By Bailey Erwin
Construction Coordinator from Dayspring United Methodist Church
Visiting SSP’s Spokane site in Wellpinit, Washington was quite an experience! I had never been there before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. My sole knowledge was derived from the general statement people make, “Washington is rainy.” So, I arrived armed with an umbrella and my sunniest SSP smile.
I was met with miles of rolling green hills and Ponderosa Pines taking turns hiding behind the curves in the road. It was beautiful! We even saw wild turkeys, and a turtle and a gopher tried to see if they could race our cars across the street. They won, don’t worry. Even though the landscape and plentiful critters of Washington were amazing, they weren’t the best part. Meeting the homeowners and planning out the projects for the summer was!
It felt like we were already part of the Spokane community.
Everyone was so excited to welcome us to their homes, and offered us all kinds of help. It felt like we were already part of the Spokane community. We had looked at the forms submitted by the people of Wellpinit, Ford, and West End before arriving, but seeing the projects in person was a totally different perspective. It was exciting to be able to visualize all of the different ways you can serve a group of people, but being able to actually see it with your own eyes and plan it out to make it happen is even better.
Spokane’s summer projects will most likely be focused on accessibility. In other words, we will be helping as many people as possible get in and out of their houses with more ease. I can’t wait to get started.
Editor’s Note: See more photos from the site visit. There is still room to serve in Spokane this summer as a group or individual high school youth. Don’t miss out on your chance to serve in Washington for SSP’s first summer in the state!