Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008
www.theloquitur.com
NEWS | 3
JILLIAN SMITH/PERSPECTIVES EDITOR
Edna Guerra, pictured above, hammers in the last nail that completed the floor of her house that is currently being rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina damage.
Students lend a helping hand to Hurricane Katrina victim NEW ORLEANS, page 1 side of New Orleans, welcomed Moments later, the group was met ning Guerra’s house, they soon would hinder their dedication. broken, and I try to be happy. But sometimes, there’s moments I just can’t take it anymore,” Guerra said. The devastation from the 2005 storm remains in many sections of Louisiana. Street numbers line the curbs yet there are no houses to claim them. The stench of mold, mildew and stagnant water still linger through the air. Even on the sunniest day, no squirrels scurrying, birds chirping or children laughing can be heard. However on Jan. 8, the silence was broken with the whack of a hammer and the screech of a saw. With open arms, St. Bernard’s Parish, roughly 45-minutes out-
six Cabrini students and other volunteers. Ashley Cook, Kasey Minnick, Megan Pellegrino, Jillian Smith, Jackie Turchi and Grayce Turnbach participated in Warren County, NJ’s Habitat for Humanity’s youth project where they helped rebuild what Katrina had destroyed. “I knew day one was going to be tough,” Grayce Turnbach, junior english and Communications major, said. “But I came here to help this women who had lost everything.” On their first day of work, WCHFH and the six Cabrini students pulled up to 2312 Gina Drive not knowing what to expect.
by Guerra, or “Miss Edna” as they called her, where the emotional side of the storm sunk in. For the next four days, the volunteers put all their sweat, blood and tears into moving Miss Edna from her cramped FEMA trailer into a beautiful new house she would soon be able to call home. “I just wanna stop, my wrists hurt so bad, but I can’t,” said a WCHFH volunteer, Shamera Washington, after hammering a nail into the floorboard. “I know if I stop, Miss Edna will be the one suffering. I have to help her, I can’t just give up.” When neighbors saw Habitat for Humanity volunteers begin-
became another set of helping hands. Nicky Alfonso, 42, Guerra’s next-door neighbor, took a week’s worth vacation from work to assist in the rebuilding of Guerra’s house. He soon became the volunteers’ “go-to-guy” for all their construction problems. “It’s obvious a lot of these kids haven’t even picked up a hammer before, but they’re here regardless,” Alfonso said. “This isn’t just doing Miss Edna good, it does me good too. It lifts my heart; I feel so grateful.” Throughout the week, the volunteers had proven that Miss Edna’s house was their top priority. Not even Louisiana’s pouring rain
On the last day, volunteers refused to leave until the last floorboard of Guerra’s house was in place. Finally, at 6:47 p.m. Guerra hammered the last nail into her new floor. The flooring and foundation was finally complete. Volunteers, neighbors and Guerra celebrated by having the cupid shuffle on the floor, a Habitat for Humanity tradition. “I may not be rich with money, but I’m rich with friends,” Guerra said.
Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@googlegroups.com.
The hungry forgotten after holidays HUNGER, page 1
PHOTO BY DANE FREDENBURG/CRS
Families fled with whatever possessions they had time to gather, in some cases having as little as a minute to leave their homes due to the threat of violence.
Violent outbreak results from election developing economy that grew 6 percent last year has screeched to a halt with no clear solution in sight. According to Debbie DeVoe, the regional information officer for CRS in Kenya, CRS and partner staff are keeping a close watch on the situation in the area and continue to monitor the status of project participants in order to respond quickly if situations arise that could further hinder project implementation. CRS has provided $250,000 worth of emergency supplies to aid 37,500 people in the worst-affected regions. They are working closely with other agencies, including the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and Caritas Kenya. The Kenya Red Cross has
distributed 7,000 blankets, 10,000 mosquito nets, 5,000 water cans and 7,500 plastic sheets that CRS has delivered. In addition, they are developing plans to help communities rebuild trust and eventually enable displaced families to rebuild their lives after extensive loss. DeVoe said in an email to the Loquitur, “No beneficiaries have died in the violence, although four girls received minor injuries during skirmishes in Karungu. They were treated promptly afterwards.” Service delivery has been disrupted due to lack of transportation, but this has yet to cause significant problems because most beneficiaries are treated at health facilities near their homes. “This has become a hu-
manitarian crisis,” MacLean said. “The attacking and burning of homes continues. The number of Kenyans affected by this violence will only escalate unless security is restored.” MacLean said that longer term work is needed to address the wounds the electoral process opened in the nation. “It’s going to take time to heal,” MacLean said. John Katunga, regional technical adviser for peacebuilding and justice, said in an interview with DeVoe, “What has happened in this country cannot be isolated. CRS employees in Kenya are a microcosm of society, and as Kenyan society is divided by the crisis, it affects our staff.”
delphia and recently joined forces with an organization located at 802 North Broad St. This organization runs homeless outreaches and provides services to help people get off the streets, but the one thing they cannot do is provide food. “Usually there is an increase in donations between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yet this year things have been tight all around, making donations harder to come by,” Carey Morgan, director of the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger, said. Organizations such as the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger and Philabundance work to ensure that healthy meals are readily available to Philadelphians in need of assistance. The success of these organizations is dependent upon the generosity from members of the community. Touched by Mike’s story, Murphy directed him towards 802’s counseling services where is he now taking small steps to get off the streets. “Encounters like this make me keep coming back be-
cause I feel as though I am making a difference in someone’s life,” Murphy said. The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Upper Darby, a borough food bank, had to close their doors for a week right before Thanksgiving because the group ran out of food. “We have a large volunteer body primarily made up of students, and we are always on the look out for more,” Morgan said. “Cabrini has partnerships with various food banks and shelters throughout the Philadelphia area and are always ready to reach the needs of the community,” Christa Angeloni, campus minister, said. The Wolfington Center holds its annual food drive in November. This year the Wolfington Center dedicated one month to poverty awareness, whereas next year Keough and sophomore Elizabeth Briggs plan to have events to occur once a month. “We felt empty because we wanted to give more throughout the year,” Keough said.