Over
Presidents Day weekend, a group of GA juniors and seniors piled into two GA
vans and headed for Westchester County, New York. This was the beginning of the
2017 Upper School Service Trip. About five years ago, Middle School faculty
members Kate Cassidy and Sarah Blake began the tradition of the Upper School
Service Trip. They took a group of students to Staten Island on that first
project to help rebuild homes damaged from Hurricane Sandy.
They
have continued to chaperone the trip each year since. This year, the seniors on
the trip, Ale G. ‘17, Jake D. ‘17, Ali C. ‘17, Lindsay N. ’17, and me,
contacted various Habitat for Humanity locations at which we could potentially
volunteer. The Westchester location responded with excitement willing to host
our group.
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| GA students left their mark beyond their work. |
The
group of 14 stayed in a converted convent home, associated with a Church in New
Rochelle, New York and spent three days working with Habitat of Westchester.
Some
tasks included painting rec rooms at the local YMCA and others included putting
up siding on a house under construction. Overall, the trip was a weekend
of incredible service into which each student put their heart. It was also a
weekend of bonding among the group. This year’s juniors are already looking
forward to working with Mrs. Cassidy and Ms. Blake on planning the trip for
2018.
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| This year group in Westchester County, New York. |
~
Alex K. ‘17
