Fundraising resumes for university’s hurricane recovery team

For 39 Fresno State students, three staff members and two volunteers from Northwest Church in Fresno, a January trip to Hurricane Katrina-ravaged Slidell, La., was a trip to remember.

And the team is sharing its memories in video presentations to on- and off-campus groups trying to raise money to cover unanticipated costs of a larger-than-expected student response, material to help the hurricane victims and an unfortunate incident on the way home.

Fresno State’s Hurricane Katrina Recovery Project was a collaboration of Fresno State’s Office of Civic Engagement and Service-Learning, several student organizations and University HOPE, a nonprofit university-based organization that builds homes for low-income families.

The task was to help people in Slidell, population about 30,000, which is 30 miles from New Orleans on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, continue their cleanup following the Aug. 29 disaster.

Although they were recovering from the effects of a late-night bus trip to San Jose, then the flight to New Orleans (via Minneapolis) and a van ride to Slidell, the Fresno State team hit the ground running and never stopped during their 10 days there.

Sleeping on the floor of the First Baptist Church, didn’t deter the students and Dr. Daniel  Griffin,  a board member of University HOPE and an administrator in  the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs; Bruce Whitworth, director of publications for the Office of University Communications; and Dan Westbrook, a staffer in the Office of Academic Resources from their work.

In the end, they installed insulation and Sheetrock in four homes, put a new roof on another house, disposed of rubbish, mud and mold in four other houses, cleared the debris from a 20-room elementary school so rebuilding could begin and piled rubbish from countless yards into head-high piles that lined streets.

“Everyone wished we could have stayed longer to help out more,” Griffin says. “This will be something that will remain in our memories for a long time and we feel grateful that we could help out in some small way to help make a difference.”

What didn’t help was when a truck belonging to the church volunteers, loaded with team members’ tools and other equipment, was stolen during a stop on the return trip.

Those interested in donating money or supplies can contact Melissa Dittmar at Melissadit@aol.com or Griffin at danielg@csufresno.edu  or 278.0839.

For additional information about the trip, please visit the following Web sites:

FresnoStateNews.com and collegian.csufresno.edu/default.shtml.