Hayley Fisher Working In The Lower Ninth Ward

York University student Hayley Fisher joined Hillel of Greater Toronto and Impact Toronto, UJA Federation’s young adult division, on a January 2008 mission to help with the New Orleans community rebuilding effort.

When I told my mom that I wanted to go to New Orleans to build houses, she asked, “Haven’t all the houses been repaired already?” A friend said, in disbelief, “Someone’s going to let YOU near a construction site?” and yet another said, “But you’re only going to actually be repairing houses for two days!  What good is that?” Coming to New Orleans has helped me to realize just how wrong these misconceptions are.

For starters, I’ve realized that two and a half years after the fact, the situation has improved only slightly. So many individuals are still without homes and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) slowly removing their trailers hasn’t helped. I’ve also (happily) realized that you don’t actually have to have ever picked up a hammer before in order to volunteer. Tasks like painting, gutting and installing insulation are not nearly as difficult as one might think and they can make a world of difference to a house. Lastly, I’ve realized that volunteering is not just about the amount of work one can get done on a house. Seeing volunteers help repair homes can bring hope to those who have experienced the devastation.

Volunteers deliver a very important message:  Katrina is still an issue. The fact that more than two years have gone by and Katrina is no longer current does not mean it is something we can just forget. So yes, in spite of lack of experience, I was trained and then allowed near a construction site. Two days of volunteering can do more than one can imagine. And no Mom...all the houses have not been repaired.

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Hillel of Greater Toronto will be returning for the fifth time to help rebuild New Orleans with a two week trip (May 25- June 8) that will give students the opportunity to both help rebuild New Orleans and learn about many of the current issues that the city of New Orleans faces in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  The group will be working with Rebuilding Together, a national housing reconstruction NGO.  Cost of the trip is $1600 which includes airfare, ground transportation, most meals, accommodation and administrative fees.  Students who participated in past trips to New Orleans are strongly encouraged to apply.  For more information or to request an application form, please contact David Gordon, david.gordon@hilleltoronto.org or Hava Goldberg, hava@hilleltoronto.org.

Impact Toronto connects Jews in Toronto between the ages of 25-40 to the community through philanthropic, volunteer and social opportunities.
Hillel of Greater Toronto promotes Jewish identity, student leadership and religious and political diversity in a dynamic and inclusive environment for Jewish students at University of Toronto, York University, Ryerson University and GTA community colleges.
Hillel of Greater Toronto receives financial support from UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.