Spring Break in New Orleans
Spring break is a week most college students associate with road trips, Cancun, and other common escapes from the hustle of college life. For those that have work during break, the idea of working for free can seem a bit questionable. But this is what a group of Vermont Tech students and staff chose to do with their spring break.
This group spent a total of five days restoring two homes in New Orleans that were all but destroyed by hurricane Katrina. The work was physically strenuous, the weather was often hot and humid, (a dramatic change from the cold slushy weather in Vermont,) but the experience was remarkable. Building anything-a career, a model ship, a portfolio, a new relationship-is a very rewarding feeling in itself. When experiences like these are shared, it can be almost euphoric, especially when the end product means someone has a home again.
There are several organizations working hard to help the people of New Orleans get out of their FEMA trailers, family's guest bedrooms or couches, or sometimes even tents underneath bridges. They want to give them a home again. The one that answered our call to serve was the United Methodist Church.
The church would take applications from the needy and applications from the volunteers. When the volunteer's skills are assessed, they're assigned to homes that are in need of their skills. They provided a home for volunteers to stay at, as well as tools and materials when funding is available. When needed, a site manager would make a quality control check at the houses, but for the most part the volunteers were on their own.
Because all the volunteers from VTC were students and staff and not part of a church or other group that has previously worked together, this made the experience very unique. Some were extremely skilled with construction, while others had never ever swung a hammer. Overlooking some expected communication problems and adjusting to the 80 to 90 degree muggy weather, the work got done. There was more than a sense of accomplishment at the end of the week; there was the knowledge that someone would literally have a stable roof over their head when they slept.
Though neither of the houses were completed by the end of the week, they were one step closer to becoming a home again. One is a mere three weeks away and the other has a few months to go due to lack of funding, but that house is now sealed with a stable roof and siding. After three years of waiting for help, the volunteers have made a huge difference for two homes in the midst of such a massive, unfathomable disaster.
One week in New Orleans has proven to be life changing. While all have shared in an experience that tested physical, mental and emotional strengths, several of the volunteers have expressed the desire to return and continue helping the rebuilding effort.
They've saved the city of New Orleans eighteen dollars an hour for every hour that each volunteer worked. The term Southern hospitably became more than a slogan, as most everyone who greeted the group of volunteers were incredibly grateful for their efforts. But most importantly, they've helped two people-two strangers- and the only payment was not a sense of pride, but a sense of hope.
- Written by Melissa Shekinah