Helping Hands in New Orleans
By Junior Charge Consultant Eric Kelley, Sigma Triton ’04 (Penn State)
With the passing of the 159th Convention of our beloved fraternity, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on  one of the most unique occurrences of the week for those who could not be in attendance. Saturday afternoon, every undergraduate, accompanied by staff, alumni and their wives took some time away from Bourbon Street to help the city get back on its feet after the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Brother Peter Niche, Chi ’77 (Rochester) graciously coordinated the day-long project in conjunction with Helping Hands Catholic Charities, a program which had gained momentum as one of the most successful agents of revitalization the New Orleans area. The program had taken over an abandoned diocese in one of the most affected areas of the city for its headquarters. The fact that the church had been converted was a direct result of the hurricane, as nearly the entire congregation had been displaced. This was the first of many eye-opening truths that many of us would come to learn regarding the tragedy; I certainly had no idea how personally affected I would be until I actually found myself face to face with the devastation and its remnants.
We broke into groups of about a dozen or so volunteers after a thorough safety presentation from the group leaders. The type of work that would be done varied from site to site but generally followed the same sort of schedule. First, all of the personal possessions that could be saved were removed from the houses in order to be returned to their owners. Next, furniture, carpets, and any personal belongings beyond salvage were removed to be discarded. Many of our groups were involved in this step of the process. To see a home that had been waterlogged eight or ten feet high was so much more shocking than the news images to which many of us are accustomed. The watermarks on the walls are easily visible and drew numerous looks of amazement as students realized that the water had been well over their heads.
The next step of the process involved removing all of the old ceilings, walls, and floorboards down to the studs and removing every last bit of debris. This process was lengthy and dirty but was an absolute necessity before new drywall, carpets, and floors are installed. The construction part of the process would be completed by professionals but our team leaders told us almost all of the stripping process was done by volunteers like ourselves.
When my group arrived at our site, we had the opportunity to meet the elderly woman whose home we would be working to repair. Adding this face to the tragedy reminded us all that these were real people with real lives who had been uprooted by an unforeseen occurrence. Moreover, our team leaders really tried to impart to us how important it was to treat their property with respect because for many of the elderly homeowners, their things and the memories associated with them were all they really had left.
The work itself gained momentum as we went along. Unsure of exactly what we were doing at first, we  slowly gained confidence and purpose. Through the first hour, our efforts were unorganized and slow, but as the day progressed, our group, most of whom had met only days before, began to feel like a long seasoned work force. The teamwork and enthusiasm increased exponentially as we worked and when the end of our volunteer shift arrived, many of us remained with our team leader talking about future opportunities to help and hearing stories about his personal volunteer experiences.
Overall the day was a rousing success and a unique experience that many of us had never had. To really see the devastation from Hurricane Katrina first hand gave it a texture and a reality that no news coverage did justice. In addition, including this event with our normal convention routine created a deep connection to the city that I had not experienced in past conventions. All in all I believe it was a rousing success and many thanks are due to the Theta Delta Chi Educational Foundation, Helping Hands Catholic Charities, Brother Peter Niche, all of the volunteers and the city of New Orleans for its hospitality.
Brother Kelley will be leading another volunteer trip to New Orleans this December. For more details, please contact him at ekelley@tdx.org. Housing and some meals will be provided.
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