2008 Service Trip to New Orleans

After a group reflection last night, a few important questions were raised by students about issues/topics that we encountered –

Why wasn’t I here 2 ½ years ago?. Why are areas like St. Bernard Parish not a focus for volunteering programs if they are the areas that have the most damage? Why are we having a difficult time finding volunteer opportunities if there is still so much need? Why is there disorganization amongst many of the agencies still 2 ½ years later? If everyone is focused on rebuilding, who is volunteering at common community organizations similar to those in Winston-Salem?

Our group was split in half between City Park and The Community Center of St. Bernard Parish. We began work at City Park with little background to the history of the Hurricane and its relationship to the area. We did a lot of maintenance and weeding to an area that is central to the park’s revenue and a beautiful main attraction. Halfway through the day, the head of City Park informed us that the area had been flooded with over two feet of water for three weeks, killing all of the trees, flowers, and grass. Many banquets and weddings are held in this area and these special occasions are one of the leading ways revenue is collected for the entire park. The City Park director’s information also helped reinforce what it means to be a volunteer. She expressed that thousands of volunteers have traveled to New Orleans this year imagining themselves building a house with hammer and nail in hand. But the present need is more related to maintenance and detail work for the upkeep of these aesthetic gardens. Hearing her insight allowed us to find more purpose in our work, and also sparked conversation amongst our group to think about how we might keep an open mind with our volunteer opportunities throughout the rest of the week.

The group that worked with the Community Center had a powerful experience in that they were exposed to one of the more visibly affected areas from the storm. St. Bernard Parish is the only U.S. County in the span of history that was 100% under water. The community center acts as a networking resource that serves the needs of the local people. Similar to a food bank, the center provides non-perishable food items as well as clothes for those residents that qualify. The distribution coordinator provided us with information about the incredible need in the St. Bernard Parish. Stephen, a local resident, gave his personal experience as a victim of Hurricane Katrina. His loss included his home, possessions, and his wife. He has now dedicated his life to rebuilding his own community. He told us that he felt like the volunteers were the true heroes of the storm. This empowered our group to become more motivated to serve our own local community of Winston-Salem.

Katharine and I got together, discussed ideas for the trip, and advertised to attract some worthy participants. We also chose a staff adviser, Jenn Baron, who is the coordinator of Campus Kitchen here on campus. Together, the three of us determined the criteria in choosing our participants:

• What is your knowledge of New Orleans before and after the disaster?
• Why do you feel the need to become personally connected with it?
• What are some ways you could share this experience with Wake Forest, Winston-Salem, and the local area?
• What are some effective ways to share our story?
• Are you serious enough about this trip to come even if you were in a group of students you didn’t know?

The response was extraordinary. We received 40 applications and only had 15 spots available, making the decision process extremely hard (a total of 18 participants). We interviewed certain applicants in hopes of obtaining more information about why they wanted to get involved .

We made final decisions on applicants on Thursday, February 21st. and held our first meeting on Monday, February 25th. During the first meeting, we introduced ourselves and then read some information on Katrina. We also asked if anyone had been to New Orleans, and no one has been except for myself and our staff advisor, Jenn Baron.

We signed forms, answered any questions and/or concerns. At the next meeting, we are planning some group activities to get to know each other better, lay down some ground rules for the trip, provide a tentative schedule, and put together a travel list.

I first heard about Wake Alternative Break (WAB) through Volunteer Service Corps where I am a member of the advisory board. I heard that they were in the process of deciding on trip locations and New Orleans was one of the places that had been mentioned. I approached the WAB trip coordinator and asked her if I could head up the trip. She agreed, saying that I was free to do what I wanted with it, since the trip was a relatively new one.

I have personal ties to the city in that my mom is from there, and half of my family was affected by the Hurricane. I was in school while Katrina was going on and couldn’t really do much because of it. My mom kept me updated daily about our family to let me know what was going on and if everyone was okay. In deciding to lead this service trip, I saw it as an opportunity to not only actively get involved to rebuild a city that was once so unique and culturally diverse, but to also share my passion for this city and passion to impact lives with other people over Spring Break.

I contacted Relief Spark (the organization that our group will be working with in New Orleans), I was contacted by a girl named Katharine Wesley who also wanted to help out. I agreed, knowing that leading a trip like this would be daunting task for just one person to take on.