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March 7, 2008
by Abe Khan
While most seniors were departing for their last family vacation before college this past February break, I had the opportunity to travel to the Gulf Coast with 35 other seniors from Horace Greeley to do volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity. I thought it would be a nice break from the monotony of school and home.
What I didn’t know was that it was going to be a life changing experience that truly made a difference to me and my friends. The idea was first sprung by Victoria Vitale who went for two weeks last summer. It was such a revealing experience for her that she started to pull together plans for a senior class trip as soon as she got back. Six months later we were on our way to Kiln, Mississippi, where we stayed at Camp Coastal Outpost, a camp for Katrina relief volunteers built right after the hurricane. (See Slideshow below and in Photo Gallery.)
Early mornings start busy work days
Every day we would wake up at 5:30 a.m. in order to arrive at the work site by 7 a.m. for our eight hour work day. We were there to build sheds, which are vital because the houses are built on stilts in case of another flood or storm surge, and have little to no storage space, let alone a garage. The construction site was in the backyards of eighteen modular houses which Habitat for Humanity has been constructing for the past year. They were quaint homes, and though they were small by Chappaqua’s standards, they were a saving grace to all the home owners we met. It was an amazing feeling, witnessing how our efforts made these people feel truly blessed.
Throughout the week we built, painted and roofed the sheds for the houses. I never thought I would see my friends doing the kind of jobs we were given. We poured concrete, built roofs, installed shingles, built ramps and installed siding. Much of the work was done from scratch; everything was made from lumber or dry concrete on site. The work was quite difficult under the Louisiana sun, rain and humidity. But one only needed a small moment to think of why we were there to find the energy to keep going. The work was a refreshing and inspiring break from life at home since the only worry I had in the world was the job before me.
Shocking driving tour of hurricane devastation
On the second to last day of our trip, we took a driving tour with the Slidell Police Department and met the chief of police, Freddy Drennan, who gave us a chilling account of Hurricane Katrina. Slidell is a city of about 26,000 inhabitants located a little more than thirty miles across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans. Chief Drennan told us that more than 55% of his officers had lost their homes during the hurricane, yet nobody left their duty or patrol. His officers didn’t even know if their families were dead or alive for three days after Katrina hit.
Chief Drennan told us, “I have no doubt in my mind God was watching over us that day.” Miraculously there were no deaths despite the dozens of elderly citizens who were stuck in their attics for days.
I was shocked at the sights we saw as we drove through the devastated remains. The most shocking and saddening realization was that not only had the levees failed in New Orleans, but in many places along the greater Gulf Coast, there had been no levee system at all and those areas had flooded immediately.
Three years later, devastation and debris still everywhere
The most poignant part of the trip was seeing the breadth of devastation that still remains three years later. On either side of the main roads debris from the storm is everywhere. The only thing left from one church was its altar. Everything else had blown away or been ripped out of the ground. Overturned cars, RVs and even boats are still where the hurricane tossed them three years ago. We saw a road that ran along a row of stilts sticking up from the ground on which there used to be homes. Houses that were ripped into thousands of pieces littered the fields and practically every third tree in all of the forests was ripped out of the ground or snapped in half.
Much of the debris, I was told, will always remain there. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for the local people to cope in the aftermath of Katrina when only a look outside their windows reminds them of the worst days of their lives. What used to be communities are now dozens of FEMA trailer parks. Three years later there is still a great need for aid, but as time passes, less and less is forthcoming.
This trip was a huge eye opener and has made me feel the importance of human kindness and goodwill. Without the help of volunteers, these people haven’t much hope in rebuilding for a better future. I hope to join my fellow classmates and friends again someday to revisit the region. I highly recommend this type of venture to anyone considering trading in a vacation for something more interesting and memorable, or anybody who has some free time on their hands. The time, money and effort are paid back in full when you experience the appreciative and grateful people who have suffered hardships that no one should.
High School Volunteers: Erika Blindman, Michelle Blitstein, Samantha Blitstein, Joseph Breen, Dana Cheriff , Alexandra Dobles, Ian Drillinger, Samantha Ethridge, Victoria Farenga, Kevin Francese, Christian Gabriele, Elizabeth Galvin, Daniel Gordon, Laura Hertz, Evan Judson, Alexandra Kadlec, Daniel Kane, Sean Kane, Johanna Katz, Zara Khaleeli , Ibrahim Khan, Hannah Mandel, Eric Mannarino , Samuel Mannarino, Elizabeth Marino, Taryn Ocko, Diana Pillsbury, Eve Pollet, Melanie Rubin, Anna Samel, Benjamin Sonnenfeldt, Ariel Spade, Scott Topel, Joanna Venditto, Victoria Vitale, Daniel Wesolowski
Chaperones: Michael Taylor, Lori Bran, Christina Battah, Mark Bayer, Michele Glenn, Judy Scheel, Beth Franchese, Gustavo Dobles, Leslie Kane, Susan Manasse, Ronald Rubin, Elizabeth Gabriele, Karel Vitale
Abe Khan is a senior at Horace Greeley, president of its “Political Action Club,” and a youth member of Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
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