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Volunteers Aid Mennonite School in Puerto Rico
Two teams of nine volunteers each provided hurricane reconstruction aid to Academia Mennonita Betania School near Aibonito, PR. The teams organized by Bahia Vista Community Builders, Inc., from Sarasota Community Church helped repurpose a building into new classrooms. As students move out of damaged rooms into the new rooms, the damaged buildings can be repaired.
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The 2,000 sq. ft. building required gutting everything except the concrete walls and metal roof. Demolition took three days including removing 20 pickup truck loads of hurricane and building debris. In the remaining nine days the teams releveled a damaged floor with two dump trucks of gravel, rebuilt a portion of a collapsed wall, poured a new floor using 21 cu yds. of concrete, constructed new interior walls, installed a new electrical entrance, roughed in new plumbing, and prepped and primed inside and outside walls. Repairs were made to the campus water supply system including the installation of a booster pump for increasing water pressure.
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School Director, Yavier Vèlez, expressed surprise at how much two work teams of nine 70 year olds accomplished in the 12 work days |
Academia Mennonita Betania has 134 students from Kindergarten to grade 8. Of the seven larger primary classroom buildings, the hurricane damage resulted in three buildings with rafters and roof completely gone, three buildings with some structural, interior and roof damage. The building with no hurricane damage was assigned to the volunteers to repurpose. Smaller buildings used for instruction, lodging, administrative and support services have been repaired. The Betania Mennonite Church adjoining the school suffered damage to the roofs, sanctuary and Sunday school rooms. Immediately after Hurricane Maria, local parents and volunteers were organized for cleanup and repairs. According to Director Yavier Vèlez,”the school was the first to reopen after Hurricane Maria. It couldn’t have happened without local people coming to help. As we need to repair our own homes, we need lots of volunteers who can assist us at the school.”
Many thanks to the following individuals who served: Albert & Consulo Brenner, Orrin Martin, Ray Nolt, Mary & Orla Schlabach, Don & Paulette Schmidt, Ben Sprunger, Dennis Bontrager, Kim Bontrager, Brenda & Jeff Hirschy, Dale & Bonnie Hoover, and Jeff Otto.
For more information contact Ben Sprunger.
Many thanks to the following individuals who served: Albert & Consulo Brenner, Orrin Martin, Ray Nolt, Mary & Orla Schlabach, Don & Paulette Schmidt, Ben Sprunger, Dennis Bontrager, Kim Bontrager, Brenda & Jeff Hirschy, Dale & Bonnie Hoover, and Jeff Otto.
For more information contact Ben Sprunger.
Bless and be blessed as you share your time and God-given talents with others.