Enjoy a sampling of our final week in West Virginia this summer….

“No man or woman, even the humblest of sort, can really be strong, gentle, pure and good without the world being better for it; without somebody being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness.”
Phillips Brook

The last day of the WV portion of the summer…always a bittersweet day. It usually turns into a day of looking back at all that was accomplished during the summer, and amazing how fast time goes.

Today most of the volunteers spent their morning helping to pack up and move all of the PV gear out of the school and down to St. Vincent DePaul. The process is so much nicer with all the extra sets of hands. After six truck/van loads most of what could be brought down was brought down to Pineville. Tomorrow morning we will finish of with a couple more truck loads and should be able to call it done.

Not to get lost in the shuffle, today was the last day of the Mullens Basketball Camp. This was the first year that we held the camp in Mullens, and the first year at The Way. We were very pleased with the turnout and the support from the parents and volunteers alike. Big thanks also to Coach D for providing another wonderful camp experience for so many kids.

After camp and after moving, many volunteers headed up to Glen Rogers Manor for one last round of Banana Bingo. It has been a pleasure to be with the residents, play games, sing and paint nails.

Since all of our dishes and kitchen items have been packed up, we treated everyone to pizza for the last night, along with quite a variety of snacks, cookies, chips, etc.  We still have quite a lot of eating to do tonight….

Tonight was also the closing reflection in West Virginia. We shared why we felt that we were in WV this summer and when that became apparent to us. The last reflection is always a nice way to wrap up the summer experience.

(Pictures from the last week will be posted before the weekend is finished)

Thank you to all the PVs who chose to be a part of the West Virginia PV experience! Onward to Brooklyn….

“No man or woman, even the humblest of sort, can really be strong, gentle, pure and good without the world being better for it; without somebody being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness.”
Phillips Brook

The last day of the WV portion of the summer…always a bittersweet day. It usually turns into a day of looking back at all that was accomplished during the summer, and amazing how fast time goes.

Today most of the volunteers spent their morning helping to pack up and move all of the PV gear out of the school and down to St. Vincent DePaul. The process is so much nicer with all the extra sets of hands. After six truck/van loads most of what could be brought down was brought down to Pineville. Tomorrow morning we will finish of with a couple more truck loads and should be able to call it done.

Not to get lost in the shuffle, today was the last day of the Mullens Basketball Camp. This was the first year that we held the camp in Mullens, and the first year at The Way. We were very pleased with the turnout and the support from the parents and volunteers alike. Big thanks also to Coach D for providing another wonderful camp experience for so many kids.

After camp and after moving, many volunteers headed up to Glen Rogers Manor for one last round of Banana Bingo. It has been a pleasure to be with the residents, play games, sing and paint nails.

Since all of our dishes and kitchen items have been packed up, we treated everyone to pizza for the last night, along with quite a variety of snacks, cookies, chips, etc.  We still have quite a lot of eating to do tonight….

Tonight was also the closing reflection in West Virginia. We shared why we felt that we were in WV this summer and when that became apparent to us. The last reflection is always a nice way to wrap up the summer experience.

(Pictures from the last week will be posted before the weekend is finished)

Thank you to all the PVs who chose to be a part of the West Virginia PV experience! Onward to Brooklyn….

“No man or woman, even the humblest of sort, can really be strong, gentle, pure and good without the world being better for it; without somebody being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness.”
Phillips Brook

The last day of the WV portion of the summer…always a bittersweet day. It usually turns into a day of looking back at all that was accomplished during the summer, and amazing how fast time goes.

Today most of the volunteers spent their morning helping to pack up and move all of the PV gear out of the school and down to St. Vincent DePaul. The process is so much nicer with all the extra sets of hands. After six truck/van loads most of what could be brought down was brought down to Pineville. Tomorrow morning we will finish of with a couple more truck loads and should be able to call it done.

Not to get lost in the shuffle, today was the last day of the Mullens Basketball Camp. This was the first year that we held the camp in Mullens, and the first year at The Way. We were very pleased with the turnout and the support from the parents and volunteers alike. Big thanks also to Coach D for providing another wonderful camp experience for so many kids.

After camp and after moving, many volunteers headed up to Glen Rogers Manor for one last round of Banana Bingo. It has been a pleasure to be with the residents, play games, sing and paint nails.

Since all of our dishes and kitchen items have been packed up, we treated everyone to pizza for the last night, along with quite a variety of snacks, cookies, chips, etc.  We still have quite a lot of eating to do tonight….

Tonight was also the closing reflection in West Virginia. We shared why we felt that we were in WV this summer and when that became apparent to us. The last reflection is always a nice way to wrap up the summer experience.

(Pictures from the last week will be posted before the weekend is finished)

Thank you to all the PVs who chose to be a part of the West Virginia PV experience! Onward to Brooklyn….

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concern of all humanity.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today was the last day of our home repair program for the summer. Because of that, we were able to finish up the last three sites that we had open still. The rubber roofing (EPDM) was completed in Pineville, the drainage ditch was finished in Oceana, and final touch-ups to the trailer that we built the new porch and ramp, and replaced some flooring in Bailyesville were completed. For the most part volunteers finished up a little early so they were able to help with a few odds and ends around the school that a teacher asked us for help with, as well as begin to prepare for the big move tomorrow.

We did still have the Basketball Camp going on today. It was another great day with the kids. They have improved so much in the few days that they have been with Coach “D,” it has been amazing.

Dinner tonight was a little bit of everything from before. It was leftover night as we were trying to clean out the fridge. Leftovers always seem to be better the second time around, so it was a good and eclectic meal. We did get to have freshly made oatmeal raisin and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. (Are you jealous?)

Tonight’s reflection was all about relaxation. Soothing music was played and we even received a backrub to boot!

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concern of all humanity.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today was the last day of our home repair program for the summer. Because of that, we were able to finish up the last three sites that we had open still. The rubber roofing (EPDM) was completed in Pineville, the drainage ditch was finished in Oceana, and final touch-ups to the trailer that we built the new porch and ramp, and replaced some flooring in Bailyesville were completed. For the most part volunteers finished up a little early so they were able to help with a few odds and ends around the school that a teacher asked us for help with, as well as begin to prepare for the big move tomorrow.

We did still have the Basketball Camp going on today. It was another great day with the kids. They have improved so much in the few days that they have been with Coach “D,” it has been amazing.

Dinner tonight was a little bit of everything from before. It was leftover night as we were trying to clean out the fridge. Leftovers always seem to be better the second time around, so it was a good and eclectic meal. We did get to have freshly made oatmeal raisin and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. (Are you jealous?)

Tonight’s reflection was all about relaxation. Soothing music was played and we even received a backrub to boot!

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concern of all humanity.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today was the last day of our home repair program for the summer. Because of that, we were able to finish up the last three sites that we had open still. The rubber roofing (EPDM) was completed in Pineville, the drainage ditch was finished in Oceana, and final touch-ups to the trailer that we built the new porch and ramp, and replaced some flooring in Bailyesville were completed. For the most part volunteers finished up a little early so they were able to help with a few odds and ends around the school that a teacher asked us for help with, as well as begin to prepare for the big move tomorrow.

We did still have the Basketball Camp going on today. It was another great day with the kids. They have improved so much in the few days that they have been with Coach “D,” it has been amazing.

Dinner tonight was a little bit of everything from before. It was leftover night as we were trying to clean out the fridge. Leftovers always seem to be better the second time around, so it was a good and eclectic meal. We did get to have freshly made oatmeal raisin and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. (Are you jealous?)

Tonight’s reflection was all about relaxation. Soothing music was played and we even received a backrub to boot!

“We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.”
May Sarton
Today we finished two sites, almost finished two others, putting us in good shape to end the summer program accomplishing all that we set out to do. The porch roof in Baileysville was stabilized and the gap between the house and porch filled. When the volunteers arrived this morning to do the finishing touches, the home owner had already put flowers and candles up the steps and moved all her furniture onto the porch. She was thrilled to have some shade to escape the heat.
The other site we finished was a site that was pretty much completed a couple of weeks ago, but once again needed a few finishing touches. This was a site in Corrine building a ramp for a wheelchair bound woman. She was very excited to have a better way in and out of her house.
We also continued working at the roofing site in Pineville. The crew did a wonderful job, but had to stop as they run out of the adhesive which was getting picked up in Charleston today. Tomorrow they should be able to finish the site off. They have had a lot of support from the home owner and his family throughout the project, as well as the assistance of a young man from the local parish.
We also started a new project in Oceana today, helping a couple with their roof and windows. The couple recently bought the trailer, but is unable to any of the much needed work throughout their home. We are trying to do as much as we can before the summer program ends.
Basketball Camp continued in Mullens today. Each day the camp picks up a new child or two as kids go home and tell their friends about the camp. These kids are getting a top notch camp and an experience of a lifetime thanks to Coach “D” and the PVs who have helped him each day.
We once again had a wonderful dinner, chicken (marinated overnight), rice, 3 bean salad and a green salad. After reflection we had frozen watermelon on a stick. Yummy, yummy.
Our nightly reflection tonight drew from the homily this Sunday where the Martha and Mary story was shared and the importance of hospitality and priorities was emphasized. For reflection we were asked to reflect on five things that are priorities to us and then to order those five items in order of importance. We then went around the room and shared a new and a good, and if we wanted a priority.