The Center for Work and Service Habitat for Humanity Wintersession Trip to New Orleans, LA is an annual Wellesley service tradition. In its eighth year, the 2013 service trip partnered with New Orleans Habitat for Humanity, Second Harvest Food Bank, and the Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal to provide a week of dedicated support for the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Arriving at Wellesley this past fall, I wasn’t sure about many aspects of my life. I was nervous being away from home, and I didn’t have clear picture of how I wanted to allocate my time and effort in college. But I did know one thing: I was determined to maintain the dedication to service that I’d established in high school. At a place like Wellesley where women prided themselves in giving back and making a difference, I thought this would be an easy task.
Unfortunately, finding opportunities to get involved with the service community on Wellesley’s campus was a bit difficult for me. By October, I still hadn’t fallen into a habitual service groove and I was worried that I was losing motivation. I knew that neglecting service as a part of my schedule right off the bat would lead to neglect in the long run. Around that time, I heard there was a work and service office somewhere on campus, so I decided to surf the Wellesley webpage to investigate further. I found the Center for Work and Service’s website, and it was there that I stumbled upon the Habitat for Humanity Wintersession trip.
I have zero talent when it comes to construction, so the idea of spending one week building a home was pretty daunting. But, this was my opportunity to jump start my service career at Wellesley! It seemed like a great way to get to know other students with a similar passion for service work. It was a chance for me to reach outside of my local, familiar sphere and invest myself in a project that would make a difference in the lives of a Louisiana family who was affected by Hurricane Katrina. So, I applied.
The trip exceeded all expectations. Not only did I learn how to properly caulk and paint, but I had the opportunity to engage in a dialogue about the role of affirmative action in the US at a seminar at one of the local universities. I also discussed institutional racism at the Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal, and became more familiar with the catastrophic event of Hurricane Katrina. Seeing a storm on television is nothing like facing a natural disaster in person, even eight years after the fact. I thought I had a decent comprehension of what happened in Louisiana in August 2005. I had no idea.
While the majority of our time was spent at a build site, we did have a surprise change in plans that allowed us to outreach to another New Orleans service organization, Second Harvest Food Bank. The evenings were reserved for social activities like group reflections, ice cream outings, driving tours, museums, and a trip to the French Quarter for the Mardi Gras parades and delicious beignets. I was able to gain a meaningful service experience as well as an invaluable cultural experience, and a new network of Wellesley peers. New Orleans kept me busy and engaged, and I fell asleep every night feeling exhausted yet satisfied.
Two summers ago, I traveled to Tanzania to participate in international service work with a home for street children, developing an English curriculum and administering basic healthcare. I was extremely fortunate to have been afforded such an opportunity and it was an unforgettable trip. However, I returned from this trip to New Orleans with very conflicted feelings about my ambition, and the ambition of many youths, to make a difference in the world. This is a wonderful aspiration but after returning from such a meaningful domestic trip, I couldn’t help but wonder why young people in the United States don’t work harder to make a difference here at home. New Orleans was a jolting wake up call for me, realizing that there is so much work to be done here. There are people in our backyards that are in need of our service, and there are so many programs designed to help students like me (and you!) to get active in local communities. The Habitat for Humanity trip certainly changed my outlook on the community affected in New Orleans, but more importantly, this trip also changed my outlook on the importance of domestic service work in my local community.
I would recommend this CWS trip to any student, any day. If you are interested in sharing an amazing experience with other Wellesley students while performing meaningful service, learning more about yourself and New Orleans, and feeling extremely fortunate and humbled all at the same time, this trip is for you. My advice would be to approach the experience with an open mind, and of course, to order beignets and “café au lait” at Cafe du Monde.
– Liz Olson ’16