Thursday March 17th

As I'm sitting here, typing this post, I can feel the heat radiating off my head.  That's because I did today's work without a hat.  And because I am a redhead and virtually have no hair, you can picture me being sunburnt.  That's what happens when you're working on a roof the whole day, from the time we arrived in the chilly air and fog.  Early mornings in Kentucky are interesting because you don't feel the sun's rays until roughly eleven AM - noonish.  We were back on the roof we stripped yesterday, putting on shingles.  Everyone in the group worked as a full-functioning team to complete this task before 4 PM, which is when the contractors send us home for the day.  I've done similar things on previous trips, but this was by far the biggest job I've ever undertaken.

Tuesday was our day off and we utilized it to our potential.  After visiting the coal mine "Portal 31," we toured an accompanying museum full of equipment and other home items straight from the Coal Mining era.  In the case of Portal 31, that went straight through the fifties until the mine closed in the 1963.  The scary thing about it, other than touring the mine itself via a trolley car and engine, was that we only "saw" a mere fraction of the 13 miles of tunnels that went through Black Mountain, which is where the mine was.  Next door to this museum was a thrift shop.  The owners of said thrift shop are some of the most generous people I've ever met.  They let us go through their store and take a garbage bags worth of clothing and other items for only $1.  Yes, that's right:  $1.  I acquired some flannel shirts (my first ever!) and some fancy dinner jackets that need to have the arms fixed because they are too short.  And a black winter hat, because I didn't have one (Outside of the many hats I own).

Tomorrow is our last day.  We will return to the roof one last time before heading back to Chester under the cover of night.  My last trip here has been a blast.  I've done a lot with awesome people and I just don't want it to end.  For four years, I've devoted my Spring Break to helping those in need and who are less fortunate than I.  It's been a fun ride.  Thanks, Kentucky, for having this tremendous opporunity for students to take.

 - Alan

Roofing

Yesterday, the family we were helping had a goat, Connie, who birthed two pre-mature goats. One of them died in an hour of being born, the other one though lived for two days before it died. Today our team roofed which was both exciting and terrifying. Tomarrow we return our site to finish the project then we are heading back to Chester. Just think our team is in 84 degree wheater and we are driving back to where there is snow!

And we're more than halfway there.

Wm golden darkness visible. a poem found in kentucky.

In the illimitable spaces of childhood time was his only dimension.

 Where the raincrow mourns his hoarse prayer at night.
And minnows drowse in crystal gardens of the dark,
where shafted sunlight spans green oaten meadows.
And jarflies sizzle their july mowing machine songs.
You walk familiar hills seeding a land of memory.
You know the place where bees make wild lin honey.

And the haunts of mountain tea and partridge berry.
The master oak plummets an acorn in your path.
And by edenic waters mint beds lift lavender cones.
The ceremonial seasons revolve and recycle around you:

the delicate watercolor persephone spring, the lush.
thrush and whippoorwill summer, the grieving.
Sacrificial autumn, the on-hold redbird winter.
This is your final land, mountain child.
Live on in this quiet country of the mind,
unharmed and harmless here,
charmed in time and child famous.

Day Three and Four

It has been CRAZY awesome here in Kentucky! We really can't believe that the week is coming to a close tomorrow!

For the last two days, we've been working in Breathitt County. In those two days, we've managed to strip and re-shingle two roofs. We're going to be working on a third tomorrow. The contractors are great teachers and a lot of fun to work with. They really love to pick on and make light of the situation. Their light hearts are definitely contageous and a great way to work.

Nicole on our newly stripped roof!

We head home tomorrow night after our last job in Breathitt County and will be driving the long 16 hours back to NH. Our bodies may be sore and we may be a little sunburned but I can tell you that we'll come back with GREAT experiences and stories to share. We'll also have a lot more pictures to show you!

Til Next Time
-Blaine

I dont miss snow at all.

So on our day off we went to see Portal 31, and learn about coal mining. It was actually very interesting, and going into the mines was a bit creepy but awesome. We also went to a thrift srote and got some new clothing and items for a buck A BAG! The last two days we have been working on roofing a house. The first day consisted of ripping off the old roof, and laying down the plastic for the new roof. We also shingled a smaller shed next to the house. Today we finshed roofing the large side of the house. Our team is insane and our made up of pure genuine ANIMALS!!! i keep saying this but we are! I love these guys and enjoy working with them. They literally have the best work ethic I have ever seen in a group this large. It was 85 degrees outside today so we all got a bit of color, and tomorrow will be hotter. I love this weather, but cant wait to take a shower. Also our contractors are awesome and constantly make us laugh. Both Steve and Mikey recognized me from last year. Makes me a little sad this will be my last year in Kentucky. There should be an Alumni trip in the future!!

Paul

And on the Second Day They Rested..

So because of the rain, we ended up having to take our day off earlier in the week than expected, but the rain didn't stop us from having some fun!

Yesterday we visited the Appalachian Artisan Center in Hindmann. While there we were able to learn about the amazing talented harbored in Kentucky and to really appreciated the arts that are born and nurtured here. A few members of the team found a few hats that they seemed to fancy too!

We started our Tuesday with a hearty breakfast together after sleeping in for a bit. I have to say that I've never had so much fun cooking for a group of people than Team Chester! After our breakfast and a few morning naps, we headed out to Lynch, KY to the Kentucky Coal Mining Museum. No one on this year's team had ever been in a coal mine before, but when we visited Portal 31, we hopped into an old coal car and headed down the tracks (with a guide of course!). It was a great experience for us all to really immerse ourselves into the culture of coal mining Kentucky. We all learned so much about the surrounding community and hopefully we'll be able to build even stronger connections after our visit.

On our way back to the Grape Twinkie (our purple 15 passenger van) we were invited into a thrift store called "The Coal Bin" by a few friendly faces. Once we were inside, the volunteers of the store gave us each hefty trash bags and told us that we could fill them and take the items inside for $1. NO JOKE. A full bag of items for $1. We were all overwhelmed by the kindness of these individuals and they seemed to really enjoy our company. We all had a lot of fun sifting through the racks of donated items and thinking of the people we could bring these to back home in NH. We also grabbed a few toys and clothes for the church that we're staying with in Hazard. It was an amazing experience of kindness and hospitality that we shared together.


We then headed back to Hazard and shared an evening of reflection, games and conversation. It's great to hear how surprised the students are in their experiences. We've seen a wide spectrum of lifestyles and socioeconomic statuses. On the same street within five houses of each other, you'll find a rather scattered and tattered home and then a well-kept, seemingly wealthy home. It has been a little bit of a culture shock for some, but a great learning experience non-the-less.

We're also pleasantly surprised by the amazing landscape in Kentucky. The roads and streets are cut through giant mountains and occasionally you'll pass a clearing to see a view such as this:

So far we're all having a lot of fun. We've been learning so much about one another, and the area around us. We're homing that the bad weather holds off for the rest of the week so that we'll be able to work and to get a lot accomplished within the rest of our stay. Tomorrow we get up early and head out to the worksite to hopefully help our contractors with a porch and a roof!

Thank you again for all of your continued support!

Til next time!
-Blaine

KENTUCKY!!!!!! That is where we are!

     I am going to keep this short and sweet because it's me. The 16 hour trip ran pretty smooth. We arrived at the cottage at around 2:15 pm yesterday. We all chose our rooms. The girls split up the bedrooms, and Alan and I took the couches. We guard the house if you will. Blaine and Dallas made us Salad, spaghetti, and garlic bread bagels. Freaking delicious! I went to bed at around 10 and had a very good night sleep, on top of Alan's constant blowing of his nose and snoring haha. We woke up at 7:15 and were ready to get to work. Took us an hour to get to the site, but the rain wasnt giving up. We decided as a team to tough it out until the contractors wanted to leave. We finished up digging out a trench in about an hour and a half, you know because were animals!

     It was a quick day of working and we went to leave. You will probably hear this from most of the first blogs and a picture of the situation was documented very nicely on the blog site. Yes, I got our van stuck in mud. I did on purpose of course, never by accident. Why would I do that to my team hahaha. After all the paparazzi and hazing the contractors helped pull us out. We found our way home just fine, and are now sitting in the library checking internet things and writing these blogs. Its only noon so lets see how the rest of the day goes. I think I am going to try and get the van stuck again.. you know on purpose ;).

-Paul

Monday March 14th

*  I'd like to note for the record that driving any kind of vehicle at five in the morning on a stretch of empty highway is creepy...

I'm very excited for this week, because a lot of the people here are new and I feel that a lot of them are going to really enjoy themselves.  We did a little bit of digging, but ended up leaving early on account of the rain.  Hopefully it will be nice and sunny tomorrow.  And eventful as well (Paul got the van stuck in the mud when we left the house.  See the picture on the front page).

I plan on starting some semblance of journal entries in the notebooks that Blaine generously provided for us.  And also somethings for my Nature Writing Class too, so I can share the events of my trip with my classmates.

- Alan

The Drive and Day One

Woohoo!

We made it! 16 hours in the van with the team was a lot of fun! We had some great laughs and naps and we finally made it from Chester, New Hampshire to Hazard, Kentucky in one piece!

After we met with our host, Jane Rose and we settled into our cottage we had a great meal together and a good night's rest. We got up roaring to go to our worksite on this soggy day. When we got there, we learned that the family now living in the house lost their home last year in a flash flood. FEMA stepped in and granted them a home and the Housing Development Alliance is now helping them with everything else (ie the room, porch, drainage). Team Chester dug a trench around the home to help alleviate draining when it started to pour. The contractors decided to call it day since they didn't want us to get sick or hurt. While I'm a little bummed that we only got to do an hour's worth of work, I'm glad that we were able to help out this family even if it was a small job. Hopefully this weather will break so that we'll be able to continue working thoughout the week.

So day one:  Dig a trench, get stuck in another!
Luckily our contractors were able to help us out!

(Stuck in the trench! In this picture from left to right: Tori, Alexis, Krista, Nicole, Dalla and the Grape Twinkie!)





Til the next time we have internet!
-Blaine

Team Chester is getting ready to go!

We here at Team Chester are getting ready for our annual trip down to Hazard, Kentucky to help families in need! While there, we'll be helping the community and the Housing Development Alliance with various home-construction projects to help one of the most underprivileged counties in our country. We're all really excited and thought that this would be a great time to introduce you to our 2011 Team Chester Hazard, KY Volunteers!

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Name: Alan, Community Service Coordinator
Class Standing: Senior
Major: Creative Writing

This is Alan's fourth trip down to Hazard, KY. In the past, Alan has had a vested interest in volunteering. "Going on this trip is an experience that stays with you."
If Alan could be a superhero, he would be the Incredible Hulk.

Name: Paul, Assistant Leader
Class Standing:  Senior
Major: Graphic Design
This will be Paul's third trip to Hazard, KY, a trip that he thoroughly enjoys along with similar service trips taken with his church and Habitat for Humanity. "The reactions of the people whom we help and the way it makes me feel knowing I made someone's life a little better " makes him want to return as well as the bonds and connections he builds with his team mates. Paul's favorite cookies are sugar cookies.

Name: Dallas
Class Standing: Freshman
Major: Graphic Design/Photography

Dallas has used her talents in graphic design to create publications for charitable organizations and events. She has also participated in numerous fundraisers and campaigns including Relay for Life and nature clean ups. Dallas says that she's excited to go to Kentucky because "I enjoy putting others before myself and helping people".

If Dallas were stuck on a desert island and could only bring one thing, she would bring a boat. (Clever girl!)

Name: Victoria (Tori)

Class Standing: Freshman
Major: Creative Writing
This will be Tori's first time going to Kentucky with Team Chester! She's excited to go because she wants to help people an that this will be a new way for her to do so. In the past, Tori has volunteered at her church as a religious educator and with various projects at Chester College with Team Chester. When Tori was five-years-old, she wanted to be a writer.

Name: Alexis

Class Standing: Freshman
Major: Fine Arts
Alexis has been a great addition to Team Chester. She's participated in a number of activities like Reach the Beach, Urban Pond Clean Up, and making blankets for no-freeze shelters. "I discovered the enjoyment that I could share with volunteering opportunities when I donated artwork for a fundraiser to benefit my local hospital. Going to Kentucky and helping build houses is unlike any volunteer opportunity I've had before."

Name: Krista
Class Standing: Sophomore
Major: Fine Art

Name: Nicole 

Class Standing: Sophomore
Major: Graphic Design

This is Nicole's first experience on a service trip! She's also super brave for having donated blood not once but SEVERAL times! She's hoping that this trip to KY will help push her passion to volunteer and help. When Nicole was five-years-old, she wanted to be a marine biologist.

Name: Blaine, Trip Leader

Student Life Coordinator/Adams Hall Resident Director
This will be Blaine's first trip to Kentucky with Team Chester and she's excited to have the opportunity to work with the students that are attending. Blaine has participated in service trips in the past to West Virginia, New Brunswick, and New Orleans and her passion has always been helping others. If Blaine were trapped on a desert island, she would bring sunscreen for her pale Irish skin.

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Thank you so much for your continued support!
We were able to raise all the money that we needed thanks to your donations!
Feel free to leave comments, leaving words of encouragement!

We're leaving on Saturday, March 12th and we'll be back to Chester on the 19th!

Continue to check out the blog to see how the team is doing while we're down in KY!

A drop in the bucket saves lives!

Team Chester and the Chester College community is holding a 

Blood Drive

 

Thursday December 2nd from 1:00PM to 6:00PM at the Chester Town Office Building

84 Chester St. Chester, NH

Shuttles/Rides for students will be running from Chester College to the Town Office Building

Remember to hydrate, eat a hearty meal, and to bring
your positive ID (Government or State Issued)


Click Here to make your appointment!

All presenting donors will receive a long sleeve American Red Cross t-shirt

Give blood. Save lives!

For information on donating blood click here!