Posted on September 10, 2007
As soon as summer hit, college students everywhere went home to relax, party, get jobs or go on vacations. But a group of 56 from the Alternative Spring Break program (ASB), boarded a bus on graduation night to volunteer in New Orleans.
Some of the trip participants were seniors who had graduated that day.
“They bought boots and packed to go to New Orleans for an alcohol and substance free trip instead of having a party and celebrating with friends,” said senior Lauren Caskey, a site leader for the trip.
Two years ago, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, devastating the homes and lives of millions of people. Many charity and volunteer groups immediately stepped up to help those in need.
For many participants, this trip was the first time visiting New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit. As a result, many did not know what to expect.
“Any expectations [they had] were broken, because the experience is so out there, out of the ordinary,” Caskey said. “It looked like the world turned upside down.”
Senior Lauren Saunders said she had no idea what to expect going into the trip.
“I knew there were relief efforts needed but since the issue had dropped out of the media spotlight,” she said. “I just assumed it was almost taken care of. It wasn’t until I actually got down there and began working on houses and meeting the local people that I learned how much still needed to be done.”
The JMU participants partnered with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH) in St. Bernard Parish. But once they got there, they ended up helping with the HOPE project, which Caskey described as a “grassrootsy nonprofit group,” as well as rebuilding houses.
“It was a wonderful experience, [and] you just had to be there to appreciate it,” Caskey said.
The team was divided into five groups, and each group did a different project every day.
Senior Victoria Gonzales like that the service extended beyond construction projects. She said her favorite day of the trip was when her group went to a distribution center at a church and helped hand out food and clothing to victims.
“I loved the human element of it all,” Gonzales said. “I got to talk to a lot of people and really heard some heartwarming, and sometimes heartbreaking, stories.”
Senior Emily Schrecker, a small group leader, said that one of the activities that all of the groups participated in was helping out with a local elementary school.
“St. Bernard Parish used to have 17 elementary schools and now it is down to one,” she said.
Schrecker said the school was overcrowded with about 2000 students. The trip participants helped out by visiting the school, refereeing basketball games, helping librarians sort out donated books, face painting and playing various games with the children.
Schrecker said that this trip was different than the other ASB trips to New Orleans because participants were able to experience the tourism of New Orleans by visiting the French Quarter and taking a Creole cooking class. They also got to know the citizens of St. Bernard and bond with a few families.
“Usually families aren’t around when volunteers work on their houses,” Schrecker said.
Schrecker said her group developed a strong relationship with a carpenter who was building his house from the ground up almost entirely on his own. Many of the groups were able to experience this bond with other families, and the families in turn made food for the volunteers.
“It’s heartbreaking to see how much those people had been through and how their lives to this day are so drastically different,” Saunders said. “It’s one of those things that you have to see to believe.”
Saunders said the participants met a lot of inspiring volunteers as well.
“We worked on a house with a newlywed couple who decideded to spend their honeymoon in New Orleans building houses rather than going on a lavish trip because they wanted to give back,” she said. “I thought that was pretty amazing.”
Caskey said she felt that the news media has forgotten about New Orleans.
“The rest of the world has moved on,” she said.
Caskey said that JMU is an exception.
“Service is a big part of JMU,” she said. “That’s what makes it so special.”
Schrecker agreed.
“JMU students are dedicated to making a difference,” she said.
After coming back from the trip, many of the participants felt that five days was too short, and were still concerned for the Gulf Coast communities. Saunders and Gonzales both said they would definitely go again.
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