January 2, 2010 marks the 5th year Centenary College and Drew University are teaming up to travel to New Orleans, Louisiana to help rebuild homes, shelters, and lives.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, residents are still living in FEMA trailers in their front lawns. Trying to work full time, raise their families, and all while fixing up their homes to make them livable again. It's been a long hard road for some but many groups, not just ours, are willing to give up their winter break and roll up our sleeves and go to work.

Sleeping on floors in churches that have opened their doors and hearts to welcome relief workers; it's a two day bus trip down, six work days, and two days back on the road. The showers are portable units out in the parking lot with little hot water, keep in mind, there are 120 of us using 8 showers.

I wouldn't miss this trip for any reason. The people of this region treat you like family with nothing but praise for the work we do for them. We arrive meeting strangers and leave with tear filled eyes as we say good bye to our new extended families. It's an experience that words just cannot do justice.

While in Louisiana I will be interviewing as many of the residents, shop owners, and relief workers as I can and sending the reports back to WNTI. They will air three times each day and upon my return, I'll put it all together into a one hour documentary to air on Contours.

Here are some of our photos for January 2009 in New Orleans.

Thank you to all the listeners that have given me their moral support and wished me well for this year's adventure to the Big Easy.

Johnny D. will be filling in live on air from 6-9:am in my absence.

Information on the trip can be found on Facebook at:
Centenary and Drew Disaster Relief Trip 2010
Rock!!

Melanie Thiel
WNTI