Charity In Action and CARE Sponsor College Service Trip to Mississippi

February 24 - March 6, 2007

by Bess Alden

More than 18 months after Hurricane Katrina struck, a group of Bryn Athyn College students traveled to Pearlington, Mississippi for their spring break. Their mission: to help rebuild homes and to offer support to the small town of Pearlington. Thirteen students, two carpenters, one electrician and two novice leaders left Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania on February 24th and arrived at the Pearlington Recovery Center the next evening.

The Pearlington Recovery Center is located in Pearlington (Hancock County, Mississippi) just before the Pearl River. At first glance the recovery center looks like an army barracks, with bunkhouses, a mess tent and Port-o-Potties. A staff of about eight long-term volunteers runs the recovery center and issues jobs to the visiting volunteer groups.

Our group, sponsored by Charity In Action arrived equipped with tools, funds and most importantly willing hearts and set to work the next day. Our first project was to put up the siding on a new home. After two days of hard work under the hot Mississippi sun, we proudly presented a completely sided house to the homeowner and his family who greatly appreciated our work.

For the rest of the week our group split up to work on various projects. Our electrician was busy all week, wiring electricity for a new kitchen at the recovery center and enabling electricity at a resident’s home. Some of our group assembled numerous wooden bunk beds in order to prepare for the expected 250 + volunteers arriving at the recovery center for spring break the following week. Others raised the frame of a new home and installed drywall.

On a memorable morning we met a real pirate, who was both offensive and intriguing. He was directing our clean-up effort at a house, all the while relaying his adventures on his boat. The same boat with which he rode out Hurricane Katrina!

During our last days in Pearlington, some of us did the finishing work on a home. At first it was strange to sand a marble counter top and paint trim, when directly across the street stood houses with three feet of mud in them. But knowing that in three days a family would be able move back into their home, after living in a FEMA trailer for 18 months, we gladly did the work.

The work that we did in Mississippi was only part of our experience. We attended a Baptist Bible study; we ventured into New Orleans; we saw a plethora of wildlife native to Mississippi; and met many locals who related their experiences during and after Hurricane Katrina. Each night, around a campfire we held a worship service, and told of our highlights and struggles of the day.

The willingness of each and every volunteer in our group created a strong sphere of charity and joy that we shared among ourselves and with others while working in Pearlington. The appreciation shown by the residents of Pearlington was enough to let us know that Pearlington’s need for volunteer efforts will exist well into the future.

The eye of Hurricane Katrina made direct contact with Pearlington and of its 1,700 residents, 600 remained after the storm. That number is slowly growing as homes are rebuilt. Residents noted that Pearlington is a fairly isolated and secluded town, and after the hurricane they were forgotten by Katrina relief.