Five years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, New Orleans remains a city in need. Ten collegians from Sigma Tau-Washington State answered the call for help and spent their spring break working on two houses where they hung dry wall, taped and painted walls, added insulation and more.
Sigma Tau-Washington State collegians spend spring break rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
It was the second trip to New Orleans for Sigma Tau’s vice president-community service, Elise Van Vuren, who first helped with rebuilding efforts when she was in high school and traveled to the area with a group called Shirts Across America. The organization was created by a group of Seattle teenagers with the purpose of selling T-shirts to raise funds to help rebuild New Orleans. It works closely with the St. Bernard Project, an organization located in New Orleans that has rebuilt more than 250 homes. Elise contacted Shirts Across America, and the organization coordinated plans with the St. Bernard Project for the KD group to spend spring break rebuilding homes.
Elise described the experience as bittersweet, saying, “While I was happy to be back and help out, I was sad that they needed me back. The trip reminded me how fortunate I am to have all the luxuries of a home, but mainly it reminded me what the word home means. Home is where one is surrounded by people who love them unconditionally, where neighbors and friends have barbecues and talk about their lives. It’s a sacred place, and I cannot imagine how it felt to have that sense of family stripped away and then forgotten about. The trip meant more to me than building a house for someone; it meant giving someone her family back.”
Construction work was a new experience for most of the KDs. Elise says, “The sense of accomplishment the women felt after they had dry-walled a room or insulated a bathroom was great to see … they really could build a house and build it well.”
Each day after working an eight-hour shift, the KDs headed out to explore the city. “New Orleans in some ways seems like two cities,” Elise says, “One part of the area is still destroyed from Katrina, and the tourist part is vibrant and booming. The women and I explored the lower 9th Ward, and that was probably the most emotional part of the trip because there are empty lots where houses used to be, houses with no windows or walls, and some that still have the water marks from the flooding. We went into a house and found old photos, plates, receipts and an American flag crumpled up on the floor covered in dust that had just been left there when the person evacuated. The area looks like Katrina hit two months ago, and there is so much rebuilding work left.
“We were also fortunate enough to also experience the soul of New Orleans,” Elise says. “We met lots of locals and ate delicious food! Coming from Seattle we had a little bit of culture shock in the best way possible. The spicy fried food, the loud spirit and the hospitality were all great experiences. The only thing we weren’t ready for was the humidity! However, there is a special characteristic about [the people of] New Orleans that makes you fall in love with their warm, welcoming spirit.”
Sigma Tau Kinsey Justice says, “The trip was life changing to say the least. It would be next to impossible to go there, experience the culture, meet the people, see the damage and leave without it affecting you. It was heartbreaking to see the lower 9th Ward, St. Bernard Parish, and all the other areas. It was heartwarming to meet the people. They truly are so happy and content with life even after all this. To hear some of their stories, it really puts things into perspective. If I ever feel down or start to have pity on myself I try to think of them and realize I am so incredibly blessed to have my family, friends, and home. I will never forget this trip!”
Chelsea Miller agrees: “I went into this trip not knowing what to expect, and it surpassed all of my expectations. There is so much work that still needs to be done, and that was crazy to see, but the attitude and spirit of the culture was amazing. Being able to experience this with my sisters was great because as our love for New Orleans grew, so did our bond with each other as well. It is definitely hard to describe, but it was a life-changing trip for all of us, and I can't wait to go back.”
On their last day of work, the KDs attended a party to celebrate the completion of another home. Elise says, “It was inspiring to see the finished house and how appreciative the homeowners were. The party put into perspective what we were working for. Rebuilding homes is not just about giving people a place to live – it’s giving them their memories and sense of family back.”
Sigma Tau plans to send a group back to New Orleans to work during spring break 2011, and Elise says they would like to see other KD chapters join the rebuilding efforts. For more information about Sigma Tau’s trip to New Orleans, contact Elise at sigmatau@kappadelta.org.