but actually has some truth in it. I really do want to thank everyone. From my friendly (and often forgiving) co-workers who taught me the ropes of office work, to the enthusiastic carpenters who taught me "man's work". The homeowners taught me compassion, while the volunteers taught me patience. And responsiblity. Every week, the latest volunteer group leader tells me "We've learned so much!" Just as often, a teary-eyed homeowner would gently hold my hand and say, "You have no idea how much this means to me." The truth is, I have learned more from them, and they have meant more to me. I am a better person because of the people I have met, and the loving mission they strived for. I wish the best of luck to each one of 'em, and I can only hope that they will do the same for me.

Except the Alliance's GM Van. That demon-possessed vehicle can kiss my you-know-what.

Gratefully yours, John Rasche.

posted by Volunteer Coordinator # 2:13 PM 0 Comments

The Last Hoorah.

I may have jumped the gun a little bit with my expectations for the Monticello group. They were beginning to nail down the roof boards this morning. They may not be able to finish the shingles, but they'll hopefully begin to start them.

It's their last day, and they are mighty proud of the work they've done. Despite infectious spider bites, blisters, burns, and language barriers (as in difficulty with the Appalachian dialect), they have all had a great time. But I bet their sore muscles will be glad to go back home.

posted by Volunteer Coordinator # 11:51 AM 0 Comments

Thursday, August 6, 2009

"I'm driving the struggle bus today."

That hilarious, and extremely odd, statement was made by a disgruntled volunteer who was having a tough time driving a nail into a 2x4. I laughed, but something tells me that perhaps it wasn't the best encouragement. Anyway, the entire Monticello group was able to work together on the same site: Defiance. It was interesting to see how all these various people, with extremely different personalites, were able to construct so effectively. You really should have seen these guys. In the morning, only the foundations were set. By noon, all the exterior walls, and most interior, were already up. By the time I left, a truck load of trusses was arriving. For all I know, they could be installing the cable television as I speak. Not really. But really.

Although it was a really foggy day, we all lucked out. Today, there was a 40% chance of rain, and the slight majority prevailed. If all goes according to plan, the whole group will be nailing the shingles on the roof by the end of tomorrow. Either way, Monticello has had a great week, and I'm sure they will have a memorable last day.

And I just have to say, some of these guys (and girls, if I MUST be politically correct) were wearing some great bright colored t-shirts that contrasted perfectly with the gloomy grey sky. I wanted to take a picture of the full rainbow spectrum of their t-shirts: Red to pink to yellow to green to darker green to blue--but they were just too darn busy. But I think it would've been cool. Real cool.

-John (a.k.a. "New Boy" a.k.a. "Butters" a.k.a. "Stop-Calling-Me-Nicknames")

posted by Volunteer Coordinator # 4:00 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Hammerin' in the Rain

The Monticello Christian Church from Indiana is with us this week, and have been busy with various tasks. Half the group spent time constructing the foundations for a home in Defiance, then moved to B. Cornett's in order to paint her bathroom and replace an old cement platform. Cornett is a sweetheart, and the group loved spending time with her. Then, because of a sudden downpour and Flash Flood warnings, the group skidattled to the Pavilion and helped paint the main hall. Now, they're back in Defiance and are eager to do more construction. I swear, one volunteers even yelled "YES!" this morning when he was told the good news. Talk about being a morning person.

The other half of Monticello did some home repair for G. Williams' home. They stained his stairs, and a few other chores, before the vicious storm flew them to Hazard High School. There they cleaned up classrooms, hallways, and basically helped the school get ready for the new herd of students in the Fall.

The weather outside looks pretty ominous, but the forecast predicts that the rainy clouds will pass over by noon. Let's cross our fingers that Mother Nature will allow our volunteers to work uninterrupted. Are you listening, Mother Nature? Let my people work!

-John (seriously, who else would it be?)

posted by Volunteer Coordinator # 8:08 AM 0 Comments

Monday, August 3, 2009

big changes.

Sorry it's been so long without an update everyone. I was on vacation at Lake George, New York for the past week.

So, first thing's first. Kelly Sizemore no longer works with the Housing Development Alliance. She was recently offered a great opportunity in her home state of Indiana, and she accepted. Let me tell you, it was a strange feeling coming back to work without my boss there to update me on what the heck's going on. It's only been a few days, but everyone already misses Kelly. She was a great asset to our organization, but the show must go on.

So, here's what's happened in the past week and a half:

The Pullen Memorial Baptist Church finished working on the Wells' and Maggard' households, and ended their week by repairing an apartment in the Jardigan complex. I was only able to spend a few days with their group, but I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with them. They are all loving, caring people, and I hope they visit Hazard again.

Unfortunately, I was not able to meet the next group from Aspen Hill Christian Church,

who tore off and rebuilt G. Williams' roof . It was a hot week, so the group had to constantly cool themselves down--as is evident by the photo. Once they finished the roof, the group went on to clean Jardigan Place,

Eversole Elementary, and the Hazard Pavillion. Kelly and Charlotte took quite a few photos of the group, and I can tell that they all had a lot of fun. Not only that, but they accomplished A LOT. With the start of the new school season just around the corner, it'll be great to have all these "hang out" spots ready to go.

Anyway, that's all for now. Sorry I skimmed over so much, but I feel a shorter blog is more bearable than a longer one. And once again, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. This is John Rasche. Over-and-out.

posted by Volunteer Coordinator # 1:47 PM 0 Comments