Ernest Rodrigue
April 16, 2007
Antoinette Rodrigue
April 18, 2007
Opting to forgo whiling away spring break on the white sandy beaches somewhere, a group of 18- to 24-year-old Louisiana college students gathered in Gray to build houses on Bon Jovi Boulevard.
Nearly 100 students gave up their spring break to build homes in the Habitat for Humanity’s Angel Place subdivision on Bayou Blue Bypass. The University of Louisiana System has dubbed the hurricane restoration effort “X-treme Spring Break.”
Now in its second year, the program teams students from Nicholls State, Grambling State, the University of Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana universities and the Baton Rouge Community College, as well as volunteers from AmeriCorps.
Outfitted with a hammer and tool belt, the students spent much of the week working on Habitat homes in the Gray subdivision. The particular street, Bon Jovi Boulevard, where the students worked recognizes rocker Jon Bon Jovi, whose $1 million donation kick started construction last year.
Coordinating with Habitat for Humanity and the school, volunteer resource manager Linda Smith said the program is part of the university system’s commitment to incorporating community service into its curriculum.
Most of the students relished the opportunity to give back to the region.
“I didn’t want my spring break to be all about me. I wanted it to be about helping others,” said Allen Tracy Clark Jr., a psychology major at Nicholls State. The sophomore, who is also a member of the university’s Baptist Ministries Relief Effort, said he wanted to give his break to God and his school.
The ministry group conducts service projects across the country including helping rebuild homes.
Joining the students were many Habitat for Humanity homeowners, who earned “sweat equity” hours.
“I just wan to do my part to help rebuild Louisiana and get potential homeowners in affordable, comfortable homes,” said prospective homeowner Kimley Gardner of Larose said. “We want to show the students that it’s not only their effort, but ours as well.”
AmeriCorps volunteers Sophie Bieluczyk of Connecticut and Emily Hoste of Michigan said they have been working in the Terrebonne-Lafourche area since March. “It’s refreshing to see the faces of the people when they come out and tour the new homes or watch the foundation being laid for their homes. Their look of appreciation makes the trip worthwhile,” Bieluczyk said.
Local Habitat organizers were delighted to have the extra manpower.
“We have a lot of young people that are willing to give up their spring break for a good cause,” said Lynnette Grazier, spokeswoman for the Bayou Region Habitat for Humanity.
Many of the volunteer students are Louisiana natives, she said, who understand the wrath of hurricanes.
The workers earned the praise of a number of Lafourche and Terrebonne officials who visited the site, include Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph and state Sen. Reggie Dupre.
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