by Maggie Hom 

I’ve had ties to the Rockaway Peninsula my entire life. My closest friends live in the Rockaways and Breezy Point, and I spent several childhood summers roaming the grounds of the Silver Gull Beach Club.

In the days immediately following Hurricane Sandy, I had been down in Breezy to help friends deal with the wreckage, but on Nov. 11, I boarded a bus with over 50 members of the community from Loyola School, Manhattan. Everyone was eager to begin their day of service, but no one was sure what exactly that would entail.

As I watched the smiling faces of my peers and my superiors alike, a realization struck me: I was about to watch my two worlds collide, and I could not be happier.

When we arrived in Breezy, shovels in hand, we quickly made our way to the Habitat for Humanity tent where we were divided into groups. Our groups then embarked through the streets in search of the houses we would be working at all day.

At one point, I thought we had ventured off-course. I was so accustomed to a local restaurant, Kennedy’s, being across the main road from where I knew a close friend’s house to be that I was overwhelmed when I realized the landmark had been swept away in the storm. I was even more shaken by the fact that I seemed to be the only one who noticed. However, we continued on to the house of an older woman named Barbara, whose house had experienced major flood damage.

Barbara’s house was not the most startling site we saw throughout the day, but realizing that it was all she had certainly resonated with us. We spent the day tearing down dry wall and disposing of insulation. The entire group found a release in the activity, and we bonded with one another and with Barbara and her family. We began to truly enjoy ourselves. Barbara and her daughter began to share stories with us about their lives, and in return we shared our own. We learned that they had been one of the hardest hit houses in Breezy last summer during Hurricane Irene and had just finished their repairs. But we also learned, over cookies and tangerines shared among the group, the stories behind some of the items that were salvaged from the four feet of flood damage.

When our departure arrived, we said our heartfelt goodbyes with Barbara and her family. We took photos together and exchanged information to ensure that we could keep up with the status of her home. Then my group returned to the Catholic Club to meet up with the rest of the school. Upon our reunion, I learned that each group had a similarly meaningful experience. Since our return to school, the trip has been talked about in depth, and it is obvious to all who partook and those who simply hear the tales that this trip was a success.

This trip gave me a new perspective on service. I realized that sometimes those we serve aren’t the beggars we are so familiar with on the subway. Sometimes they are our neighbors, our friends, and our families. But even more, I have learned we need to serve with the same fervor, compassion and love, be it our mother or a complete stranger. Disaster can strike anywhere, and it is our duty to react. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity my peers and I received to partake in this trip. It is one we will never forget.

Hom is a junior at Loyola, a Jesuit high school in Manhattan. She resides in Windsor Terrace.