University of Idaho Volunteers

Hey Ya’ll,

Life has been absolutely crazy down here on the gulf. I’m working on posting everything we’ve been doing.

This last week, a group from the University of Idaho came to Bay Saint Louis for Alternative Service Break. The group leader was the Dean of Students, Bruce Pitman, and it was really neat getting to know him. I was able to show him just how beneficial this internship has been and convince him that this program needs to continue at the University of Idaho. It was also neat getting to know U of I students that I had never met before. They were an energetic group that put their hearts into everything they did. I loved each and every one of them. I joined them for reflection every night they were here and really enjoyed seeing them experience the emotions that are connected to this kind of work. They realized why hurricane relief is still so important even 5 years after the storm. I know all of them were affected by their trip in a positive way, and I have faith that they will continue doing good in the world.

The video I posted right before this post is actually a discovery the University of Idaho students made. This house was untouched until they stumbled upon it last week. The family had moved away because they were unable to find their home after Katrina. Luckily, U of I was able to recover some of their personal belongs and give some closure to the family. Be sure to watch the clip.

ASB is hands down the best program at U of I. Thank you to the students who gave up their spring breaks to make a difference. You definitely succeeded.  

xoxo, Fran

Check this out...

http://www.wlox.com/global/category.asp?c=151146&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=15006&topVideoCatNoB=116100&topVideoCatNoC=116467&topVideoCatNoD=116474&topVideoCatNoE=88558&clipId=4636648&autostart=true

Friends

I've only known these people for a little over a month, but they are some of my very closest friends.

(Megan, Rey, Heidi, Michelle, Me, Matt, Lindsay) xoxo

School After The Storm

A few days a week I volunteer at a local high school… mostly helping kids in the Algebra I class with there homework. This week I was lucky enough to meet a staff member who was the principal of the high school when Hurricane Katrina hit. Before talking to this woman, I guess I never really realized how much these students had been through.

Hurricane Katrina absolutely devastated Bay Saint Louis and the surrounding areas. The former principal told me school was out for two whole months. All materials were destroyed and most of the building needed to be redone. They eventually started having school in trailers on the property, but at that point in the recovery process, students were still living in tents and some had absolutely nothing. Even two or three years after the storm, there were still students living in these conditions. 

I just can’t even imagine…