Students to help Katrina victims during Fall Break
FOR RELEASE: Thursday, September 15, 2005
Huntington, Ind. "Huntington University students will travel to Alabama and Mississippi in October to assist in relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In collaboration with Hope Crisis Response Network (HCRN) based in Elkhart, Ind., 25 Huntington University students will team with 25 students from Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind., to lend a helping hand from October 14-18. HCRN is a faith-based organization that is working in conjunction with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the Indiana Governor's Office to generate volunteers to help in the Katrina relief efforts.
Serving with HCRN and Grace College in the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina is a tremendous opportunity for our students, said Jesse Brown, director of residence life and student programs at Huntington University. This is a chance to use our own hands and represent Christ to individuals who have lost their homes, belongings and businesses. Hopefully this will be the beginning of many subsequent trips to help rebuild Gulf Coast communities.
The team of volunteers will travel by mini-bus and be housed at a church in Gulfport, Miss. Individuals at the church will provide meals to each worker during the five-day stay. Relief efforts in the Gulfport region, as well as the Mobile, Ala. region, will include delivering food to victims who are unable to cook or have no means of transportation. Volunteers will also assist in the general clean up process around those areas.
As Huntington University continues to coordinate relief efforts to the Gulf Coast region throughout the year, a special fund has been established to support the volunteer efforts. Interested donors should contact the Advancement Office, or direct their gifts to Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, Huntington University, 2303 College Avenue, Huntington, Indiana 46750.
