When Danielle Benavides traveled to New Orleans with the Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF chapter of Habitat for Humanity last Winter Break, she experienced more than just walking along Bourbon Street and eating alligator for the first time.

Although Benavides said it was interesting to look at another city’s culture, she said she also saw damage leftover from Hurricane Katrina — still remaining seven years after the catastrophe.

“Even though it’s old news, you see it from your eyes how much has been fixed and how much is still damaged,” she said.

Benavides, co-director of the SU and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, and nine other students will go to Birmingham, Ala., and work with the area’s Habitat for Humanity center from Jan. 4-11. Each year, students can volunteer during either Winter or Spring Break to work on houses in communities in need. Benavides said the chapter chose to go to Birmingham based on several factors, including the distance and the number of volunteers the chapter can take.

Each student who goes on the trip has to pay $350, said Ashley Valentijn, the chapter’s treasurer. She said the money helps pay for expenses such as gas, transportation and food. The cost has remained relatively the same in previous years, she added.

“You have to understand that $300 is a ridiculously low amount considering lodging and that we feed you,” Valentijn said. “We haven’t had a student come who wanted to be on the trip that needed financial assistance, but if they did, I’m sure we could accommodate them.”

The chapter requested and received $5,200 from the Student Association to cover insurance, lodging and other fees for the trip, she added.

Arianna Rogers, the alternative break coordinator, said the chapter’s workload varies from trip to trip, depending on what the volunteer centers assign. She said sometimes volunteers start from scratch while other times they paint and put up the interior walls and roofs on existing homes. Last year, she said, the volunteers from SU were divided into two groups and each group built a house in a week.

“Every location we go to, it’s a different type of work,” Rogers said. “Honestly, they give us anything we can do in the area.”

Benavides said hard work pays off on the trip and it ends up being an amazing experience.

“I love building homes and I love seeing how much work you have done,” she said. “A lot of people are at home, sometimes they might be overwhelmed to go back to school and go on a trip. I don’t think people fully realize how much you create bonds with people who are also building.”

Students who have volunteered on previous Habitat for Humanity trips said they get a lot out of the experience.

“It’s really nice to bring SU to make an impact somewhere else,” Rogers said. “It feels nice to be able to help these people and make a difference in the community. It makes me feel blessed for all the opportunities.”

Laura Singer, a sophomore political science major who went on the New Orleans trip last Winter Break, said in an email she not only learned physical and mental skills needed to build a house, but also how much other people want to help.

“It’s not an easy task for anyone, especially volunteers who have no experience in construction whatsoever,” she said. “Most importantly, I hope that people who go on the trip realize that they’re surrounded by people who want to give back to their community and want to make a difference in the world.”

Published on December 3, 2013 at 12:42 am

Contact Ellen: ekmeyers@syr.edu | @ellenkmeyers