Lending Helping Hands in Western North Carolina
A service trip is meaningful for two groups of students
Duke student groups recently traveled to Western North Carolina to help with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. With the hurricane leaving an estimated $60 billion in damages, the students emphasized the importance of helping our North Carolina neighbors.
In the storm’s aftermath, many students said they were “feeling powerless … about this happening to our neighbors and not knowing what to do,” said Rebecca Ezersky, assistant director of Jewish Life at Duke, which organized one of the trips. “When the opportunity arose for a hands-on project to have a tangible impact, students were interested.”
“When the opportunity arose for a hands-on project to have a tangible impact, students were interested.”
Rebecca Ezersky, assistant director of Jewish Life at Duke
In late February, Ezersky and a group of seven students went to Asheville to work with Nechama, a Jewish emergency disaster response organization, to repair damage to an apartment building by adding insulation and putting up new drywall. Henderson County emergency management planner Victoria Cortes stopped by to meet with the group and talk about disaster recovery efforts in the area.
Ezersky was impressed with the students’ openness to do new things. “I was nervous to pick up a power tool,” she said. “By the time it was over, they were teaching me to measure. They became pros.”
Duke Chapel Group on a Spring Break Trip
A separate group of four students, organized by Duke Chapel, spent their spring break helping with recovery efforts in the town of Swannanoa. The students painted, removed trash, and installed insulation and vapor barriers at a mobile home park. They worked with other volunteers through the nonprofits Lutheran Disaster Resources Carolina and Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE).
"Western North Carolina was clearly devastated, just by looking at the destruction all around us,” said junior Luke Flyer. “But that doesn't mean that there was any lack of hope. Working with CORE and our faculty leaders, we were able to be a part of that hope.”
The group was led by Rev. Bruce Puckett, assistant dean of the chapel, and Rev. Amanda Highben, pastor for the Duke Lutherans campus ministry. Chapel Dean Luke Powery joined for part of the week and wrote about the experience.
