As a freshman, I had no idea what to expect when I heard the upperclassmen talking about the annual CROYA work trip. I had so many questions as to what the trip was, who could go, and what it entailed.
The CROYA work trip is a 5-day trip, designated to do work in other communities through Habitat for Humanity. It typically falls around the second week of June, and is open to any rising Sophomores through Seniors. Originally, I felt out of place for wanting to attend this trip because of the fact that I had only ever seen Juniors go. After talking to both CROYA staff and other students who had previously gone, I realized that this was a good opportunity, and I had nothing to be worried about. So I am here to share a few reasons why you should go too!
Meeting New People
In my first year attending the work trip, there were 12 of us in total. 5 of us were incoming sophomores, while the other 7 were incoming seniors. To be honest, there was definitely a bit of concern before the trip about whether or not it would be awkward with such a split between the groups. “I was super nervous to go on this trip as a first-year member,” said Piper Bennett, “But because of how much time we all spent together, by the end of the week, we were all super close. And it was fun getting to see everyone just a few months later in the hallways and at CROYA meetings.” Whether it be digging holes, getting ice cream, or even cooking dinner together, you truly get to spend so much time with everyone during this week. It’s important to remember that everyone on the trip has to step out of their comfort zone in one way or another, and meeting new people is a good thing!
Service Hours
Service hours play a huge role in this trip. Throughout the course of 5 days, all participants will receive between 18-20 service hours. With the NHS deadlines and college quickly approaching, everyone is in constant search for more hours. What makes the trip fun is that you can have fun while doing the work. Catherine Lawniczack, CROYA staff, said, “This is such a great way to knock out a good chunk of your service hours early on.”
Receiving these hours is a reward for all of the hard work and fun that you get to have. Lawniczak agrees that this is the most fun-filled week ever, making it a great kickoff to summer. Attending this trip means having fun while getting service hours!
Giving Back to the Community
This work trip works closely with Habitat For Humanity, which is a non-profit organization that’s driven by the goal of providing stability and affordable housing for more families worldwide. That being said, each year the group is given a new task to complete” for Habitat. The first year that I went (2024), our main task was to build a fence for a home that was recently housing a family who had lost their parents due to drug abuse. This past summer (2025), we spent most of our time cleaning newly built houses and doing yardwork. The best part of this trip is that no day is the same; there is always more work to be done, and getting to see the reactions of those who are being helped makes it all worth it. You never truly know what’s going on beyond the surface level, so it’s refreshing to do good for others. Junior Addie Ginn explained that this trip was an eye-opening experience for her, and it was a good reminder to always help those in need. This trip has taught me to not only be grateful for all that I have, but to pay it forward by giving back to other communities in need.
Important Life Lessons
After two years of going on this trip, I have come to realize that there are many important life lessons to be learned here. One thing that was really important to me was how to use tools and build things. I have never been good with anything in that realm, but now I can say that I am at least a bit more familiar. When it came to building the fence, at least half of us had never done anything like it before. It was confusing at times, but getting to do this forced us out of our comfort zones and made it much easier when it came to using tools this past year! Another important lesson that came across during this work trip was time management. We work on a schedule and are responsible for getting everything done in a certain amount of time. While 5 days is a lot of time, it can also feel very quick with all that we are doing. Each day, we were able to complete our work by setting a goal for ourselves. This way, once we reached our goal at the end of the day, we left feeling accomplished. This is a good lesson to have as you go through life because it teaches you the importance of efficiency and finishing the things that you start.
The Dog Shelter
The last reason, and in my opinion, the most important reason you should come on this trip is because of the dogs. When brainstorming for this article, there is not one person whom I talked to that didn’t mention our time at the animal shelter. Dogs seem to be a fan favorite year after year, and I don’t think that is going to stop anytime soon. Starting on the 2nd day of this trip, we will start our mornings by volunteering for 2 hours at the McDonough County Animal Shelter. This is an animal shelter located in Macomb, Illinois, and is solely operated by volunteers. We mainly help out at the shelter with things like walking and bathing the dogs. Animals are constantly being rehomed in and out of the shelter, so we try to provide all the help that we can. Starting the day with cute puppies can never go wrong, and sets a happy and fun tone for the remainder of the activities. Each morning, I woke up excited knowing that I would soon get to see the dogs. The hardest part of the trip is, honestly, having to leave the shelter. The animals really bring everyone closer through the walks and all of the time that we spend together. So if you are a fan of dogs or cats, this would definitely be a fun thing for you!
More information about this trip will be shared in the spring at CROYA meetings and online. This trip really is so much fun, and definitely worth considering!
