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Home > Blogs > Reality Bytes > Archives > 2009 > August > 04 > Entry
Day 2 of volunteering even more ‘Extreme’
By Jen Mahaffey, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition volunteer blogger
Day Two of volunteering for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” brought even more excitement. I have to admit, after having such a great time my first day I was excited and couldn’t wait to get back to the house to help out. Once you get involved, I don’t know how to really explain what this does to someone. The first day I was nervous and felt like I was heading for the first day of school and by the end of my shift I was pumped up and couldn’t wait to go back. All day long I felt like one of my children on Christmas I kept watching the clock and counting down until I could go back. I even ended up going in five hours before I was even asked to. I had not been to sleep from the day before but it did not even seem to bother me, I was tired but still some how had so much energy and excitement that not even having sleep kept me from going back to help out.
When I arrived today the siding was going on the house outside and the drywall crew was working hard on the walls and ceilings on the inside. Again contractors and volunteers running around everywhere doing anything and everything they could help. Before I could even ask what or where I was needed, I ran into my uncle Rick. Rick is that person that has to be hands on and involved where the excitement is at all times so this project has been perfect for him. He took me and my sister over to where he was working. So I just thought OK I guess I will work here, no big deal, right? Wrong!!! It was a very big DEAL!!! As soon as I walked over to this area a gentleman named Mark walked over and asked if I was ready to work and what my name was. This man looks at me and says Jen you will be cutting this wood for me, what? Me cut wood? I said “I’ll be honest, I don’t really know how”.
Now this man is in charge of a big project and is in time crunch, he could have said then move but he didn’t he was so kind and patient, he showed me what to do and waited for me to get it right, once I got it, he left. So now it’s me, my sister and my uncle working on a project for one of the rooms (sorry not allowed to give away what it was). We were having the time of our lives and just as I was thinking this is awesome it couldn’t get better than this, well it DID. I hear behind me this accent and as I turn around, who is standing right behind me? ED, a designer from the show—that’s right ED!!
This man is so incredibly nice, he was working on his project but yet talked to each of us that were also there working and as it got later in the evening he even stopped and asked all of us if we had eaten dinner yet. You would think that he would have been all about himself and focused only on his project but he was the total opposite. He was kind and even as focused as he was on his project that he says he is behind on, he took the time to talk with us.
Later on in the evening as I took a small break, I went over to the house and Michael was working in the back yard on the playground for the children, and as I was standing there I hear someone yell “Hey Michael” I look up and DiDi is sitting on the roof. I was watching as they were filming. This was so fun to watch. I couldn’t help but just stand and smile. When I was walking back to the area that I was working on, Michael passes me. Now this man could have walked by me but again that’s not how these people are, he asked my how I was and then thanked me for helping. Are you kidding me? He thanked me! It made me feel so good and my energy level with no sleep seem to take yet another boost.
After the production crew and designers left for the evening, the rest of us kept working. At this point I will admit was starting to slowly feel the effects of no sleep, but just when you think its about time to call it a night something amazing happens and keeps you going. I walked passed one of the neighbors who the volunteers have started calling the “extreme granny,” this woman is so nice and caring and sits out and watches every thing that is going on with this project. She said Honey you look tired why don’t you at least take a nap. I told her I would be OK and would eventually be going home and she sounding like my grandma said to me that’s what you say but you will end up staying, you should at least take a small nap, you can come sleep right here. This woman doesn’t even know me and yet treated me like her family and was willing to let me sleep there. These neighbors are just as amazing as this whole project.
I then finished and moved on to yet another project with the house and was asked if I needed a massage. That’s right. You can even get a massage if you need to after you work. This just blows my mind, you feel so important the whole time you are there.
I worked many hours more as they continued doing the inside of the house. The drywall crew worked so fast and non-stop that when they would look at you their faces where completely white, they looked like ghosts. They looked as though they had painted their faces on purpose. But none of them complained. The each kept working and not many of them even stopped to take a break.
What seemed like ten minutes later we then started unloading trucks full of flooring and cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms. The house was all coming together right then and there.
By the time I left in the wee hours, the siding and brick were on the outside of the house, the drywall and ceilings were on, lights were in. Crews were working on finishing touches with the roof and cosmetic parts of the outside, volunteers were taking in the flooring and cabinets to be installed. At the back of the house, the porch had been poured, and the playground was finished and looks like something you would see at a very nice public park. These children will love this playset, it’s definitely not the normal swingset most of our children have.
As I was waiting on the bus to take me back to my car, I stood and just looked at this house. From the outside looks like it’s just about done. I am amazed that in the two days that I have been there how quick things are moving. It seems strange that the first day I am there its framing out the house and the next day I go back, it’s siding and laying brick to the same house.
This truly is an extreme project that I have been lucky to be a part of it.
This post by an Extreme Home Makeover volunteer was reviewed by the show’s producers before it was released to this web site.
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Comments
By Marian Hosfelt
August 7, 2009 10:08 AM | Link to this
I live in western Pennsylvania and my niece is the architect for the project, Gay Mercer. She has e-mailed the entire family to follow this project on your website. Thanks for sharing!!