NOLA: The Future

A week has gone by and the service trip to New Orleans, LA seems so fresh to those who participated yet becoming so distant as we all return to the routine at Wake Forest University. A new group has probably taken our places amidst the power tools and begun the mudding process, all helping to reach our goal: helping the homeowner move in. As I reflect on the experience in NOLA, I am extremely surprised by the amount of devastation and work still to be done; more importantly, I am surprised by the selflessness of our students and the hope people still have despite the destruction.

My intentions for this trip were two-fold: to gauge the service opportunities students took and how we as university could improve our methods in promoting "Pro Humanitate." These goals were met, but in the process, I gained more in the areas of personal growth, knowledge of the extent of Hurricane Katrina, and community engagement. The people of NOLA continue to rebuild both their homes and lives, with some help from a group of 55 students from Wake Forest University.

Our teams split up into three groups: St. Bernard Project construction, after-school day-care, and elderly care. All three areas in the town of Chalmette, LA needed help simply because there was no one around to do it. In each respective group, we all met with the NOLA community, learning of the aftermath and the effect on individual lives in the community.

The St. Bernard Project team began with insulation and dry-walling, donated by Habitat for Humanity and Home Depot. Supervised by AmeriCorps members, our team set out to surpass the goal for each day. We finished two bedrooms, a living room, and both bathrooms. While few students had construction experience, we all learned quickly through teamwork and guidance from our supervisors. Each day our homeowner would stop by and recount a new story of the days after the hurricane. She pointed in the attic where her husband stayed with their five dogs and, ultimately, punched out the ceiling, climbing onto the roof, finding a drifting boat, and saving neighbors stranded on the rooftops.





In review, our trip proved more than a service opportunity. It gave some students a new venue that they may try for future plans. It gave other students a chance to visit a new locale and interact with a new community. Overall, it give us a chance to build and cultivate relationships between the Wake Forest and NOLA community. My hope is that students will spread the word of the work still waiting to be done in the Gulf communities, but also increase the awareness of service prevalent in our Wake Forest community.