Spring breakers volunteer for local Habitat work

For most, spring break means time away from home, fun in the sun and a chance to make new friends.

A group of college students did all of those things in the Tri-parish area this week – just not in the way you might think.

Several students from Rice University spent the week in Galliano, dedicating their school vacation to help complete a house that locals John Chouest and Andrea LaFont will soon call home.

While their classmates enjoyed their time at the beach, this group said the real fun was being had here in the warm Louisiana sun.

“Oh my gosh, yes, we’re having so much fun,” Rice freshman Alex Suarez said. “We’re playing UNO together and having a blast. We’re cooking our own meals at night, which is awesome. I’d actually never cooked before. And most importantly, we’re making a positive impact on the lives of others, which that, in and of itself, is what makes this all worth it. To be around all of these people who are so into volunteer work and helping others, it’s just contagious. It really is.”

The students were volunteering their time as a part of Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program, which sends students from across the country to various locations where work is being done.

This group of students were assisting the Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity and were putting the finishing touches on the Galliano house in Earl’s Place Subdivision.

This is the sixth year the local Habitat for Humanity branch houses students willing to sacrifice their spring break for an opportunity to make a difference.

“We are appreciative of their efforts,” Bayou Area Habitat’s Executive Director Andrea Clark said. “The work these students will do during their spring break will have a lasting impact on our community.”

The students’ primary job was cutting and placing insulation under the home.

And while that job did get done in a timely fashion, it wasn’t all work and no play for the students.

The group playfully mingled throughout the day, sharing laughter and playful jabs amongst one another. By night, the students were also able to enjoy one another’s company, which made the experience one to remember for everyone involved.

“Some of the people on our trip were saying how they got to know the people in our group better in the past two days than they were able to get to know their friends in the whole last semester,” site leader and sophomore Risa Dieken said. “This is just a really good way to meet people around our campus.”

But in addition to making new friends around the Rice student population, the group of students also made friends from the area.

The volunteers were able to meet and mingle, while also working shoulder-to-shoulder, with the family who will soon move into the home.

Being able to physically see the family who will reap the benefits from their philanthropy is the most fulfilling part of the experience, according to the volunteers.

“They let us know that we really are making a really big impact on their lives,” fellow site leader sophomore Xiao Zheng said. “Andrea always makes sure to tell us how thankful she us that we’re here to help her.”

“She has three kids – two little ones and like a 14-year-old,” Dieken said. “It makes me feel awesome to know that there’s going to be an actual family that’s going to be in this house.”

When the Rice students return home, another group will come into the area to continue working on various projects around Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish.

Students from Coastal Carolina will arrive March 13, and if that group has the same experience as the Rice students did, Zheng said that group made the right decision dedicating their break to help out a community.

“Last year, I kind of just did that kind of thing where I just went home and had fun with my friends,” Zheng said. “But I kind of just wanted to do something else this spring. I just wanted to do something extra to make me feel better as a person to make me feel like I’m not just wasting my time. … This is an amazing experience. Anyone who feels like they want to help out should do it at least once.”

Rice University student Jorge Aceves drills insulation underneath the future home of Andrea LaFont and John Chouest. Several Rice students donated their spring break to helping, as part of Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program. CASEY GISCLAIR