What Happens Here Matters
Volunteers Aid Rebuilding Effort in New Orleans
Last summer Manhattanville’s Duchesne Center operated a service-learning trip to New Orleans. From August 12th to the 20th, five students and two staff members spent a week volunteering with The St. Bernard Project. Similar in its mission to Habitat for Humanity, this organization is dedicated to helping families rebuild homes in Louisiana that were lost during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It is named for St. Bernard Parish, a community in New Orleans that was severely affected by the hurricanes.
The Duchesne Center’s community service coordinator, Craig Donnelly, was one of the staff members who volunteered with the students. “This trip was simply amazing," he said. We spent the week working with Mark, a young man who really wanted his family’s house to be put back together for Mary, his mother. So we spent the first day painting her bedroom. The second day we took up all of the old flooring from the house, and spent the next few days installing new floors in the living room, the hallway and two bedrooms. On our last day we painted a lot of boards for all of the walls for the rest of the house. Mark is a skilled carpenter, so he led our group through every step of the process, and taught us everything we needed to know. It was also nice to see how eager the students were to help, especially after listening to so many firsthand accounts from people in New Orleans who have overcome many challenges since Hurricane Katrina.”
Ruth Trovato, one of the student volunteers, was also impressed with the New Orleans residents. "One of the biggest things I have taken back from The Big Easy was the people's appreciation for others and for life itself," she said. "I had always wanted to do something to help, and this opportunity was one I could not pass up. I would love to go back one day because there is still so much left to do. It's really amazing to see what your time, energy, and effort can accomplish when you're working towards helping someone rebuild their life. Working with my fellow students was also a blast! We bonded over floorboards, beignets at Cafe du Monde, and walks into the French Quarter. And our motivator, Craig Donnelly, was always there to spread the positive energy! I'm so grateful for this wonderful opportunity from the Duchesne Center."
Since help is still greatly needed for the rebuilding effort, Craig is planning another service learning trip to New Orleans with a larger group of students over Spring Break ’08. To sign up for this trip or to learn more about the Duchesne Center’s volunteer opportunities click on the link above.
Student Volunteers: Ruthie Trovato, Katie Cariello, Robert Pehlman, Shante Skyers, Katie Bertel
Staff Volunteers: Craig K. Donnelly Jr., Latonya Newton