November 30, 2009
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Archive Press Articles
New Orleans Alternative Break
Winter 2008
Ten Virginia Tech students visited New Orleans to help rebuild the city after the devastating Hurricane Katrina. Even two years after the Hurricane hit, the city is still in desperate need of helping hands. On Saturday, December 15, 2007, ten students from the Hillel at Virginia Tech drove down to Louisiana to work with a Katrina Corps, a volunteer organization created for the reconstruction of the lower ninth ward, the part of New Orleans that was hit the worst from the hurricane and the subsequent breaking of the levee. Students stayed with Katrina Corps for five days while they transformed an old auto mechanic warehouse into the Lower Ninth Ward Village, a neighborhood community center for those in the area. Students helped to gut a house ruined by chemicals and water damage in the area, as well as paint a new home, clean out ruined vehicles and reconstruct a roof. The students enjoyed their time in the city, touring the area and meeting locals such as Antoinette K-Doe, widow of jazz musician Ernie K-Doe.
Participating in the trip were students graduate student Adam Beifield, graduate Alexis Bozzo, senior
David Brown, senior Andrew Byrd, senior Ben Chinsky, senior Maurice Hiller, junior Jeff Katz, senior
Micah Nardi, senior Julianna Wind, and freshman Rosalie Wind. The students participated in events with
the organization including a tour of the lower ninth ward and actor Brad Pitt’s “Make it Right” Pink House
art instillation.
Although Katrina hit in 2005, the city has yet to be rebuilt to the same condition it was in previously.
Jeff Katz, a junior Industrial Design major at Virginia Tech said of the trip, “I can’t believe how much
work there is left to do in the city. I just hope we could help.”
This is the second set of students from Hillel to visit New Orleans for an alternative Winter Break trip.
Hillel at Virginia Tech supported the volunteer trip by sponsoring some of the fees including travel,
lodging and meals. Another volunteer trip is scheduled for the winter of 2008 to Haiti. To find out more
about the trip or the Jewish life on campus, visit the Hillel website at www.vthillel.org.
From Julianna Wind’s trip:
I was surprised to find out that New Orleans hadn’t yet been rebuilt. I assumed that because
Hurricane Katrina hit over two years ago, that at this point, the city should be back to normal.
But instead we found much of the city to still be in shambles. Houses are still in need of being
rebuilt and many people continue to live in cities they had to move to after the hurricane.
We met people whose lives were affected by the hurricane – those who moved out of their city,
then moved back only to find their homes ruined.
Before we traveled down there, I had lost sight of what the trip was. To me it was a community
service project, a winter break trip, and a Jewish Mitzvah, but to the people of New Orleans,
we had taken time out of our lives to change theirs. As I began my college career at Virginia Tech
without much of a Jewish education, I have only recently discovered what it means to be religious.
Often we saw people in the city who had lost everything they owned and their community. When all else
failed them, many had to look to their religion for comfort and solace. I not only felt like I healed the
city of New Orleans during my trip, but I believe they helped me as well. I’m grateful that Virginia Tech
gave me the opportunity to go to New Orleans.