Thirteen Lake Orion High School students passed up the sun and fun to spend their spring break April 6 through 9 volunteering with the Motor City Blight Busters and the Habitat for Humanity Detroit Chapter. The group participated in the ninth Annual Dragon GAP Alternative Spring Break.
The mission of the Motor City Blight Busters is to transform Detroit neighborhoods plagued by urban decay, depopulation, and blight into beautiful spaces filled with light and hope.
The mission of the Habitat for Humanity is to eliminate poverty housing, revive impoverished neighborhoods, and provide safe affordable homes for low-income families.
The student group worked on siding, equipment inventorying, and working at the Habitat Restore.
The students also joined forces with 22 Lake Orion church youth group students from Christ the Redeemer Church and Lake Orion United Methodist Church to assist the Blight Busters by tearing down and clearing out two abandoned homes in west Detroit’s Brightmor community.
Blight Buster founder and CEO John George said ‘It is always great to have our Lake Orion brethren join us to make a difference in Detroit. They bring their positive energy each year to help us take the negative energy out of our neighborhoods.?
Besides working on the job sites, the GAP students collected over $1,400 in donations for the Habitat for Humanity and Blight Busters. The students received 35 service learning hours towards their LOHS service learning requirement.
Students attending the trip were Hannah Shaughnessy-Mogill, Monica Godoshian, Athena Anger, Jessica Lucas, Spencer Harr, Nick Hill, Meghan Hardy, Allison Cole, Nick Bruni, Ryan Kelly, Camille Clark, Ryan Sadowski, and Kelsey Lee.
The trip was arranged and chaperoned by GAP Coordinator Ben Gerdeman and LOHS teachers Brian Bishop, Cody Heidt, Scott Cox, Mike Bendle and Jenna Bendle.
– Ben Gerdeman