A group of 15 local volunteers spent one week in July helping to rebuild homes in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Outreach Trip was completed in partnership between Ben’s Lighthouse and the disaster recovery organization St Bernard Project (SBP).

The volunteer group was made up of 12 high school students and three chaperones, according to recent Newtown High School graduate Alex Futterman, one of the youth volunteers.

Ben’s Lighthouse is a nonprofit organization formed five years ago to help the youth of Newtown and beyond. It was formed in memory of Benjamin Wheeler, a victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.

Ben’s Lighthouse provides programs that empower young people to develop the self-awareness, empathy, and social connections they need to find and share their own light.

Between July 14 and 20, the volunteers worked to help an area impacted by flooding in 2016, according to Alex.

“While some neighborhoods seem to be back to normal, others still have FEMA trailers scattered about and 24 months later, are still facing day-to-day challenges leftover from the storm,” Alex said in a recent e-mail.

During their five work days, the Newtown volunteers helped with everything from installing insulation to painting and finishing touches on the walls, according to Alex.

After the volunteering each day, the group had the opportunity to also experience the local culture in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Alex said the volunteers “took a stroll through Jackson square, found souvenirs at the French Market, and ate beignets at Cafe Du Monde during sunset before dipping their hands in the Mississippi river and watching the brightly lit barges sail by in the dark.”

This summer’s trip marked the sixth annual Ben’s Lighthouse Outreach Trip. Past volunteer groups have traveled to Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana, and Louisiana.

To learn more about Ben’s Lighthouse, including upcoming programming for young adults, see its website, benslighthouse.org.