A Whiteland Community High School student gave up her school break to help others.
Junior Tori Pierson spent her fall break in Flagler County, Florida to assist with cleanup from Hurricane Matthew.
<strong>When was your trip?</strong>
My trip was Oct. 15 to Oct. 22.
<strong>Where did you go?</strong>
I flew in to Daytona Beach but stayed at Palm Coast, Florida in Flagler County.
<strong>What did you do?</strong>
I helped with Hurricane Matthew cleanup for Washington Oaks Gardens State Park and Georgia Aquarium Conservation Field Station at Marineland.
<strong>Why did you take this trip?</strong>
I wanted to help out the communities affected by Hurricane Matthew and thought this was a great way to do community service. I also was excited to see my family.
<strong>What was your favorite part of the trip?</strong>
My favorite part was hearing everyone’s stories about their hurricane experiences and seeing the progress that has been made since the hurricane hit.
<strong>What was the most difficult part of the trip?</strong>
The most difficult part was dealing with the mosquitoes. With all the standing water there were swarms of mosquitoes everywhere, and boy were they hungry!
<strong>What did you learn from the trip?</strong>
I learned to not take anything for granted; suddenly your whole life can be uprooted just by Mother Nature alone.
<strong>What was a typical day like?</strong>
My day started by waking up really early at 5 or 6 a.m. I would either go to the park or the conservation station and clean up debris such as trees, tree limbs, parts of homes like furniture shingles, wood planks and siding, and tons of trash. After lunch break I would help at whichever place needed me the most but again cleaning up more debris. My work day would end usually around 6 p.m. I then spent time with my family in the evenings.
