Serving Through Flood Relief Fridays
As you may know, in the past few weeks after the flooding, many small towns have been suffering. With all the damage that has taken place, some communities are still having trouble getting back on their feet. To help these struggling communities, Viterbo has been sending groups of volunteers to lend a hand with the cleanup.
On Friday the 21, ten volunteers took the hour long drive to Readstown to serve the community. After splitting up to cover more ground, the groups began cleaning up debris in the neighborhood and taking damaged goods out of yards. Of these ten volunteers, only three were students: Ayanda Dlamini, Christian Gilman, and Laura Weidemann. The rest of the group consisted of retired Viterbo faculty and community members. They were asked to do different tasks that often required heavy lifting. Throughout the three hours of working, the volunteers moved boards, picked up broken drywall, stripped carpeting, and disposing of tubs of damaged goods.
Amongst the hard work and mud, the troupe was able to have fun with their experience. Not only were they giving their time to a community in need, but they were also spreading the love and joy of Christ in a time of hardship. With open arms and warm hearts, this group of kind people set aside their time in order to not only serve the needy but also the kingdom of God.
When asked about her experience, student volunteer Christian Gilman stated, “We had fun together (taking pictures, goofing around, etc.) while also doing a lot of good for people who had lost so much.” The love and commitment from this group of people is evident. As a friend of Ayanda and Christian, I can say that there is no doubt in my mind that these two women have more positivity and compassion than what should be physically possible for a body to contain.
A special thank you to any student and faculty volunteers who have helped with the many Flood Relief Fridays in the past few weeks. Your hard work has not gone unnoticed by the surrounding communities. It is really wonderful to be a part of a university that puts others first and that strives to bring care and kindness to all.