The Volunteer

Retiree finds new career in volunteering

An older man with a green hat, tattered jeans, work boots, and a tool belt is fitting a door frame for a house that has been in progress for over two months. Tom Scott comes early to the sites everyday and is the last one to leave. Tom is well liked by his co-workers and is often recognized as a go to man when in doubt, even though he doesn’t have a degree in construction. Tom was just born with the ability to build and the ability to give.

Tom doesn’t look like your typical young construction worker. In fact he isn’t young at all. He is a retired old man but he works harder and more efficiently than two young people put together. He works with passion and dedication. That’s what keeps him going, his passion and love for what he is doing.

Tom is a volunteer for the Habitat for Humanity organization. He works for free to build houses for people in poverty to buy at extremely low prices.

Friendship. Accomplishment. Goodwill. When we give to the community we don’t expect a paycheck. Giving is priceless.

Tom jokes that he does volunteer work to stay out of his wife’s hair. But really Tom does a lot more than that . He does the trimming, carpentry, anything that he is asked to do he does.

The Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization where volunteers like Tom build houses for people in poverty so they have a decent place to live. On average more than 180 people will pitch in to finish a single house. In Lincoln, around six houses are built each year.

Fourteen years ago Tom’s frat brother told him about how he had volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and really enjoyed it. Tom decided to join and fell in love with the atmosphere. Through the heat of the summer and the long endless hours, Tom never fails to show up. He is there Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday with a huge smile on his face and the funniest sense of humor that would never be expected from someone that is working in a unairconditioned house.

Tom is friends with just about everyone that he works with but his closest friend is Steve Eggland. Tom and Steve have been working with each other for two years and work great together.

Their great at what they do even though neither of them have a construction working background besides Steve’ s high school shop class. One class. Thirty years ago.





Side by side. Never leaving the other. If one is carrying the door frame to another part of the house the other is right there to help.

Tom and Steve are working in the Women’s Build house. Most of the house was built by the women who volunteer.

In order to build a house it costs anywhere between 60 to 70 thousand dollars. They get a lot of their materials donated to them from Lowes and Home Depot.

It’s sometime later this fall. The house is finally completed. Tom is waiting to see his favorite part of his volunteer work. The feeling of accomplishment falls over him as the home owners are given their new home. There is a lot of embracing and tears but most importantly there is the feeling of hope and gratitude.

Tom believes that it’s not what you do with your time but how you spend it. Tom prefers to spend his time giving back to the community.

The Story Of Me

The Story of Me
This is Valerie. Valerie was chosen. Not necessarily wanted,chosen. She was adopted when she was younger by loving parents who could love unconditionally,who could give more then they receive,who could embarrass their kids in public, and most importantly who could care. Valerie has always been curious about her biological family but never wants to meet them and never wants to build a relationship with them. She doesn’t want to give them a right that they don’t deserve. They simply didn’t want her. But when She recieved presents after 16 years she had a decision to make that could change her life forever.

The first thing that strikes you about Valerie is her personality. Her personality is not demanding, not sad, not quiet, but sincere and outgoing. It’s the kind of personality that strikes one the instant one meets her. It draws one in and doesn’t let go. Her personality is social, funny, loving, forgivable, and amiable. It’s the type of personality that completes the person behind it. Her personality was inherited by the loving parents who took her in.

This is a story about cherishing what people have and never taking it for granted. Living life as if everyday was the last, never giving up, and never losing hope. It is about finding the good in people even when it is hard. It’s about a girl who doesn’t forget how fortunate she is even when life throws unexpected turns her way. She simply trusts and believes that God has a plan for her and she always reminds herself that life is a beautiful struggle.

Who is Valerie? Valerie is a sixteen year old girl who lives in Hastings, Nebraska in a cozy home with her twin brother and five other siblings, and her parents. She likes her big family. Who encourages her to run, hang out with friends, and live life to the fullest. She is scared of being alone and surounds herself with people. It could be because of her memory of her early ages of life.

It is a beautiful day. The sun is blazing just enough to kiss your face. Valerie is nervous and scared but her foster mom holds her hand as she crosses the street to the court house. Her foster parents are smiling and full of hope which Valerie notices and her nerves settles to a happy medium. Starting with the barely one year old and ending with the four year old they were adopted into a soon to be big and carefully constructed family. She was finally going to be a part of a family and be able to close the gap between reality and actuality. “Valerie, you’re a special little girl. God blessed you with two wonderful parents. You are very lucky,” The Judge said after the adoption.

Of course, what makes Valerie interesting? Is it, perhaps, her attitude towards life and her bubbly personality, is it her way of separating life from fantasy but still keeping an open mind and soul and never shutting herself out from the world, or her way of taking life step by step and hoping that she will end up right where God wants her to be.

There are still choices ahead to make. Choices that will impact Valerie for the rest of her life. Valerie chose not to except the presents from the desperate, neglecting parents who are not worthy of a child to love. That was Valerie's decision to chose and no one could make it for her.

The story of Sami

This is Sami. She is not your typical rebellion child, in fact she doesn’t get in trouble at all. She not only respects her parents she does her chores! Aside being what most would call a “brown noser”, she is awkwardly uncoordinated and often finds herself either on the floor or in an embarrassing attempt to not be on the floor. Sami hasn’t traveled much but has been to some interesting places including six flags in Texas, New York, and the JFK memorial. Sami hasn’t been many places but where will her future take her? She isn’t a wild child who constantly gets in trouble, so what is it about Sami that makes her so interesting? Maybe it’s the way she is quiet but yet has a very loud personality displayed just by looking at her.

The first thing that strikes you about Sami is how when you first see her she seems quiet and shy but when she speaks you can feel the intensity in her voice. She gets very excited to speak and ask questions and if you were observing you would notice that the whole room moves closer to hear what she has to say as if she was giving the most interesting news in the world.

This is a story about listening not only with your ears but with your soul. It’s about one person who has the ability to listen to the most boring story but still connect personally with that person as if she had known them all her life. It’s about the power of connecting with a person by just listening to what they have to say. “I wouldn’t call myself caring but I am willing to listen,” Sami said when asked what trait brings out her personality the most. Whether its just listening to her friends vent about school, relationships, or family issues Sami will always be there to help.

So who is sami? Sami was born March 1, 1993 and lives in Fairbury, Nebraska. Sami is a curious, shy but yet funny and smart girl who went to Dallas, Texas with Upward bound which is an organization centered on preparing students for college. She visited Six Flags and the JFK memorial. “I would never choose to live in Texas because I couldn’t handle the hot weather,” Sami said. If she did have to choose to live somewhere it would be China because she finds the culture interesting and its so much different then America.

While sitting in her friend Alison’s computer room her friend got up and left the room. After a few minutes Sami also left after noticing her friend had not returned. Her friend turned the corner just in time to hear a loud thud and a red faced Sami laying on the floor. “What happened?” asked her bewildered friend. “Oh nothing I just ran into the door that’s all,” said the embarrassed Sami.

Of course, what makes Sami so interesting – what makes her a rather extraordinary girl? Is it the way she has no sense of balance what so ever or her incredible way of listening rather than criticizing. Whatever it is people are drawn to her completely unaware of it.



Frazier1

lunch in a college cafeteria

Kids were very excited to eat and with all the options they didn't know what to choose. While sitting and enjoying my lunch the conversations were interesting. People were introducing themselves and were talking about what they were learning in their classes. A group of people that were sitting near me were talking about the last concert they went to and although I didn't catch the name of the band it sounded like they had fun.
Most people were confused as to where to get plates and where to put dirty dishes and it was funny to watch, but sadly I was one of those people.