When Knox College senior Megan Gamble went to New Orleans with three other Knox students to provide aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina during winter break last December, it quickly became clear to her that she needed to come back…and bring more help. "There were 200 houses that still hadn't been touched when I left—areas of utter devastation," said Gamble.

She hoped to double their ranks for a return trip in the spring. Maybe enlist a few dozen others if she was lucky. But as word of her plans spread through the Knox community, the numbers quickly grew. At 5:30 a.m. on March 12, the morning after finals, 65 bleary-eyed Knox students will board vans for the trip to the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. They will be gutting, cleaning and repairing houses, as well as distributing food, water and clothing to residents. They will return on March 21, just in time for the beginning of spring term the next day.

"The number of students who stepped forward to help out has been phenomenal," said Gamble. Student organizations held fundraisers to provide financial support for the relief effort and the Center for Community Service collected clothing for the devastated community of Pass Christian, Mississippi, which the students will drop off on their way to New Orleans. 

The students will be working in the hardest hit, most underserved section of New Orleans. Their days will begin at 6 a.m. and end at 11 p.m. They will sleep in sleeping bags on the floor of a school or in tents brought with them. More than 800 college students from across the country are expected to make New Orleans their home over spring break, volunteering their time with Common Ground Collective, a community-run organization created to offer aid to underserved areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina last August.

Five Knox students will be posting Web logs, or blogs, from New Orleans. "I want to be able to document my experience with the volunteers and the residents of New Orleans in a way that gives my readers an idea of how this storm and its aftermath really affected—and continues to affect—the people of the Gulf Coast," said sophomore Cory Ashby, who will be one of the student bloggers. "I want to utilize my experience in a way that offers a voice for those who otherwise may not be heard."

In addition to the New Orleans group, 17 Knox students will spend their spring break in Tutwiler, Mississippi, as volunteers for Habitat for Humanity. The group travels to different destinations annually to help with the construction of new homes for those in need. Senior Joe Robey is helping organize the trip. "While Tutwiler did not see damage from Katrina, it was already one of the poorest regions in the United States and is now being directly affected by those displaced individuals who have relocated to the community."

Robey said students have been talking about the trip and ways that they could contribute since the beginning of fall term. "It's really amazing, the number of students that are involved in these two trips. Many had a hard time deciding which to choose. It speaks not only to the strength of Habitat for Humanity, but of the student body. For them to give of their time and resources to get their hands dirty and help those in need is a testament to the commitment of the Knox community."

After & Before. More great pics by Andy Fitz...

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New Orleans Student Blogs

How We Got There From Here
by Megan Gamble

Knox Responds to Hurricane Katrina

Volunteering After Katrina

Hurricane Katrina Message Board

The Common Ground Collective

Habitat for Humanity