By Sondra Rodriguez, Page Editor
For many students, the first week of Christmas break was spent recovering from the fall semester. For nine students, faculty and alumni, Dec. 14-19 was spent on the Texas Gulf Coast, helping rebuild homes devastated by Hurricane Ike in mid-September.
Dr. Jim Cooke, professor of environmental science, led the group that worked with Clear Lake Church of Christ and Hilltop Rescue and Relief. Hilltop Rescue and Relief is a California-based organization established in 2004 as a “ministry to provide relief for those suffering from natural disasters,” according to its mission statement. Both organizations supplied volunteers with food, lodging and supplies as they continued efforts to rebuild after Ike, which was classified as the third most devastating hurricane to ever hit the United States.
Emily Garrison, AmeriCorps VISTA and staff member of the ACU Volunteer Service-Learning Center, went on the trip and said most work consisted of stripping and emptying damaged houses.
“We worked with the families of the houses,” she said. “We took out their possessions, took out all the drywall and linoleum-we basically stripped the house to its frame.”
Garrison said despite numerous trips, a lot of work still needs to be done.
“There are still roofs on the side of the road,” she said. “Lots of people are still in need.”
For Mark Foster, junior information technology major from Abilene, it was his first trip to the Texas Gulf Coast as a volunteer and he said he was shocked at the amount of devastation still in the area.
“Some of the houses hadn’t been touched,” he said. “We heard about it on the news for maybe a week or two, but the election and other news got more publicity.”
Kate Norris, senior exercise and sports science major from Kilgore also was a part of the group and agreed the area is still in desperate need of help.
“It’s so incredible how much devastation there still is so long after it happened,” she said.
Garrison said the next step for hurricane victims is to work out the damage with insurance companies and she expects the next trip to the area to consist of disinfecting homes and moving valuables back into the houses.
“It’s hard for these people to see everything tossed to the curb,” she said. “It’s hard for them to see people going through all their stuff, and we learn to respect their decision when they want to keep something we think is ruined.”
A Spring Break Campaign will go back to the affected area, but Garrison said she hopes to plan an earlier trip. Students should look for details about all upcoming trips in Chapel.
