Erika Romero of Sunnyside Helps Rebuild Hurricane-Ravaged New Orleans Neighborhood

2012 Mar 7

Erika Romero of Sunnyside, a student at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, is one of 13 Saint Rose students spending an Alternative Spring Break in New Orleans helping citizens of the city continue to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The sophomore is volunteering with lowernine.org in the Lower 9th Ward, one of the hardest-hit parts of the city.

This is the seventh consecutive year that Saint Rose students have given their vacation time to help with hurricane relief. All of the students volunteer their time; they are not paid for their work nor earn any class credits.

The 13 students left for New Orleans Sunday, March 4, and will return to Albany Saturday, March 10.

Lowernine.org is dedicated to training residents and volunteers in the hurricane-ravaged Lower Ninth Ward in the numerous skills necessary to bring this century-old historic neighborhood back to life. These skills run the gamut from basic to advanced house construction and rebuilding and include community gardening projects, emotional and social support services, social outreach and community development. In addition to collaborating with other organizations with similar missions, lowernine.org works closely with community leaders to reach the greatest number of residents and to maximize the potential of what has been a giant step forward in re-establishing community.

Camp Restore in New Orleans' Ninth Ward is serving as the students' "home away from home." Camp Restore has been serving the New Orleans area since fall 2006. In partnership with more than 60 other area nonprofit organizations, Camp Restore connects thousands of volunteers each year with the full spectrum of service opportunities in New Orleans.

On the Web: www.strose.edu

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