Published: March 16, 2009 10:07 am      

Iowa students aid area residents

By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer

A group of Iowa State University students descended upon Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Williamsburg Saturday.

They are the descendants of ISU students who have been spending their spring breaks in the area while helping local persons with repairs to their homes.

Niki Vogl, 21, a junior civil engineering major from Atlantic, Iowa, came here last year and is doing it again this year.

“There are a lot of people down here who need help, with their homes and need someone to help them out in general.

“We’re going out and trying to extend God’s hand and trying to help these people and give them something they can’t afford otherwise.”

Sister Margie Verhoff at the church, who has been there for the last four visits of the ISU students, said, “I think it’s just amazing that these young folks would take their spring break to come here to help out folks who need help, doing such things as repairing roofs, building ramps and cleaning houses and painting and whatever work they can do.”

The spring groups come from St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ames.

“It’s just a bunch of college kids who just want to come down and help out a lot of people down here,” Vogl said.

The spring break trip to eastern Kentucky was actually started about 15 years ago by a couple of families in Ames, who came to the area to do the same kind of work the students are doing now.

“When you come down here you think that you’re going to be giving to people, but for me and a lot of people who have been here, it’s especially for the feeling you get back after having helped so many people and done so much good,” Vogl said.

Kevin Eennig, 20, sophomore computer engineering major, here for his first time, said, “Niki practically dragged me here. I’m really glad she made me do it.”

Eennig said he has a little experience in home repair.

“I worked a little bit with Habitat for Humanity as well as with my dad, who does side jobs for people on their houses.”

Vogl said the group is looking forward to many different kinds of projects, “We have roofing projects, wheelchair ramps, fixing floors, painting, kind of odds and ends people need done.”

Each person in the group participates by paying a fee for materials, this year it was $120. And, what the people can provide for their own projects, they provide.

“Usually there are more projects requested than we can do, so we pick and choose once we get here,” said Vogl.

“We get a very good feeling. At the end of each work day we have a reflection time to reflect on what we did. We’re very much filled with the feeling of ‘Wow, I helped these people and they appreciate it so much here.’ Everyone here is so nice.”

The group will leave for Ames early Saturday.

Carl Keith Greene can be reached at cgreene@thetimestribune.com