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Through Chestnut Hill org, teens learn
service here and abroad
November 11, 2013
Antigua
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Teens build more than houses on
service trip
Collections • Antigua
BY VINNY VELLA, Daily News Staff Writer vellav@phillynews.com, 215-
854-2513
POSTED: April 07, 2014
BRENNAN O'DONNELL had to travel more than 3,000 miles to get a
better understanding of life in the Philadelphia area.
For the last four years, O'Donnell, 17, has devoted one week of his
summer to building houses in Antigua, Guatemala, through Teenagers
Inc., a youth service organization based in Chestnut Hill.
"I never understood how blessed I am, how much I have in my life,"
O'Donnell, a senior at La Salle College High School said. "I never
realized how hard my parents worked to get me in [La Salle]. I just
assumed I deserved to go to such a nice school.
"After the trips, I realized I have to work to make the best of what I'm
given."
O'Donnell and 24 of his peers have been hard at work during the past
few months raising money for their trip, scheduled July 1 through 10.
Their most recent fundraisier, a "Carnaval" night held March 22 at
Seven Dolors Church in Wyndmoor, brought in $7,500.
Every cent of that is going to what, in O'Donnell's eyes, is the greatest
cause in the city.
"It's amazing how much having a sturdy house means to these
families," he said. "To be able to help give them that is just an amazing
feeling."
During their stay, the Teenagers Inc. crew helps workers from God's
Child, a North Dakota-based charity, build simple, metal homes for
impoverished families. The work isn't overly technical - anyone who
can use a hammer, screwdriver and shovel can do it, O'Donnell said -
but it's rewarding, especially when the families lend a hand.
"I've seen dads come home from working full days, tired and ready to
relax, come over and help build his future house," O'Donnell said.
"Then you get these 9-, 10-year-old kids who help us cement without
gloves or even shoes.
"It's just a whole 'nother world."
That kind of reaction is what Arianna Neromiliotis, director of
Teenagers Inc., is looking for.
"When we started this trip, we envisioned taking teens down to show
them a different kind of life and take away everything comfortable for
them," she said.
"It's a way to strip things down to the bare minimum and, in the
process, get a life experience that's unforgettable."
Neromiliotis, herself a product of Teenagers Inc., has watched the trip
evolve since its first outing six years ago, and said that many of its
original volunteers still return to lend a hand.
"I think this gives a lot of perspective to people," she said. "The dream
of having teens help each other is tangible. It's a real thing, and people
make it happen every day."
And if there's any doubt, one only needs to look at Antigua's skyline,
she said: Upon each return visit, more and more of it is dominated by
the signature blue roofs of the houses built by God's Child.
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