November 19, 2012 - UTI-Exton Students and Staff Help Clean Up After Hurricane Sandy

Students and staff at UTI-Exton traveled to Forked River, N.J. to volunteer with Hurricane Sandy clean-up efforts.

When Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast in late October, the country watched in sadness and shock as the storm caused devastation along the coasts of New Jersey, New York and beyond. But for some students and staff members at Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Exton, the damage hit too close to home. And they wanted to do something about it.

On Friday, November 9, staff members Bill Smith and Hector Guzman and two Exton students drove to Forked River, N.J., to volunteer at Lacey United Methodist Church. After spending the night in the church, they woke up early on Saturday to receive their assignments and help repair the local community. As part of the clean-up crew, they removed soiled insulation from houses, took boats out of the water and emptied residents’ crumbling homes of their furniture, appliances and remaining belongings.

“The devastation was horrible,” said Guzman, Tour Coordinator at the Exton campus. “Home furnishings were on the streets, piers were knocked down – the storm even completely moved a house about four feet. It was heartbreaking to listen, firsthand, to the stories of those truly affected by the hurricane.”

But despite the damage, the UTI volunteers found the work rewarding and are looking into future opportunities to lend a hand to the local community, including the establishment of a larger volunteer group on the campus.

For more information about UTI, please visit: www.uti.edu.