Habitat for Humanity Approved for Two Southern Trips
Huntington High School's Habitat for Humanity club is planning to visit New Orleans in February and again in March to continue the rebuilding efforts that have been underway in that southern city since large sections of it were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Huntington's Habitat for Humanity chapter, founded and headed by faculty advisor Robert Gilmor, has traveled to New Orleans five previous times to assist in reconstruction projects.
Huntington School Board members approved the club's plan to travel south from February 16-23 and again on March 23-30. In addition to Mr. Gilmor, teachers Craig McKee and Joseph Cohen and two female chaperones are slated to supervise 21 students on each trip.
The trips are estimated to cost $700 per student. Fundraising will be performed in the months leading up to the trips. (The Huntington School District is not providing any funding.)
The two trips have identical itineraries. Participants will depart from either Kennedy or LaGuardia Airports on a Saturday and fly into Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans. The group will rent vans and drive to a local Super 8 Hotel and have dinner. The next day will be spent taking a swamp boat tour or a hurricane bus tour as well as a tour of Tulane University. The rest of the day will feature an opportunity for relaxation. The remainder of the week will include plenty of hard work on reconstruction projects. The teacher-chaperones will work right alongside the student Habitat for Humanity club members.
After each day of work, plans call for the Huntington contingent to have dinner at 5:30 p.m. followed by group activities from 7-10 p.m. Group members are expected to be in their rooms by 10:30 p.m. with lights out 30 minutes later.
Trustees unanimously approved the trips during their August 27 meeting.