Imagine for a moment that your room, your most cherished spot, was cluttered with buckets collecting water dripping from the ceiling. Despite all attempts, you cannot fix it. Imagine the possibility of being forced to leave this spot indefinitely. Your leaky roof has destroyed your photos of friends and most beloved possessions.This may be impossible for many of us to comprehend, but this is what it is like for many families in our community.

Five years ago a student at Guilford wanted to make a change. He resurrected HOME project with a group of talented students. Major corporations, such as Lowes, donated money. His goal was to provide a service to needy families where Guilford volunteers would do repairs. “Good people doing dangerous things,” was the slogan that he used.

My first day at Guilford, I was introduced to this bold student, his name was Christopher Weber. From that moment on I was swept up with the magic that was HOME. Many volunteers, meeting early Saturday mornings, went to every corner of the city and county to try and help one family at a time keep their home. At the end of Chris’s last year he gave me a tool belt with a note scrawled on the back, in hopes that HOME would continue on.

From August 1997 until today, I, along with many others, helped make this organization work by any means possible. The magic of HOME was felt and created by many, but now is known by few. Ben Newlin ’99 recently stated “I learned skills and cemented lifelong friendships through HOME. I also found my future calling.” Ben is now working on his apprenticeship for carpentry in Philadelphia. This year, my last year at Guilford, filled with many memories of families and houses, I sadly witnessed the last project ever.

Many who were here last semester may have had heard voicemails or seen flyers asking for help but many may not be aware of what really went on. I hope that over the next few weeks I may shed some light on the situation by explaining the events and addressing the issue of substandard housing in Greensboro.
*Please look in future weeks of The Guilfordian for the continuation of this series explaining the HOME Project.