In August 2005, the winds and waters of Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, and Penn students have been helping to rebuild the area ever since.
Yesterday, the Fox Leadership Program hosted a "celebration and call to Service," congratulating student groups from Penn for previous and upcoming community service trips to the area in the past two and a half years.
President Amy Gutmann personally commended undergraduates who have contributed in recent years.
Penn comprises the largest single task force involved in rebuilding efforts in New Orleans, Gutmann said. She expressed her pride that "Penn students don't wait until they graduate to become leaders."
Nursing sophomore Randi O'Neill said that she is going on her second trip to New Orleans through a Fox Leadership program this spring break, noting that her first trip left quite an impression. "People were generous and uplifting despite their hardship," she said.
Despite the nation's impressive aid efforts, Gutmann reminded the audience that the work is far from over. "Media coverage has died down, and public attention has died down. But the problem has by no means disappeared," she said.
The Fox Leadership Program and other groups on campus, including New Orleans Relief Efforts for a Stronger Tomorrow, Hillel, Muslim Student Association, Newman Center, Civic House and Campus Crusade are sending over 100 undergraduates to New Orleans on an alternate spring break.
College senior Sean-Tamba Matthew participated in last year's Fox Leadership trip to New Orleans. Matthew, in his introduction to Gutmann, cited that Penn students have contributed a total of over 1,000 weeks of service to the rebuilding efforts.
With Fox's approximately $750,000 of funding to subsidize additional student trips to the area, the program expects another 1,000 weeks of Penn service in the next five years. Upcoming projects include future spring break trips and 20 ten-week internship opportunities for the next four summers.
"This is an opportunity to rebuild a great American city that most people won't get again in their lifetime," said Matthew, encouraging students to join him and the hundreds of other Penn undergraduates who have already made a difference.
Students who are interested in helping but don't plan on making a spring break trip can bring school and other supplies to collection boxes in Houston, Hillel, Stouffer, Hill and Rodin until March 6. The supplies will go to both a middle school and women's shelter in New Orleans.
