The final day of TTU CALUE’s trip to New Orleans could best be described as bitter sweet. Our task for the day was to build bunk beds for the Village where we stayed. This job allowed for us to reflect on the past week and all that we had done. At the end of the day, I came to the conclusion that our trip could best be described as a “service learning experience.” We both learned and experienced so much on our service break! We learned about everything from the best place to get a po’ boy to the sheer magnitude of the damage that hurricane Katrina caused. We experienced everything from the process of piecing a home together to what it was like to live through the hurricane Katrina disaster. Although we went to NOLA in order to serve the community, I believe we gained the greatest reward. This was made evident through the words of the sweet lady, Ms. Connie, whose house we helped build. She delivered a message of encouragement and informed us that we can make a difference in the lives of countless people through service. I think all my fellow CALUE members can agree that this topped the trip off. Even though the day sadly had to draw to an end, we now have a better developed attitude toward service and many great memories to carry with us. The CALUE service break was a definite success!
