ASB, Day 1

So, today was eventful. Well, let me first start with last night. Our flight was delayed by 2 hrs. Which, wouldn't have been so bad if we weren't flying from L.A. at 6pm our time. We did not arrive at our destination until around 4am. Thankfully, we were able to work a half day. When driving around the city I was amazed and taken aback to see all of the abandoned homes. Some may ask, why now? Katrina happened years ago! Well, as some of you may know the hurricane damage destroyed most of the city and the government only provided some assistance. So, we are here to say, "We have not forgotten." We are here because the world is so much bigger than ourselves. One aspect of social justice is learning the humility of being a servant leader. I am here to serve and learn. As a coordinator and advisor, I thought it was necessary to create coalitions with campus partners to make a change. Thus, we are here. CSUN Religious Studies, CSUN Communication Department, CSUN Hillel, and CSUN Student Housing is here to make a difference. We are currently working on rebuilding one house and cleaning up debris from another site. In addition, we were able to see the levees and get a tour of several damaged areas around the city.

All I can think about is the anger of these homeowners. Feeling helpless. Alone. Forgotten. To really feel fear. I am motivated to work because of them. Would I want to be left alone to rebuild my home? No, I wouldn't. Would you?

It was time for me to stop complaining about the lack of assistance for these homeowners. I knew that I had to come and help. Walk the walk, Talk the talk. It's easy to be a judgmental. But it takes humility and honesty to roll your sleeves up and say "How can I help?"

Many of us were empowered by our President to make change. Well, here I am with 27 other volunteers to make change happen, even if it's just one home. People pour their lives into their homes and families. So let's make a lifetime of change for one person's life.

Rest in peace to all those who died because of Hurricane Katrina and the flooding.

Day 1 down, 3 more to go.

-Vanidy Bailey, Community Director
CSUN Student Housing