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Alternative Spring Break History 2008
Last year the University of Akron's Alternative Spring Break volunteers went to the Gulf
Coast region of Houma, LA to assist with the rebuilding of homes damaged by hurricanes in 2005. The 2008 ASB trip was the third taken by the University of Akron. On this trip the volunteers worked along side members of the Presbyterian Diaster Assistance (PDA) group, which has been serving the areas hit by the storms. Upon arriving at the PDA camp site, known as Camp Good Earth, the University of Akron volunteers were welcomed by the PDA workers and assigned "pods" (small corrugated plastic tents) to bunk in for the week. After settling into their pods, volunteers were then briefed on the projects that they would be undertaking for the week. Every morning the University of Akron group would eat breakfast then prepare sacked lunches to take to the work sites. Vans would then take the volunteers to their sites to work for the day. University of Akron volunteers replaced ceilings, completed interior remodeling, painted the exteriors of houses, installed siding, as well as various other tasks. After a long day of work the volunteers would be brought back to Camp Good Earth to shower, unwind, and have dinner.
The trip was not all work however. The group was treated to a night in New Orleans
visiting the local sights as well as a swamp tour in the heart of bayou country. In the
evenings students could be seen by the small campfire and in the community center playing card games or watching movies.
The individuals who went on this trip made an impact on the lives of the community of
Houma, LA. In turn, those who volunteered will also remember the people of Houma and what they saw for the rest of their lives.
2006
Hurricane Katrina hit the coastal areas of Mississippi and Louisiana in August of 2006 leaving behind catastrophic damage. The entire region was in disarray and declared a federal disaster area. Many people in the affected regions have been left homeless or in severe financial hardship. In a humanitarian effort, the University of Akron collaborated with Kent State University in sending over four-hundred relief volunteers to Biloxi, Mississippi aiding in the rebuilding efforts.
The Akron - Kent group volunteered their spring break to help the residents of Biloxi. Leaving northeastern Ohio early in the morning, the volunteer group arrived at their living quarters a little before dawn. The group lived in “Tent City,” a massive array of army tents with the capacity to sleep the four-hundred plus volunteers. Taking buses from Tent City at 9:00 AM the group would depart for their worksites.
The worksites ranged from fields littered with debris to residents’ homes, desperately in need of repair. Prior to some of the more skilled tasks, such as dry walling or roofing, the volunteers would be taught by a skilled professional how to complete their given project. The projects ranged from roofing, installing dry wall, to inserting insulation into residents’ homes. A park gazebo, police evidence building, and shower facilities were some of the achievements of the UA and KSU group. The typical workday would end around 4:00 PM and groups would head out to dinner at a temporary dining facility called "Katrina's Kitchen."
After seeing the destruction firsthand, the Akron group realized that the effects of this natural disaster will be felt for years to come by both residents and municipalities of these hard-hit areas. As a result, the University of Akron is dedicated to providing long-term relief efforts to the affected areas in the Gulf Coast.
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