Last month during Reading Week, a group of Dal students piled onto a bus for a 30-hour drive through snow and ice to Raleigh, N.C. It was the fifth year in the row that members of the Dal Action Society have made such a trek to the American South. They do it for one simple reason: to help those less fortunate.
About half of Dal Action’s 80 members voluntarily spent their spring break in North Carolina helping to build six houses in three days. The society encourages Dal students to get involved with the community here in Halifax, but makes these trips to the U.S. to work with Habitat for Humanity (the last two trips were to Florida and Texas).
“We believe it’s important to give back to the community, since we’re fortunate to be able to study at such a great university, and that a helping hand is better than none,” says Anna Baranowski, the current president of Dal Action and fourth-year management student. “Our trip this year was in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Wake County. We worked on deconstruction, construction, and painting, and also worked with other local organizations around the Raleigh area.”
Anna’s personal passion for giving back started five years ago after visiting an orphanage in Cambodia during a trip to Southeast Asia. “That trip changed my perspective on life,” she says. “It made me appreciate what I have and helped me realize how fortunate I am to have the ability to give back to those in need.”
For fourth-year commerce student and Dal Action member, Shone Nicolle, the annual trip captures the true spirit of the society. “In Dal Action, everyone genuinely wants to help,” she says. “I was part of the trip last year as well. The only difference this year was that the build site was so cold! But it was nice to see that everyone was still willing to help out. Even when we needed to go inside to take a break everyone was eager to get back out into the cold to finish what they started.”
The weather certainly threw a wrench in this year’s trip. A planned stop in Boston on the way down had to be cancelled because of a snowstorm, and the first build day in Raleigh was actually cancelled because of snow and ice. Instead, members of the group spent the day doing schoolwork and getting to know each other.
“Even though we encountered some obstacles, we overcame them as a group and did the best we could with the time we had,” says Anna. “The Habitat and church staff were so accommodating and very welcoming, and it was nice to have such a diverse crowd coming together in hopes to make the lives better for others.”
While the trip is an important component of Dal Action, the society runs and participates in many Halifax-based events and fundraisers every month, and collaborates with local community-building organizations. In the past, members have worked with Habitat Nova Scotia, Phoenix Youth Programs, and Sunday Suppers at St. Andrews Church. It’s all about making a mark on the community and proving that a little support can go a long way.
“Dal Action helped me realize that it's really not too hard to help out,” says Shone. “Even if it's just one trip a year, or a few hours a month, anything can make a difference. It's also a good feeling knowing that during Reading Week instead of watching Netflix, I got out and made a difference in someone's life.”
The society doesn’t have a regular meeting schedule, but anyone wanting to become involved can join its email list. For more information, visit Dal Action on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or email dalaction@gmail.com.
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