The signs read "anyone interested in building and repairing houses in Appalachia" should come to an informational meeting for Easter in Appalachia.  In the end, rather than build, they tore down, rather than admire a freshly painted wall or a newly framed house, they gazed upon a newly cleared plot of land.

For the second year, Seton Hall Prep has sponsored an Easter trip to Appalachia to "build houses."  In its first year, the group traveled 17 hours to Tennessee to work with Habitat for Humanity.  This year, a group of 13 students and three adults traveled 12 hours to the southeastern corner of Kentucky to the small town of Neon to work with HOMES, Inc.  The group was led by Mr. Chris Barnitt, Mr. John Slevin, and Mrs. Mary Scott and included seniors Wilson Antoine, Sherod Gillis, Jeremy Gillespie, Alex Rodriguez-Minichini, Adam Buzbee, John Clermont, Sean Durkin, Matt Revel, juniors Kyle Benn, Phil Blank, John Spetrino, Mike McDonald, and Rick Steinwandtner. 

Though the expressed purpose of HOMES, is to build and repair homes in Knott, Lechter, and Floyd counties of Kentucky, it became clear to the group that building involves hammer, nails, paint, and sometimes a sledgehammer.  On the first day some of the group painted the entire interior of a house, while the larger part of the group drove an hour to try their hand at demolition.  With hard hats and tools of choice the group was given its mission, to raze a house that had suffered a catastrophic fire last December so as to make room for new construction.  For some of the Prepsters, all their dreams had come true.  They were being asked to do DEMO, and to enjoy it.  Much of the debris of the house would be broken down and thrown into a raging fire.

After four tiring days, all that was left was a heap of burning ash, and a cement foundation that would be torn up by a bulldozer.  At the close of the week, the group had contributed 576 hours of service, which amounted to $5760 total reduction in future mortgages.  $4480 of that total would go to the family for whom the demolition was the first step toward a new home.  This reduction is the result of a federal grant for "sweat equity" which contributes $10 for every hour of volunteer labor. 

As everyone traveled home it was apparent that great progress had come out of this week of destruction.  On the final night of the trip one participant reflected "as far as I'm concerned, a new house has already been built."