Getting Dirty in the Dunes

This morning my school held its annual Into the Streets, a day when hundreds of students go out into the community and volunteer.  We had over 800 students participate this year, and a large portion of us were sent to Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, to clean up sandbags out of the residents' yards.
Once we arrived in Dakota Dunes, we headed off to the house we would be working on.  I was lucky enough to chat with Ellen, the homeowner, for a few minutes.  She said that her neighborhood was hit the hardest during the flooding in the Siouxland area a few months ago.  This didn't surprise me.  Everything is dry now, but it was obvious how much damage the water had done.  There were water lines on houses and playgrounds.  Ellen said that they had six days to pack up their houses and evacuate.  Her family, however, had had completely pack in one day.  All that was left to do was pile up sandbags around the house.
Since the flooding is over, my fellow students and I had the job of taking all those sandbags out of Ellen's yard today.  We set up a line to pass all the bags down, and within two hours, we were able to clear all the bags out of Ellen's yard, as well as the yard next door.  And what an experience it was!  My muscles were aching, the sun was completely melting, and I was covered in dirt from head to toe.  But you know what?  It was completely worth it!  We helped Ellen out a lot, probably made it into the evening news, had a blast.  We even sang a little bit while we were hauling those sandbags!
It really is amazing how much of a difference you can make if you grab a few friends and get out into the community.  For someone like Ellen, whose world was turned upside down by circumstances that were out of her control, today was a pretty big deal.  This morning, Into the Streets had a huge impact on the Siouxland area.  And I can't wait for next year.  :)