WI, MN Youthworks Volunteers - Day 1

Hello!  This is Courtney, Caitlyn, and Bridget reporting from the Benton House.  We are here from St. Catherines and St. Joan of Arc, located in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  This is our first time on a Youth Works mission trip and so far we are loving it! We arrived in Chicago yesterday afternoon and are staying at the New Life Community Church.  Along with us from Wisconsin, there are also two other groups, both from Minnesota.   A group of ten of us has been assigned to work here at the Benton House all week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day started with us meeting Ben, who gave us a tour of the house.  He explained some of the projects we would be working on throughout the week.  Mark Lennon then told us a few of the many ghost stories about the place. It’s unbelievable that this building and program have been around for 100 years and it’s crazy to think about how many people have been helped here throughout history.  We soon met Elvis, the house cat, who surprise attacked Bridget’s leg.  During our quick lunch break, Elvis continued to intrigue us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch it was time to get down to business.  Courtney, Tammy, and Zach began re-organizing the food pantry, which didn’t take them too long. The music room, recently painted a bright yellow, needed a little something more, so they took on the task of painting the lockers a fun color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bridget, Jackie, and Caitlyn painted the remainder of the lobby ceiling, each panel a different bright color.  Jackie also got a little carried away and started cleaning out the closet.  Jenna, Haley, Brittany, and Jim painted primer on the art room walls and ceiling.  Tomorrow we will paint it with color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its been an awesome first day here and we’ve met a lot of great people.  Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings! This week is going to change our lives and truly open our eyes.

 

-Courtney, Caitlyn, and Bridget (: