St. John's News

St. John’s University sent 60 students along with thousands of volunteers from participating organizations of Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Charities’ Operation Helping Hands and the Southeast Louisiana Disaster Recovery Ministry, to New Orleans to aid in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. The work of these volunteers was recently featured in a cover story in the Times-Picayune newspaper (February 29).

The article shows St. John’s student and President of Theta Phi Alpha Sorority, Amanda Lewis, 21, painting a window frame of a home ravaged by the flooding and damage caused by the effects of Hurricane Katrina some two years ago. These students gave up time away from school for spring break to work in the New Orleans area and participate in recovery efforts to get the city back on its feet. In partnership with older, year-round volunteers, they assisted in rebuilding frame walls, installing flooring and drywall and scraping and painting duties.

Yesenia Francisco, 20, a communications major at St. John’s University and sister of Theta Phi Alpha Sorority found the experience to be eye-opening as the tragedy still lingers on with home owners and residents of New Orleans.

“It’s not getting any more publicity (Hurricane Katrina), so I didn’t think it would be that bad,” Francisco noted in an interview with the Times Picayune. “Two years later, you think things were pretty much back to normal.”

Click on the Times Picayune Newspaper web site to view the full story.

For more information contact Dominic Scianna, Assistant Vice President for Media Relations at St. John’s University by calling (718) 990-6185 or e-mail inquiries to sciannad@stjohns.edu.