Woman builds houses in Grenada

from the Marshfield News Herald

MEDFORD -- When most people head to the Caribbean during Wisconsin's coldest and dreariest months, it is to relax on a beach. For Heidi Serrano, the trip offered an opportunity to do some good for others while honoring her late father.

For nearly two weeks, Serrano and 11 other individuals from the Good News Project built homes for the underprivileged on the island of Grenada in the West Indies.

"The people in Grenada are living in such poverty that they can't afford to rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 that basically leveled the island," Serrano said. "It felt good to know we were helping them start to get their lives back."

Serrano helped build two homes: one for an elderly woman and another for a family of seven who were living in a partial structure.

"The father worked side-by-side with us to learn the building techniques so he could build onto his home after we left and help others rebuild their homes," Serrano said. "It was wonderful seeing him want to give back that way."

Serrano, who did much of the "nitty-gritty dirt work" and house painting, discovered the trip evolved into a fitting tribute to her own father who passed away in October.

"My dad was a builder in Medford. This trip was a great way to remember him and use what I had learned from him."

Meanwhile, Memorial Health Center (Serrano's employer) honored her goodwill with some charity of its own, donating medical supplies for the people of Grenada. Medical supplies like those donated by Memorial Health Center are in great demand in Grenada and its surrounding islands.

While the focus of Serrano's trip was to provide humanitarian supplies and support to the people of Grenada, she did find time to enjoy the tropical weather and the scenery. In addition to sightseeing, she went on a snorkeling trip and visited the rainforest where she got to hold a monkey. Serrano especially liked the vivid colors present everywhere on the island, from the clothing to the flowers.

"The flowers were so beautiful and bright, they almost didn't seem real," she said. "To see so much beauty next to so much poverty was somewhat shocking."

Contributed by Stephanie Dray, marketing communications specialist, Memorial Health Center.

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