Five years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans still needs help! A group of 58 students from the DeVos Sport Business Management program recently traveled to the city and volunteered to help rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward through the non-profit organization Hope For Stanley Alliance and in partnership with the St. Bernard Project.
The students were accompanied by the program’s three leaders: Dr. Richard Lapchick, Dr. Bill Sutton and Dr. C. Keith Harrison.
The group worked at seven different worksites in the New Orleans area and completed projects ranging from flooring to hanging sheetrock. In just four days, the group donated 1570 hours of service. As part of their trip, the students met with New Orleans City Council President Arnie Fielkow and professionals from the New Orleans Saints.
This is the 27th time a group from the program has volunteered since 2006. The New Orleans City Council passed a proclamation commending the work done by the Hope For Stanley Alliance, which it previously cited as the most active external group helping New Orleans in the recovery. As director of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program, Richard Lapchick was named an honorary citizen of New Orleans in 2007. Students from the program plan to go again in December.
For more information on the Hope For Stanley Alliance, please visit their website.