Students Aid in Superstorm Sandy Cleanup

From left, is Phil Bartoletti of Penn State DuBois, and Andrew Newswanger of University Park, work in a crawl space under the Nassau Christian Church in Baldwin, New York. (Provided photo)

DUBOIS – A group of students from Penn State DuBois recently traveled to Baldwin, NY over spring break to assist in relief efforts that have been ongoing since Superstorm Sandy hit the area in October.  A total of five students from the campus made the trip with the Christian Student Fellowship, led by Campus Minister Kyle Gordon and International and Multicultural Student Services Coordinator Tharren Thompson.

In Baldwin, students worked to repair the Nassau Christian Church and parsonage that was damaged by flooding.  The reinstalled insulation in the floors by accessing crawl spaces, laid the subfloor, stripped damaged wiring for scrap, and installed drywall.  The church will use the money they get from the scrap that the students collected to fund a young girl’s tuition for seminary so she can become a missionary.  Once the parsonage is completely finished, the church will use it to host more work groups to come and help rebuild the community.  The church currently serves as a hub for those that are in need of assistance in the area.

“I know students left this trip knowing they made a significant impact in the lives of the people in the Baldwin community,” said Gordon.  “Even further, I know this trip made a significant impact in the lives of our team as several are now exploring how they can be more involved in community service and even make a career out of relief efforts.”

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