I WILL change the world.

 Has there ever been a time in your life when you stopped everything you were doing and just took in the world around you? A moment where you truly soaked in your surroundings? A moment when time seemed to stop, and your thoughts seemed to consume you? I can honestly say that I have never had a moment like this; well, not until our trip to New Orleans. Not only did I experience this for the first time, but I experienced it four different times in one week. It is truly amazing to realize that trying to change someone's life can ultimately change yours so much more.

Every person that I told that I was going to New Orleans for Spring Break assumed automatically that we were coming solely to go out and have a good time. When I explained to them that I was going with Molloy College and working with Habitat for Humanity, every single person said “didn't that Hurricane hit..like 10 years ago?” My heart sank with each response. Yes, it happened quite a long time ago – but is everything really back to the way it was? Even with structures being constantly rebuilt, what about the lives of those that were affected? It's easy to assume that once a house is rebuilt that life returns to the way it was, but losing everything you've ever owned is not something that is easy to bounce back from. I honestly think that when I came last year, I didn't even know what I was in for. Even after leaving, I was in awe of what I witnessed; homes were still destroyed, lives were still broken. Even so, coming back this year and visiting the museum that was dedicated to Hurricane Katrina felt, to me, like walking face first into a wall. Upon entering the first room, where home footage was shown on three screens, with mock lightening and wind blowing on your face, I felt frozen in time. I have never been so overwhelmed by something, and may have stood in that room for over a half an hour, just taking it all in. It took me back to everyone questioning what I was going to New Orleans for. Maybe if they had seen this incredible footage, they would understand why I feel this strong urgency to help. 

 As I went from room to room, I had this pit in my stomach, in the worst kind of way. I was connecting the stories I heard from the individuals I met in New Orleans last year to the footage I was seeing, and my heart was breaking. When I arrived in the last room, I stood with another student that came on the trip last year, Meggan. We were watching people tell their stories of survival and loss, and I was just crying. Eventually, Meggan said we should go, because I think she was just as overwhelmed as I was. After visiting last year and returning this year, I was dumbfounded by all of the new stories I was hearing. It really puts the whole trip into perspective; yes, it happened many years ago, but these people are still struggling, and should not be ignored. The museum was so heart-wrenching, but it really opened my eyes to the service I was providing. It gave this whole trip a sense of purpose, and made me that much more eager to change someone's life.

The second time I felt this overwhelming sense of self is when we attended the Rebuild Center. I came on this trip last year with the Nursing group, when we spent the week working for this shelter. The Rebuild Center is a place where the homeless and those struggling to rebuild after Katrina come to find a place to rest by day and receive the basic services that we who are not homeless or displaced tend to take for granted.” I met some amazing people, some of which I was fortunate enough to revisit this year. I was touched by every story I heard, and went home with a new appreciation for what I have, and a new cause for which I was truly invested. One gentleman I was blessed to have met lost his wife, children, and home in Hurricane Katrina. He explained to me that he worked as a chef for 17 hours a day, 6 days a week, to try and make ends meet. I was amazed at how calm he was as shared with me his story. He was so incredibly open with me, someone he barely knew, and he truly touched my heart. After I went home, I constantly found myself thinking of some of the people that I met, especially this gentleman in particular. It was so hard for me to comprehend how someone could work so hard, but could still be barely scraping by. When I went to revisit the Rebuild Center, I was delighted to see some familiar faces, including this man. At first he did not recognize me, but greeted me politely, and walked away. A few moments later, he came back and reminded me of the exact location that we were sitting in last year, and started smiling as he remembered our conversation. He hugged me and started talking to me as if we were old friends. Shortly after, he returned, and said he had something to tell me. All of a sudden, he pulled out a set of keys, jingled them about, and was beaming from ear to ear. I asked him what they were, and he replied, excitedly, “the keys to my new house.” It was in this moment that time seemed to cease completely. This situation did not even involve me directly, but I can honestly say that his statement ranked in the top 5 most incredible moments of my life. My heart fluttered, and I found myself beaming right there along with him. We hugged, and I was in awe of everything he has done. I realized that, even in tragic situations, sometimes all people need is just a push in the right direction to turn their life around. The sisters at the Rebuild Center provide services that sometimes we don't even realize that we need. They were able to recover his identification, allow him to wash his uniform, and work with him to be able to afford a home of his own. He had all of the drive and heart to commit to what he truly wanted, and was able to achieve his goal through this dedication and some help from the shelter. His story and progress was just.. inspiring, to say the least. His story will forever remain close to my heart, and I truly wish his success on everyone working hard towards their own dreams.

Getting to our Habitat site and starting to work felt so effortless for the first few days. We were all so excited to get moving, and everyone jumped right in to their tasks. We met a whole new group of students from Wisconsin, with whom we were to work with all week. They seemed to be just as amped about the service as we were, and we all got along brilliantly. Knowing that there were other groups of people out there that were willing to dedicate their time to help others is very humbling, and really touched my heart to see. Every day became more fun than the last, as we saw lots of progress on the home, and saw our efforts come to fruition. But it wasn't until the second to last day until our work really hit me. Myself and about 6 of the individuals from Wisconsin were digging out the end portion of the driveway, which was riddled with pieces of cement and large tree roots. We were all struggling to dig through this hard ground, all whilst covered in dirt and sweating in 80-degree heat. We started playing a simple game, where we started with “I'm going on a Habitat for Humanity build.. and I bring..” Everyone was assigned a letter from the alphabet, and you would pick an item starting with that letter, and pass it on. The next person would continue with the next letter in the alphabet, but would have to repeat all of the answers before them from memory before stating their own. It seemed like a silly game, and it was, but it was a ton of fun. But at one point during the game, after I had pulled up the most enormous tree root known to mankind, I had to stop myself and just.. think. I thought to myself “when would I ever find myself covered in dirt and sweat from head to toe, completely dehydrated, with strangers, digging out an impossibly difficult driveway, and having a blast?” I was having the most fun I have ever had in my life, all while doing labor that a little girl like myself is not naturally prone to doing. I laughed out loud, and everyone asked me what was up. I explained to them what I was thinking, and we all just laughed together. Never in my wildest dreams would I think that my life would bring me here, but boy, am I glad it did. I have always wanted to do more extensive community service, but Molloy, Maddy, Sarah, and the entire group really made one of my dreams come true. And, in turn, we were helping someone else, someone so deserving, have hers come true as well. What a wonderful feeling this trip had given me in that moment, and it is a moment that I will never forget for as long as I live.

On the last day of our service, we went to a park to meet up with groups from around the country that were here fore the same purpose as us. It was an Americorp and Habitat event where we went to clean up the Lower 9^th Ward, an area that was devastated during Hurricane Katrina. Walking around the neighborhood was chilling, seeing all of the houses that were abandoned and still marked with the “x” signifying when help arrived and what was found within the house. I mean, 7 years later. As we were cleaning up, we came upon a house that was covered in grass and weeds, so severely so that you could not even see the front stoop.

 Our Americorp leader asked that some of us stay back and try to clear this house out, so we did. There were three of us from Molloy, 2 from Wisconsin, and two from Oregon. Together, we were able to clear the whole front of the house so that the sidewalk was visible and the front porch was accessible. As we were bagging our debris up, a gentleman drove up to me in his car and said “so, ya'll are cleaning up these abandoned houses? Thank you, I really appreciate what you are doing.” I smiled, just as I saw him pull his car into the driveway next door. My heart immediately dropped. Yes, we were doing a service to the community by cleaning this house up, and, don't get me wrong, it felt great. But it was clear that this gentleman was able to bounce back from the tragedy. His house seemed to have been remodeled- it was actually quite beautiful, and he was thanking me for our service. But I had to stop and just imagine what he had been through. To go through such a hard time, build yourself back up, and then have to see that abandoned house every day, it can not possibly be easy. The house was still marked from the hurricane, and no one had even bothered to return or clean it up in 7 years. It stood as a constant reminder of possibly one of the worst times in that gentleman's life, and that really hurt me. But here he was, smiling, thanking me, and driving home without a heavy heart. His kindness made me feel like what I was doing was making a difference.

This trip, in general, is something that I hold so dear to my heart. The Rebuild Center inspires me to try and help those around me, and teaches me the value of every individual that I encounter. To have the opportunity to just sit and listen to people tell their stories is amazing, and one that I truly cherish. Habitat for Humanity teaches me that change is possible, and that all it takes is one person's dedication to make someone else's dream come true. It inspires me to do more, and not just because I CAN, but because I genuinely want to. Coming on this trip has changed my life, and I can't wait to change someone else's, too.

-Kelly Gleason

PS- Sarah and Maddy are the best and I love themmmm! <3