By Raj Manimaran
On Sunday, January 13, 2013, three vans stopped outside the First Street United Methodist Church in New Orleans, Louisiana. As the bleary-eyed passengers strode up to the church, residents may have been able to guess that the visitors were college students.
The 24 students were Bonner Scholars from The College of New Jersey’s Bonner Center for Civic and Community Engagement in Ewing, NJ. They had come to volunteer for one week to help rebuild houses from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
“I feel it is important for the Bonner students to continue rebuilding in New Orleans because we have been a committed group of volunteers since the storm, and while many others may have forgotten, there are still many people without homes due to the storm in 2005,” remarked Brittany Aydelotte, Senior Program Coordinator at the Bonner Center. Having volunteered in the city many times herself as a former Bonner Scholar, Aydelotte understood firsthand the extent to which the storm changed the city.
Katrina was one of the most destructive natural disasters in American history. It struck southeastern Louisiana reportedly as a Category 3 hurricane on August 29, 2005.
Due to high-speed winds, intense tidal surges, massive flooding, and the controversial breach of the levees, much of New Orleans was destroyed, especially the parishes that reside below sea-level. One of the poorest areas, the Lower Ninth Ward, not only received the worst devastation at the time, but even today, only less than 20% of the population has returned.
Although Mayor Ray Nagin had issued the city’s first mandatory evacuation in history, over 1,400 people were reported dead. Those who were able to return to their homes, months afterwards, were stunned and shocked by how little remained, if anything.
This catastrophe, followed by looting, contractor fraud, lack of insurance and other assistance, left few to even contemplate rebuilding their homes.
“My hope is that our commitment will remind others that there is still work to do and show our students the importance in remembering those in need even after the media coverage has died down,” said Aydelotte.
Even after seven and a half years, clear signs of the hurricane’s wrath were still evident throughout the city.
The Scholars volunteering with the St. Bernard’s Project, one of the most successful rebuilding organizations in the Greater New Orleans Area, worked in two separate houses during the course of the week. Patching, painting, and putting up drywall provided a unique experience for many of the scholars, but not as unique as the residents themselves.
Kayla Simpkins, 21, a junior at The College of New Jersey, has made it a point to return to “The Big Easy” multiple times throughout her 3 years as a Bonner Scholar.
“New Orleans is so unique because it captures you. The homeowners I have met are so welcoming and thankful, and you cannot help but keep coming back,” reminisced Simpkins.
The service trip to New Orleans came just months after the devastating Super Storm Sandy had struck. Sandy stripped much of New Jersey’s shore homes and left many to seek shelter, food, and other resources.
Individuals and organizations throughout the country immediately provided an unprecedented amount of donated goods and services for.
The College of New Jersey immediately initiated its “Here for Home” campaign, coordinated by the Bonner Center and several other organizations on campus, and provided volunteers and donations for those in need.
With all of the work that still needs to be done in New Jersey, one may wonder why students were traveling to New Orleans at a time like this.
“We are on the boards of organizations, working directly with patrons in Trenton and we are playing a vital role in the Sandy rebuilding efforts, supplying donations and eager college students every week,” explained Simpkins. “All of the work we do and will continue to do in Trenton and New Jersey as Bonner Scholars is only strengthened by continuing our efforts in New Orleans.”
After seeing the ruins in New Orleans, the Bonner Scholars received a premonition of what New Jersey could remain like if they do not continue towards New Jersey’s recovery. The number of people who initially lost their homes due to Katrina was shocking, but the numbers who still are unable to return are just as staggering.
The Bonner Scholars have come to understand that if New Jersey wants to avoid the homelessness epidemic of Katrina, they must be proactive towards Sandy relief. With this knowledge and commitment towards the cause, shore town communities can rest assured that the Bonner Center and its scholars will continue to fuel the road to recovery in the time to come.