Six months after Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, UR continues its efforts to help rebuild the devastated region through fundraising, cultural and educational events. This week, the efforts were highlighted by the JambaLibrary book sale, Alternative Spring Break Fundraisers, teach-ins and an upcoming Jazz concert.
“I think that we have a certain degree of social responsibility in that we are all in some way accountable for the well-being of our country, our fellow citizens and humanity in general,” said sophomore John Elkin.
“This is an important commitment to remember.”
Most of the proceeds from the events will go toward helping the educational and housing sectors in the region. JambaLibrary was part of the Adopt-a-Library program, under which eight universities pledged to help replace the Southern University at New Orleans Library’s collection of books, according to art librarian Stephanie Frontz.
“All the libraries in New Orleans suffered greatly during Katrina,” Frontz said. “As a library, we can certainly relate to the damage caused to books by extended exposure to water-especially the ‘soup’ that the entire first floor of the SUNO library sat in for 3 weeks. There is no way to salvage books after that kind of damage.”
Over $3,000 has been raised for a fund that SUNO librarians will use to purchase books for their collection. This historically African-American university, which was created to serve the socio-economically underprivileged in New Orleans, moved back to its facilities last week after being forced to relocate to an empty middle school following the hurricane.
Fundraising efforts also targeted the housing sector, which was devastated as an estimated 250,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by the storm’s floods and winds. The federal government provided temporary housing in shelters and hotels in the months after the storm, but residents are now moving back to their homes.
As a result, two groups of students will attend Alternative Spring Break trips next month to Biloxi, Mississippi to help families rebuild.
Hillel, with sponsorship from the Jewish Community Federation, will send nine students to help repair roofs in the damaged homes.
“I think it’s important to get involved in this project because we are so removed from it, but it could have just as easily been here,” senior and trip participant Allison Levin said. “[This] will also be a wonderful learning experience that will open our eyes to communities different from our own.”
The second trip was organized by graduate student Patrick Brennan, who will lead a group of 20 students in removing debris, building houses, feeding other volunteers and providing medical assistance.
The educational aspect of the relief efforts came in the form of a lecture, “Abandoned in a Wasteland: Katrina, Anarchy and America’s Poor,” which highlighted the socio-economic problems that were exposed after the natural disaster.
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest disasters in US history. The Bush Administration, which was first criticized for their initial response to the hurricane, has pledged $4.2 billion for rebuilding, in addition to the $7.7 billion approved by Congress last year.
In the weeks following the hurricane, the Katrina Relief Committee was put together by Dean of Students Jody Asbury and was composed of leaders from various clubs. This committee spearheaded the fundraising efforts on campus. Greek organizations soon followed with their contributions from tournaments, parties, and other events that fundraised over $3,000. More recently, members from Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity have sold t-shirts to help fund the ASB trips.
“My sole regret is that I can only take 9 students – for every student I can take I had to turn away two more,” Kleinberg said. “That kind of turn out is testament of the giving nature of the UR student body.” Fernandez can be reached at mfernandez@campustimes.org.
