Seven other students, our Peer Ministry Coordinator, and I went on CCM's spring break service trip to Charleston, South Carolina. The focus of this mission trip was affordable housing. We worked with Habitat for Humanity on a house in Mount Pleasant as part of their Collegiate Challenge alternative break program. The house on which our previous CCM group worked during last year's mission trip was finished and on the same plot, which was really exciting because we were able to see what the final result of our work will look like!

It was my first time working with Habitat for Humanity, so I wasn't familiar with using the power tools or the different stages of building a house. We worked on priming and painting, hammering metal hurricane blockers to the interior and exterior, securing the roof, installing wood for support, and even got to use a few power tools including a power saw and electric drill. The staff on site as well as dedicated regular volunteers were helpful in making sure we were successful in our given tasks. There were also home repairs for other houses in the area. The project we worked on in addition to the house was painting and priming a trailer home.

After our work days, we spent time at the beach, went mini golfing, visited Birds of Prey to learn, and spent time in downtown Charleston. After going on this trip, I plan to work with Habitat for Humanity again in the future because it is such a great organization that taught us all valuable skills for home building and repairs that we can use to help others. I am also thankful to Elon CCM for the opportunity to have spent my time serving the community and in working with such a special group of fellow students dedicated to serving others.