CUB CREWE TO THE BAYOU

From June 12 through June 24, a group of 26 Loyola students and 12 adults formed the Cub Crewe to the Bayou to engage in service with and to the people of New Orleans, dealing with the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

It has been 21 months since the Gulf Coast was hit by the destructive natural disaster of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the largest and most expensive disaster this country has seen in its history.  All societal support systems in the metropolitan area of New Orleans were broken due Katrina, including housing, utilities, employment, education, healthcare, legal, social support, welfare, law enforcement, cultural and religious.  Few of the customary social services supporting family, neighborhood and community are operative even now.

The healing and repair process has begun, but is far, far from completion, and is now estimated to take more than 20 years to complete.  One of the biggest fears of the people of New Orleans is their plight will be forgotten in the face of the pressing demands of the Iraq War and other competing domestic issues.  They have legitimate reasons for this fear, and they also have reason to hope due to the good will and generosity of many thousands of volunteers who are assisting with the rebuilding of New Orleans.

Over the course of nearly two weeks, as the very real helping hands of hope, the Loyola group of men and women engaged in construction, tear down and repair at a number of sites in the metro area of New Orleans as well as providing educational and hospitality services. 

The Cubs tutored grade school children at the Jesuit’s Good Shepherd Nativity Mission School near the business center of NOLA, where students are trying to continue their education in a post-disaster situation when their families sustained the deaths of loved ones and the loss everything they owned less than two years ago.  As well, this school’s classrooms were repainted over the course of two days by the Cubs.

The Ozanam Inn sponsored by the St. Vincent DePaul Society serves the poor in and around the French Quarter, including the working poor, seniors and the indigent.  The Cubs were privileged to be helpful in providing food, hygiene and clothing to the Oz guests.

Habitat for Humanity’s Musicians’ Village in the Upper Nineth Ward served as the site for a large number of the Cubs to engage in new construction.  An awesome process to see 500 teens and adults turn out a home every three days for new owners.

Girls’ Hope in MidCity areas employed the talents of a hardworking Cub crewe for a week-long demolition and salvage operation. 

Members of the Cub Crewe to the Bayou include:

Students: Jonathon Alton, Vinnie Caserio, Ian Cruz, Philip DiTullio, Geovanney Estrada, Peter Furnish, Stephen Gonzales, Brian Kim, Christopher Mora, Kyle Moran, Omar Njie, Michael Owens, Jared Padilla, Christopher Peak, Mark Proano, Matthew Putzulu, Stephen Rodriguez, Frank Romo, Bryan Ruiz, Andrew Santana, Mitchell Snowden,Ron Valley, Peter Willets, Christian Winting, Vincent Winting & Ryan Woodruff.