Page 10 - NJC Newsletter 2013-Spring

Many alumni will remember spending their Neuch’ Spring Break trip touring the sites and experiencing the tastes of Italy. This tradition still holds true, yet for the past decade or so, NJC students have had a striking choice of trips for the break: Study Classical Civilizations in Italy and Greece or roll up your sleeves in Eastern Europe to support a Habitat for Humanity project! Deputy Head of School, Heidi Gollert recounts this year’s HfH service project in Berkenye Hungary, a rural community just outside of Budapest.
Labouring through cold, grey weather and long, tough work days on the Habitat for Humanity construction site, our NJC students were nothing short of amazing! They were always positive, productive and
working with us. Her husband began the construction and subsequently passed
away in his mid-fifties, leaving the house unfinished and Judit to raise her two sons alone. The family was trying to decide if they
our students, their great work ethic, their kindness, their jokes, songs, smiles, hugs and generosity of spirit.
This was by no means a regular, relaxing “Spring Break” for the students. It was definitely tougher on them than some
ever expected, but all would agree that the experience was defined by cultural highlights of Budapest and its surroundings, new friendships, rewarding work, gratitude and transformation.
Heidi Gollert, Deputy Head of School
Follow Habitat’s work in Hungary www.facebook.com/habitathungary
Cultural Highlights
Budapest tour by Segway Danube River Cruise
Tour of Szentendre
Thermal Baths of Buda Excursion to town of Esztergom Maria Valeria bridge to Slovakia
Spring Break with Humanity
A Habitat build is so much more than building – you gave this family hope to move on and amazed them with your willingness to help.
Please never forget that when you volunteer you have a much
bigger impact than you would think. You are an inspiration to all of us.
Renata Scheili, GV and Comms Coordinator, Habitat for Humanity Hungary
great supporters of one another.
Everyone is exceedingly pleased with
the work the group accomplished. They diligently cut, plastered, placed and sanded foam insulation for almost the entire two- storey brick house; put in reinforcement plugs and pins; and added corner protectors, mesh and concrete on the foundations and on top of the insulation. In addition, team members dug and moved great amounts of earth to level the yard and fill in dirt around the foundations.
Judit, the woman who owns the house we worked on, was there every day
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should sell the house or take out a loan – that they couldn’t afford – when they learned of the opportunity to apply to Habitat for Humanity for assistance. When Judit heard that their application had been accepted, she saw it as a sign that her husband was looking out for them.
Every day Judit showed her appreciation by hugging us, smiling, and frequently motioning toward the students and putting her hand over her heart to look skyward. Through every local Hungarian translator who arrived on site, she made a point of telling us how impressed she was with
Neuchâtel Junior College Magazine