History

Today, we assisted a woman named Tammy. Tammy’s house was originally flooded, so we helped to move the final luggage from her old house to her new house. My group (Amy Effinger, Elizabeth Ko, and I) cleaned and rearranged the garage to use for a garage sale. The rest of the group went inside to pack and clean the rooms. While I was in the garage, I realized the importance of history in one’s life. I was amazed at all that Tammy has accomplished, so I knew it was hard for her to let go of some of her possessions. One of my jobs was to pack the toolbox with all of her appliances. Amy, Elizabeth, and I organized the books to two groups: to sell or to keep. Our main goal was to fit all her luggage into one car. When we arrived to her new house, we helped Tammy settle in. Knowing from first hand experience how uncomfortable it is for other people to touch your possessions, I was very thankful Tammy was very welcoming for us to help. While some people stayed inside to help unload the boxes, the others helped with the outside work, such as raking and picking up branches. When we finished helping Tammy unpack her things, we went to a Methodist church to help another group. Some people helped rake the back of the church, and others went upstairs to paint. I went to the front of the church to plant a garden. I had fun getting dirty and close with nature. The weather was great, and I enjoyed the hard work!

Christin Gong
Centre College 2013