Frostburg State University sent 14 students to Louisiana January 11 - 17 to participate in a variety of service-learning projects, including working with Habitat for Humanity, planting well over 1,000 trees for reforestation efforts, and recycling around 2,500 pounds of Mardi Gras beads to raise money for an adult day care center.  The FSU students who served were part of FSU's Student Center for Volunteerism, NAACP, and Black Student Alliance.

Kendall Bradford, a member of the NAACP, said that the trip was very gratifying.  “Besides volunteering, perhaps the most rewarding experience from being in the New Orleans area was listening to the stories of Hurricane Katrina survivors and victims,” he said.  This trip gave the students a chance to see the strong bond and rich heritage that the New Orleans citizens share.

While the FSU students were still busy in Louisiana, FSU President Jonathan Gibralter received a letter from another university’s student group assisting in the relief work.  Patrick Cousins said of the FSU students, “Their friendliness, work ethic and esprit de corps were simply delightful.  If those students are representative of what Frostburg is like, it must be a wonderful place.”  Gibralter shared the upbeat letter with students and faculty on the Blog from the ‘BURG.  Positive feedback reassured students that their time and dedication was noticed and shared throughout the community, they said.

The FSU students who dedicated their time to the hurricane relief were John Barker, Kenisha Boone, Kendall Bradford, Aisha Cornett, Shavonne Lawson, Kelvin Lyons, Keont'a Miller, Francis Oyem, Joseph Powell, Stefan Rogers, Richard Sours, Ashley Daniels, Sarah Bigelow and Amber Bindas. The two staff advisors were Robin Wynder and Jeffrey Sellers.

Pictured are members of FSU's NAACP and Black Student Alliance groups who volunteered in New Orleans during the January Intersession; front row from left, Aisha Cornett and Kenisha Boone, and second row from left, Stefan Rogers, Kendall Bradford, Kelvin Lyons, Keont’a Miller, John Barker, Frances Oyem, Joseph Powell, and Shavonne Lawson.  Other students with the FSU Student Center for Volunteerism also did work in New Orleans just a few days earlier than the NAACP/BSA group.

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