Calendar: Programs

MVG February 2006 Program: Cleaning up Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina

Larry Burks is a Sierra Club member and UNO graduate student who recently spent eight days in Pascagoula, Miss. helping victims of Hurricane Katrina. Larry went on a trip organized by Dr. Fred Richart, director of UNO Campus Ministries. Twenty-four students from UNO, UNL, and other midwest campuses went to Mississippi from Dec. 31 to Jan. 7 to volunteer at a relief center set up in a Methodist church.

At 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23, at the First United Methodist Church, Larry will present a 30-minute video depicting the group's experiences. While in Pascagoula, the students did whatever work needed to be done, both inside and outside of houses. This included "clear-outs," where the students cleared out all the drywall and insulation in a house, bleached down to the studs, and then put in new insulation and drywall. Students also engaged in yard work, roofing, and exterior improvements. At night, the group slept on air mattresses in the church basement with about 100 other volunteers from all over the U.S.

Larry's video will give Omahans a chance to see the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and its environmental impacts. Larry will discuss how Nebraskans were able to help victims of the hurricane, and the gratitude of the residents there. The video also includes excellent footage from a day trip to New Orleans.

Dr. Richart is organizing another relief trip in March, and anyone with a strong back, willingness to work, or home-remodeling skills is encouraged to sign up.

Sierra Club educational programs are free and open to the public. For more information contact Mary Green at megreen4@cox.net, or 556-1830.

This article originally appeared in the February 2006 issue of the Missouri Valley Sierran