Operation Southern Comfort

The first time I went down to Louisiana was in 2009 to help Hurricane Katrina sufferers. I went down there with a group called Operation Southern Comfort, and began helping people in 2006. Since that first trip to Louisiana, I now go every year during February break because of what I got out of it. Although I always gain something out of this experience, the most memorable year has been my third trip because of the impact it left me with. This type of trip is a once in a lifetime experience for some people, it really can change a person, as it has done for me.

This past February my mom joined me in Louisiana; it was her first time there.  Until this trip, she really did not understand the things I had been talking about, until she experienced them for herself. Some of these experiences included the people I met. One of them was Richard who I helped build a couple of ramps for. He is handicapped, so now he is able to have the independence to come and go. In order to make these ramps, my group had to weed out where the cement was going, make the cement, build the ramp with the bricks, and put the wires down. We would pour the cement down, smooth it out, and wait for it to dry. It was a very gratifying week knowing that we helped someone to simply be able to move around in his or her home.

When you’re in Louisiana, it’s like a whole other world. The people are very friendly, laid back, and they take the time to get to know you. Up north, we are more accustomed to working at a faster pace and not always taking the time to stop and smell the roses. My experiences with Operation Southern Comfort has taught me to appreciate what I have since I never know when it will be all gone in just a blink of an eye.

The stories, pictures, and videos I’ve seen and heard have really stuck with me. I could never imagine losing everything. In Chalmette, they’re still reconstructing the external parts of the state. The main focus after the storm was New Orleans and not the rest of the state. There is still a long way to go, but each year I see improvement. Each year I try to take pictures and compare the improvements from past years.

Every time we have to pack up and get ready for our two-day drive home, it’s very difficult knowing you’re going back to the cold, snow of Upstate NY. More importantly, we are heading home, where people do not understand what we’ve just experienced in Louisiana. They do not understand that we were in such a friendly, trusting, and welcoming environment and are now returning to one that is not as inviting. Usually the ride home is quiet, because everyone is drained, and not prepared to go back. These expeditions have inspired me to be more compassionate, considerate, and less judgmental.

Before getting involved with OSC I was never open to the idea of being in different places, and tended to care more about materialistic things.  Since helping people in Louisiana, I realize that those things do not matter, as long as my family is around me. This trip has also made me want to travel, live more and experience life to the fullest because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

 

Mackenzie Carucci