Name: Gabbie Santos
Year at Middlebury: Sophomore
Hometown/location: Silang, Cavite, Philippines
Describe your volunteer service commitments that occur in the Middlebury area: I am currently the weekend build coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Middlebury College Chapter. As co-president of the International Students’ Organization, I also help ensure that community service is part of our organization’s agenda/programming.
Length of time you have been volunteering there: I started with Habitat in September 2013, during my MiddView (Middlebury Orientation Week) trip, as a volunteer builder. My role as build coordinator began in September 2014.
Describe your responsibilities: My main responsibility is to coordinate with Habitat for Humanity chapters near/around Middlebury for volunteer opportunities, and then to organize weekend builds for Middlebury students as an opportunity to work with the local community.
What do you most enjoy about volunteering?: For me, genuinely sharing myself through volunteering allows me to find a profound connection with humankind. It is this discovery that gives me hope in a world that is constantly inundated with negativity. Volunteering is, indeed, nourishment for the soul.