Dartmouth has been sending groups to the region for over a year, and has committed to sending students and faculty for at least one more year, according to Lord.
"If you just go one time or for the first year, it's mostly cosmetic," he said. "Rebuilding cities is a long term commitment and it must be continued. Our involvement commits us to doing good in the long term."
The two groups, who worked on several projects together, were assisting Hands On Gulf Coast, an organization which works to help the communities along the Gulf Coast region recover from Hurricane Katrina. The volunteers repaired houses that have been abandoned for months.
"De-molding is the big job; floodwater stayed in houses for days, and it provides an excellent breeding ground for toxic bacteria," participant Dylan Nelson '09 said.
One challenge facing aid workers in the area is the fact that most homes are built on private property, and relief groups cannot fix the buildings without the owners' permission.
"Hands On can't just walk on to your derelict property and start building you a new house," Nelson said, explaining that, since many homeowners have left the area, it can be hard to contact residents in need of assistance.
While much of the area is still suffering, Human Resources Compensation Coordinator Adi Labombard noted that there are signs of recovery.
"There's a really interesting juxtaposition of brand new casinos, and just two blocks away there are empty plots of land," she said. "There are steps leading up, or a driveway, but there's just nothing there."
In addition to co-leading the alumni, faculty and staff trip, Colla organized much of the alumni involvement. When Lord asked him for help, he said he was happy to oblige.
"I'd had a long-standing desire to see what I could do to help the people in the Gulf Coast region," he said. "It was a happy convergence of two opportunities coming together."
Colla said that the student volunteers, with whom he worked to renovate a playground that had been a haven for drug dealers, impressed him.
"They were terrific, willing to get out there and work hard," he said. "They're just a wonderful asset, and our students represent the Dartmouth community and the Dartmouth family very well."
The lack of national attention to the lingering effects of Katrina motivated Nelson to get involved.
"When we were fund-raising, people were really confused as to why we were still doing work for Katrina Help," he said. "The biggest shame is that there is so much more work that needs to be done and it's been out of the national spotlight for quite some time."
Despite the impact made by the volunteers from Dartmouth, Colla emphasized that the job is not complete.
"There's a lot left to be done in terms of helping residents who have been displaced find housing that they can afford, to remedy some of the problems that still exist in the region, and to help provide special services for people who are trying to rebuild their lives and need a hand for a while."
