Nov 12, 2013 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – Before traveling home for Waynesburg University’s Thanksgiving break, 17 students will engage in two separate mission projects.

Led by Dave Calvario, director of the center for service leadership at Waynesburg University, a team of 14 students will spend Nov. 22-27 in in Highland Park, N.J., partnering with the Reformed Church of Highland Park to work on the various service projects involving cleanup and rebuilding efforts for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

“Our goal for the trip is to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy who are struggling a year after the storm,” Calvario said.

Also from Nov. 22-27, three students and one faculty member will stay on campus to partner with Greene County Habitat for Humanity for various daily projects.

Evan Kephart, interim coordinator of university’s Bonner Scholar Program, will lead the team.

“Our main goal is to expose students attending the trip to the poverty that exists around them in Greene County and inspire them to continue to give back to the community even after the project is over,” Kephart said.

Students participating in the mission trip to New Jersey include:

Elizabeth Carr, a junior from Bethel Park; Renee Filippelli, a junior from Elizabeth; Amy Fish, a junior from Pittsburgh; Korey Hammell, a junior from Homestead; Cody Hillbery, a junior from Sycamore; Amanda Hooker, a sophomore from Bedford; Julie James, a senior from Conneaut Lake; Kathryn Kish, a junior from Liberty Boro.

Also, Samantha Maize, a senior from Finleyville; Brittany Nimal, a senior from Hickory; Rebecca Shindelar, from Bemidji, Minn.; Makyala Vidosh, a sophomore from Galloway, Ohio; Holly Wise, a from Dennison, Ohio; and Nicole Zimmel, a sophomore from Slippery Rock.

Those working with Habitat are Heather Connors, a freshman from Scottsdale; Justin Johnson, a senior from Washington; and Kyle Oland, a from Westminster, Md.