By Jennifer (Eunhee) Park, Class of 2008

Before setting to work, the team poses with homeowner Marion McAuley. Back row: Jamie Garing and Matt Pouss. Middle: Donna Johnson, Tony Kline, Nate Starner, and Matt Kichline. Front: Jen Park and homeowner Marion McAuley. Top: Matt Pouss and Lee McClintock move debris.

Looking through the hundreds of pictures that were taken from the trip during this fall break, my heart is still aching and wishing that I could be there right now.

It brings back the indescribable experience I had and it is still affecting me in many ways. I had the chance to meet different people, clean up debris, knock down drywall, and do things a typical college student would not do during fall break.

I can still smell the moldy walls, “death water” (name given to a mixture of sewage and dirty five-week-old water), and piles of wet debris going into my nose. These are the pictures of the destruction from Hurricane Katrina in Pass Christian, Mississippi, one of the many areas that were hit severely by this powerful hurricane.

I and twenty other students from Shippensburg University Christian Fellowship had an opportunity to go down to Pass Christian, which was along the Gulf coast. We left without any expectations or knowing what would confront us there. However, we were ready to help with whatever needed to be done.

We arrived at Pass Christian around 1am on October 8, 2005, after driving about twenty hours. As we drove through Mississippi towards the Gulf Coast, I could see the destruction from Hurricane Katrina was getting worse: from a sign that was missing some letters to nothing left but devastation. The beautiful mansions, buildings, and homes that once stood there were knocked down into piles of wood and drywall lying everywhere. It seemed like we were entering into a “twilight zone” where I felt like it was just a dream. However, this was the reality of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and of the many lives that were affected. Entering this “twilight zone” gave me a different perspective in relating to natural disaster relief.

There were many things that needed to be done. And it is reported it will take at least a decade to rebuild this area. Therefore, once we got there, we were put to work. Through the Campus Crusade for Christ, one of the many organizations that were there to help rebuild Pass Christian, everyday we had a mission. We were assigned to a house that needed to be cleaned out until the foundation of the home was left standing.

Jamie Garing and Donna Johnson tearing down moldy drywall.

Once my team and I arrived at the house, I was able to see the destruction through the eyes of the homeowner, Marion McAuley, and her family. The interior of the house was completely destroyed. All of her family’s possessions were soaked in floodwater and were useless. As we were going through the debris of all her possessions, she told us stories about her children and their favorite toys or just the things that were valuable to her such as photographs.

Even though I see the sadness in her eyes, she held the tears back and moved on. She is a strong woman, and she was there each day working with us on the house. There were times when we were exhausted, intoxicated by the smell, and soaked in death water; however, the house was filled with hope and liveliness. All of us were encouraging one another, laughing, singing out at the top of our lungs, and just enjoying what we did. I, personally, had a fun time just pushing debris-filled buckets along the hallway, knocking out drywall with a shovel and crow bar, and even climbing into a small gap in the ceiling and tearing down wet insulation.

On the last day before we headed back to Shippensburg, we had just finished knocking down all the drywall—but there are so many things that remained to be done. I wanted to stay and help finish rebuilding and helping other hurricane victims, but I knew I could not because I had to return to Shippensburg University.

Through this experience, I was able to meet one of the Hurricane Katrina victims and hear how it affected her as well as see the destruction in Pass Christian, Mississippi. However, the reason why my heart is hurting from looking at these pictures is that there is a shortage of volunteers, food, and supplies in this area as well as the other areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. The people I saw have lost their homes and businesses and are dependent on the food and supplies sent to them. The amount I saw while helping unload supplies at one of the distribution centers wouldn’t last for long.

I plan on going back to Pass Christian during my winter and/or spring breaks to help in the on-going relief efforts. Several SU students will be going back during the winter break. If you would like to help support or donate supplies or funds, or even help out at the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, there are many opportunities to do so through organizations such as the American Red Cross, churches, or Campus Crusade for Christ.

Note: Marion has been in contact with the team who worked on her home. Besides updating the group on the progress on her home, she thanked them for helping re-establish her life. She writes, “…your kindness and caring, your positivity and your expression of enthusiasm meant so much more to me than you will ever know. You really have changed lives through your spirit, through your smiles, not just by DOING but simply by BEING You! So next time, when you “donate time” know, that you are not regarded as a volunteer, but as Hope, Light, Comfort, Compassion, and Joy!”

After the drywall was stripped from the walls, a tired team captures the moment. Left to right: Tony Kline, Matt Kichline, Marion McAuley (home-owner), Nate Starner, Jen Park, and Matt Pouss.

Jennifer (Eunhee) Park

Hometown: Abington
Major: Secondary education, mathematics
Campus Activities: Asian American Organization, Christian Fellowship, Math Club, University Bible Fellowship, Volunteers Club
Future Goals: “I am planning to teach math either through the Peace Corps or Teach for America for a couple of years. Then I might teach in a middle or high school in the U.S. My ultimate goal is to teach in a third world country, but who knows what I might do in a couple of years.”

SU students who traveled to Pass Christian were:

  • Sarah Farnsworth
  • Donna Johnson
  • Jamie Garing
  • Matthew Kichline
  • Dana Spickler
  • Jenn Par
  • Amy Kuhn
  • Travis Detwiler
  • Alethea Cederberg
  • Khanthaly Bounma
  • Tony Kline
  • Nate Starner
  • Lee McClintock
  • Ollie Meredith
  • Matthew Pouss
  • Joel Crowley
  • Brianna Martin
  • Katie Nickles (PSU senior)
  • Scott Crandall
  • Phil Schiavoni
  • Derek Julian