Katrina Relief Urban Plunge
I will be working on the program InterVarsity has to rebuild the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, especially among the poor and marginalized. I will recruit students throughout the New England, network with Intervarsity staff to develop recruitment tools and processes, and handle many of the logistics associated with pulling the project off. I am also encouraged because I will be able to attend the project, helping rebuild lives and share the Gospel. This trip is used to evangelize New England college students as 50% of the students
who come are not believers. However, as a
result of this week, many have made initial commitments to Christ! The mission last six weeks from mid-February to mid-April, as schools have different spring breaks during this time. Lastly, I will be doing follow up to ensure people who became believers are being discipled.
Slow Recovery
The recovery process in New Orleans continues to be slow after Hurricane Katrina, four years ago, put 81 percent of the city underwater, caused 1,800 deaths in the region, and left behind $75 billion in destruction. For thousands of Gulf residents, life is far from normal. No one can deny that many areas have greatly improved. But progress has been extremely uneven: wealthier and whiter areas have done better, while the lower-income, largely African-American areas hit hardest continue to struggle. Nearly one out of three residential addresses in New Orleans is vacant -- and those are largely concentrated in areas like the Upper and Lower Ninth Ward.
InterVarsity's Work
Each day, teams will be rebuilding homes in the Upper & Lower Ninth Ward with well established groups like Habitat for Humanity and St. Bernard's Project. The typical day will begin with breakfast and then relief work from 7:45 am to 4:30pm. Each evening, there will be group discussions and challenging guest speakers who will lead campus groups in exploring the intersection of the Gospel and good deeds. Below is a promo video of Intervarsity's work in rebuilding New Orleans.
