ASI Alternative Spring Break
The act of giving is so much more
Jackie Carbajal
Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: Features
While other students were relaxing or vacationing during spring break, a handful of CSUSM students packed their bags and flew out to New Orleans for an alternative to the conventional spring break.
For its fifth year, ASI worked alongside Habitat For Humanity: a non-profit, Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminate homelessness by building low cost homes for those in need.
The group of students, led by Sara Gallegos, worked on a house that had been framed just the week before. The group's projects included attaching hurricane straps to the outer wall studs, double top plating, exterior wall sheathing, lifting roof trusses onto the roof, putting all the roof trusses in place, and almost completing the roof sheathing.
Students even had the opportunity to meet and get to know the woman whose home they were building.
"This woman has been living in her FEMA trailer for the past three years next to her house that she can no longer live in because of the extensive damage from the hurricane. She just now was able to qualify for a Habitat home that is luckily being built on her land," said Gallegos.
Habitat for Humanity typically buys land, builds homes on the land, and then sells the homes for reduced prices to those who qualify for need.
"It was a great experience for everyone to meet the owner and get to know her throughout the week. She was so kind and grateful, she even made us lunch twice," added Gallegos.
The experience offered participants the opportunity to witness the progress and also, lack of progress, since the destruction of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005.
"I did lead a group to New Orleans last year and after that experience and able to go back one year later, not much has changed. There has been a minute amount of rebuilding, but positively there seems to be a little more life in the city, especially in those areas most affected."
The group had downtime during their weeklong trip, touring New Orleans to see the Garden District and French Quarter, and taking a dinner/jazz cruise on the Mississippi River. They also attended an NBA game against the New Orleans Hornets and the New York Knicks.
The annual event is gaining momentum through student participation each year. Students interested in an alternative spring break next year should keep an eye out for applications in October.
"I would encourage anyone who is thinking about volunteering there to just go," said Gallegos. "There is still so much to be done and the residents there are so appreciative."
For its fifth year, ASI worked alongside Habitat For Humanity: a non-profit, Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminate homelessness by building low cost homes for those in need.
The group of students, led by Sara Gallegos, worked on a house that had been framed just the week before. The group's projects included attaching hurricane straps to the outer wall studs, double top plating, exterior wall sheathing, lifting roof trusses onto the roof, putting all the roof trusses in place, and almost completing the roof sheathing.
Students even had the opportunity to meet and get to know the woman whose home they were building.
"This woman has been living in her FEMA trailer for the past three years next to her house that she can no longer live in because of the extensive damage from the hurricane. She just now was able to qualify for a Habitat home that is luckily being built on her land," said Gallegos.
Habitat for Humanity typically buys land, builds homes on the land, and then sells the homes for reduced prices to those who qualify for need.
"It was a great experience for everyone to meet the owner and get to know her throughout the week. She was so kind and grateful, she even made us lunch twice," added Gallegos.
The experience offered participants the opportunity to witness the progress and also, lack of progress, since the destruction of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005.
"I did lead a group to New Orleans last year and after that experience and able to go back one year later, not much has changed. There has been a minute amount of rebuilding, but positively there seems to be a little more life in the city, especially in those areas most affected."
The group had downtime during their weeklong trip, touring New Orleans to see the Garden District and French Quarter, and taking a dinner/jazz cruise on the Mississippi River. They also attended an NBA game against the New Orleans Hornets and the New York Knicks.
The annual event is gaining momentum through student participation each year. Students interested in an alternative spring break next year should keep an eye out for applications in October.
"I would encourage anyone who is thinking about volunteering there to just go," said Gallegos. "There is still so much to be done and the residents there are so appreciative."
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