It
was December 2009 when Rachel Norberg, a sophomore at Stonehill College, first made
the decision to spend her spring break away from her family and friends to
enlist in a week of service with the Stonehill College HOPE program. In a time
that is normally reserved for vacations, parties and lying in the sun, Rachel
spent the week-long service trip in Florida repairing houses for families in
need.
Today, Norberg sits in her dorm room browsing the
internet for non-profit job opportunities for after graduation. Now a senior, Norberg
has participated in the HOPE program three years in a row. Her dedication to
social action has earned her recognition from college administrators and
students alike as playing a key role in the social action initiative at
Stonehill College.
HOPE is a national and international service program run
by Stonehill College. Every year, Stonehill brings HOPE volunteers to areas in
need to provide service for local organizations and families. “The HOPE acronym
stands for Honoring our neighbor, Organizing for justice, Practicing peace and
Encountering God,” said, William Keough a junior at Stonehill who had recently
joined the HOPE program. Joseph Miller, a campus minister for HOPE, gives his
outlook for the future of the HOPE program. “I see the beginning of a longer commitment to justice and service for all
those who participate; not something that’s done and then only lives on in someone’s resume. It’s my hope that
through combining service, group bonding, and reflection we awaken a desire for
such a commitment in those that choose to participate in the HOPE program.”
Norberg’s involvement in the HOPE program began in the
spring break of her sophomore year. She and 50 other students were flown to
Florida to renovate houses and clean out a warehouse that would become a
consignment store for families in need.
She
was reluctant to leave her close circle of friends, but her anxieties were
quickly diminished when she became closer to the other students serving in HOPE.
“I didn’t do the trip on my freshman year because none of my friends were going
and I was afraid I would be alone,” Norberg said. “I regretted that decision
after the kids who went came back and I heard about how much fun they had. I’m
happy I went alone the next year because it made me come out of my shell and
meet new people,” Norberg said.
By
her junior year, Norberg had made the transition into a leadership position for
the group’s trip to New Orleans, LA. In addition to helping rebuild local areas
devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Rachel’s duties were now extended to
organizing pre and post departure meetings, planning team-building exercises
and communicating with local contacts for work assignments.
Her first year as HOPE leader was an overall success with
the renovation of several homes and moments of reflection and spiritual growth
for all of those who were involved. However, the New Orleans trip was slightly
derailed when new volunteers were caught in possession of alcohol on the famous
Bourbon Street, Norberg wasted no time in resolving the issue by calling the
volunteer community together and addressing the infraction as a learning
experience rather than a stain on the program’s flawless reputation. Her actions made sure that the infraction
would not distract the HOPE team from achieving their goals.
The third and final HOPE trip was a bittersweet experience
for Norberg. Reclaiming her position as HOPE leader, she, along with 19 other
students, embarked on the 17-hour drive to Cosby Tennessee. The HOPE team spent the week repairing the
home of a family who had been stricken by multiple tragedies including untimely
death of a mother and a child who had sustained severe injuries from an animal
attack.
Although it was a positive experience for Norberg, she
recounts leaving the program with sadness. “Tennessee was by far my favorite
HOPE experience,” Norberg said “The intimacy that comes with being in charge of
a smaller group allowed us to really come together and bond as a group. That’s
important when you’re dealing with such an emotional issue like the one we had
here.”
Upon her return from Tennessee, it was apparent that Norberg
had played a key role in promoting the importance of social action throughout
her college career. She had been involved in three HOPE trips, two of which,
she had taken on leadership roles. During these trips, Rachel exhibited all
aspects of the HOPE mission by honoring neighbors, practicing peace and
encouraging the encounters of God.
“I would never have given up what I gained by
participating in the HOPE program,” Rachel said. “I never thought that leaving
the country to party would be a good place for me. I’m not sure whether or not
I will be able to have another experience like this. I do know, however, that
my time with HOPE has reshaped the way I see the world around me and will impact
of how I live my life in the future.”
Norberg’s advice for younger students considering giving
their time to service is to go for it and let nothing hold you back.
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