New organization will help rebuild Katrina homes
By Jasmine Stein
Staff Reporter
Publication Date: 11/14/2007
Students remember families crying after they saw reconstructed homes following Hurricane Katrina.
A new student organization hopes to bring the tradition Indiana University started of re-building the coast after Hurricane Katrina to Purdue. Youth Advocating Leadership and Learning was founded at IU right after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. This is the organization's first semester at Purdue.
Holly Bougher, copresident of Y'ALL and sophomore in the School of Management, said the organization was named for its motto and eagerness for people to "c'mon and volunteer, y'all."
Patrick Jennings, copresident of Y'ALL and senior in the College of Agriculture, went on the IU trip and wanted to bring an organization that focused on service learning to Purdue.
Their first trip will take place over winter break. The students are hoping to plan a trip for spring and summer as well.
Students will work in small groups of five to 10 people for six days to collectively conquer a huge goal. Last year a few members went down with the IU chapter and 43 people did $36,000 worth of labor.
"It's all about knowing that you helped someone get one step closer to moving back into their house and get back to normal," Jennings said.
Before her first trip, Bougher wondered what would need to be done 18 months after the storm.
"Then you get down there and you realize the enormity of the situation," Bougher said.
The students will be departing for Biloxi, Miss., on Dec. 16. Biloxi is a nearby city of New Orleans and was not hit by the most severe part of the storm; the city was, however, still devastated by the impact.
"Everyone knows about New Orleans, but no one really talks about nearby places like Biloxi," said Teresa Kam, a junior in the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences.
The students will be staying on a campsite with facilities similar to a summer camp. They will be doing a range of work including dry walling, painting and gutting houses. The entire trip will cost the students only $200.
"The camp provides us with everything we need," Bougher said. "We did entire gutting of houses that hadn't even been touched yet."
The organization is open to all majors and prides itself on having members from all walks of life.
"It's really neat to see students from all majors, schools and interests come together for a good cause," Kam said.
She said she had only seen pictures of what Hurricane Katrina had done, but she wanted to help people and see firsthand what had happened.
Students participating in Y'ALL are collecting money for their winter trip; all interested in going should send e-mails to yallrelief@purdue.edu.
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