Each January from 2006-2009, students, faculty and staff from Centenary College and Drew University have spent a week in and around New Orleans helping the people of the Gulf Coast rebuild their homes and lives after Hurricane Katrina and the devastating flood that followed it.
In the first two years of the project, 2006 and 2007. the main work for our 250 volunteers was removing all contents from flooded houses and gutting them down to wall studs in preparation for inspection. This work was necessary for insurance companies to decide whether a house could be rebuilt from there or if it had to be razed and completely rebuilt. Our work allowed families to take the next step in the recovery and rebuilding process. In these first two years we were able to help 200 families with this part of the process.
In 2008 and 2009 our teams returned to New Orleans with rebuilding as our mission. Over 200 students, faculty and staff went or returned – many for a 3rd or 4th time -- to continue our commitment to the people of New Orleans. The teams spent their weeks rebuilding homes and restoring hope for the thousands who were still homeless almost two and a half years after the storm.
The combined efforts of Drew and Centenary have created a special bond between students, faculty and staff from both institutions that on campus interactions alone could not duplicate. The bond has extended to the people of New Orleans, with students, staff and faculty remaining in contact with homeowners long after we have returned home.
In January 2010, volunteers from Centenary and Drew will again be traveling to a region that has been struck by disaster. Our destination has not yet been finalized, and we are currently investigating locations where we can do the most good. Our commitment is strong and we expect to be helping an area of the country that desperately needs it.
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