From November 2019: Ferrum College students and staff worked with Habitat for Humanity to renovate a local woman’s home. Pictured: staff member Leya Deickman ’19 (in purple), student Katrina Anderson (in grey), and Morgan Flinkstrom (in blue).
On October 17, 2020, homeowner Elaine Childress was welcomed into her newly renovated home in Rocky Mount, VA by board members from Habitat for Humanity Franklin County, which includes Ferrum College Dean of Students Nicole Lenez.
From November 2019, the Ferrum College women’s wrestling team (from top, L to R): Leya Deickman ’19; Morgan Flinkstrom; Andreia Langley; Katrina Anderson; homeowner Elaine Childress; Destiny Benjamin; Bailey Gilmore; Autumn Potkay ’20; coach Breonnah Neal; Caitlynn Richardson; Alisha Elizalde; & Gabriella Torres.
“It has been a privilege to serve with the members of the local Habitat for Humanity board as our community worked to give Elaine a gorgeous renovated home,” said Ferrum College Dean of Students Nicole Lenez. “Our students worked tirelessly for Elaine, truly living out our motto, ‘Not Self, But Others.'”
On every available Saturday over the last year, Ferrum College staff members and students, mainly the women’s wrestling team, worked with the local Habitat for Humanity chapter to ready Childress’s home after a renovation process that took two years in total. The house was gutted and then updated with siding, windows, decks, drywall, cabinets, and plumbing. Childress’s home also received a new electrical and ventilation system, and all new appliances.
“While volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, I understood that I was helping the community and Elaine,” said Ferrum College Residence Life Area Coordinator Leya Deickman ’19, who worked on Childress’s home as a College staff member (and is a former member of the Ferrum women’s wrestling team). “At that moment, the atmosphere felt cheerful and light, making our manual labor feel effortless. Although the laughs and memories were enough to instill this experience in my mind, the thank you note I received this past month reminded me of how impactful a simple volunteering experience could be for someone in need.”
Read more about this act of community service in this Franklin News-Post article.
Learn more about Ferrum College’s women’s wrestling team here.
