CUNYAC Goodwill Tour 2011 -- New Orleans, LA -- Day 9

Hot and Humid

With a real feel of over 100°F on both Wednesday and Thursday Team CUNY's hard work did not falter.  Half of the group continued painting the community center and the other half returned to the home of Rene to finish up the water filtration system and other projects.  Both groups brought with them the perseverance to complete their assignments on schedule.

Returning to Rene

Team CUNY members who were working at Rene's home were determined to finish up today, and they succeeded.  Planting, painting, and building rounded out their day and they left with a feeling of accomplishment.  "Working with Rene gave me a sense of nostalgia. Rene told me my task of the day was to paint the fence next to the deck.  My father works as a carpenter and a painter so I had previous experience.  As I painted away I couldn't help but to think about my dad and all that he taught me." - Geovanny Arredondo of Lehman College.

Lessons Learned

Each student started the trip with goals and as Goodwill at Home 2011 winds down it is now time to reflect upon what each person will take home to New York.

Danielle Maresca, Brooklyn College Softball player:  "When thinking on how I would have felt leaving New Orleans I wouldn't have expected to leave with a feeling of accomplishment. After touring the city and learning about the  destruction people experienced  it really made me appreciate home. It amazes me how even after this tragedy people can keep their heads up. What I hope to take back with me is that New Orleans attitude of appreciation and teach others not to take anything for granted."

Mickey Abbatiello, Baruch College Men's Basketball: "Over this trip I have made wonderful friends that will be in my life after this trip comes to an end. Not only have I learned things about my peers, I have ultimately learned significant things about myself. Coming from a wealthy neighborhood, and seeing the destruction and under privileged situations in New Orleans, has made me be extremely appreciative of what I have. I have learned that helping others is the most beautiful gesture in the world and I will continue to lend out a hand to people reaching for one. We have not saved the world but the amount of work we have done for others has been a huge help to the people of New Orleans."

Trina McCandless, Macaulay Honors (Hunter College): "The opportunity to see a city still in the process of rebuilding 6 years after a disaster has helped me to better understand the scope of the loss. I'm used to dealing with an urgent emergency like a fire or ambulance call and then going home, but many victims are still suffering the effects almost a decade after, even though their help has "gone home" now that the immediate danger is gone."

Kimberly Battle, New York City College of Technology, Women's Tennis, Basketball, Cross Country, Track & Field and Softball athlete: "Everyday I take things for granted; like a roof over my head and the support of my family.  I believed this trip was going to be a version of Extreme Makeover Home Edition.  I came with the intention of changing lives as well as leaving a more patient person.  I loved every minute of the trip except for the heat.   Interacting with new people and hearing the stories from each person really hit me.  This trip was just about everything I expected.   Through our work we were able to positively impact the lives of certain people.  From planting trees to playing with children, I enjoyed myself and made new friends."

Lorena Russi, Queens College, Women's Soccer Player: "Reviewing the last 10 days is to reflect on a journey we, the students, have taken, as well as one the residents of New Orleans have traversed. In terms of the students, we have all become more self-conscious and, overall, more in tune with our surroundings. It is refreshing to see how quickly we were able to adjust to these new surroundings, but, more importantly, how willing we were to do it. As for the city itself, whether it was the Lower 9th Ward or the French Quarter, New Orleans epitomizes the balance between the idealistic and realist. Haunted by a tragedy that occurred over 6 years ago, it has become the hub for these dreamers and realists, which is seen in both its physical and emotional state. There are people who have nothing left in their lives, and yet there are also people who have rebuilt and attempted to regain a sense of their lives. What has become clear is that the transformations in the student and the transformations of the city are the foundation for a larger umbrella: the connections between people. People are the driving force in all of our lives, and it is this inter-connectivity that will, ultimately, guide and sustain us."

Evening Excursion

The day concluded with a fun evening of comminity involvement.  Executive Director, Brad Powers, from the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative, a neighborhood based nonprofit homebuilder that provides families with healthy and energy-efficient affordable housing options, visited the Mission to speak with the group.  Brad provided a background overview of the organization and answered questions across a range of topics including: crime, population, and housing.  Team CUNY then traveled to the Lower Ninth Ward Village, a Community Center, to participate in all ages open mic night. Kaili Insalaco, Gloria Cavallaro, Ja'Net Goodwin, Joviette Frederick, Kimberly Battle, Mickey Abbatiello, Bavarly Guity, Herschel Jenkins, Trina McCandless, Lorena Russi, Staffer Shanita Scott,and Conference Commissioner Zak Ivkovic all showcased their talents: comedy, poetry reading, juggling, "the snake" (a stomach exercise), short story reading, and singing.