By Margaret Waage Correspondent Something new is needed sometimes to appreciate the familiar things in life. Such is the case for Southington High School Vo-Ag student Sariah Dutkiewicz. Volunteerism proved to be the vehicle that motivated Dutkiewicz, a Bristol resident, to choose to spend a big part of her summer vacation travelling to Belize to do humanitarian work for the poor. The purpose of the trip, organized by Humanitarian Experience for Youth (H.E.F.Y.), a non-profit service organization that works towards land development in poverty stricken areas of the world, is to provide teens with opportunities to serve those communities where improvements are in dire need. From June 19 to July 4, Dutkiewicz and 18 other youth from around the United States spent time doing manual labor consisting of digging, mixing cement and laying brick in order to construct a school classroom. Each H.E.F.Y. expedition is planned so that participants can see their work to completion. Projects range from building houses, school classrooms, an orphanage or medical clinics. “I wanted a different vacation experience from say something like a New York trip,” said Dutkiewicz. “When I volunteer it makes me feel more appreciation for what we have here at home.” That’s [...]
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