Newtown Resident Helps Habitat In Biloxi

By Laurie Borst

Francesca Piscitelli, a member of the Newtown High School Class of 2005, is really branching out. In late February, she was one of more than 40 students from Lycoming College to travel to Biloxi, Miss., to participate in Habitat for Humanity International’s Collegiate Challenge: Spring Break 2007 program.

As part of Lycoming College’s Habitat for Humanity, students joined the Biloxi affiliate in an effort to build decent, affordable homes for families in need and rebuild those homes devastated by recent hurricanes. This is Lycoming College’s 18th year participating in the program.

Back at school in Williamsport, Penn., Francesca shared her experiences through email.

“Ever since I had first learned about Habitat for Humanity, I had always wanted to get involved,” she

began. “It was not until I transferred to Lycoming College, that I had the opportunity to join.

“Lycoming College’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity plans a spring break trip every year,” she continued. “With the amount of help desperately needed in the Gulf Coast, there was no question as to where we were going this year.”

Francesca expressed gratitude to all the sponsors of the program who provided not only airfare, but also the tools and equipment needed at the work sites.

She pointed out that “few people know how badly other parts of the Gulf Coast were hit. Most think of Hurricane Katrina and immediately think of New Orleans, but here we were, 100 miles away and there was nothing but devastation on the coastline.”

The young volunteer described the devastation she witnessed, nearly two years after Katrina hit. Her group flew into New Orleans and traveled by bus to Biloxi.

“It was shocking to see neighborhoods littered with debris and houses that were abandoned and in dire need of renovations. As we continued on our journey to Biloxi, the hundred-mile trip revealed constant debris along the highway and abandoned homes and stores. This devastation was most evident along the coastline where a 40-foot wave hit, causing buildings to completely wash away.

“It was bizarre driving through a ghost town with big McDonald’s signs and no restaurant standing next to it. Other times, it was rows upon rows of deserted houses with big Xs spray painted on them or ‘Do Not Demolish’ painted on the side. It was images such as these that motivated us to wake up at 6 am every day, ride half an hour to the work site and work from 8 am till 4 pm.”

In the ten days the group was there, they worked on four houses. Two houses that Francesca worked on progressed dramatically in that short time. On one house the siding was put up, a complete roof finished, and windows and doors put into place. The other house had sheathing placed all around it and the beams for a new roof were placed on top.

“It was astonishing to see all this work accomplished by 45 college students,” Francesca said. “There is so much negativity placed on the youth of America, but slowly our generation is starting to be tested and I think we are proving ourselves, not only to our predecessors, but the rest of the world.

“I would encourage any one who is willing to, go down to the Gulf Coast and help. The images we all see on the TV of tent cities, demolished houses and parks filled with trailers is not fictional but a reality I witnessed,” she continued. “The ability to help build the home of a family in need is one of the best things a person can do in turn to another.”

Francesca described the bonding that took place within the group of volunteers. Upon leaving, she wrote, this group of 45 strangers who worked hard and trusted one another were now close friends. This can happen when a group also enjoys the experience of staying in an airport overnight due to reservations at the hotel falling through.

“The morning we left,” she said, “our group sat together and had a reflection session at the gate in the airport. Our leader, Sara Bartlett, described it best when she said, ‘All the memories you have from here, you will use for the rest of your life. Take them and put them in your back pocket and, on a bad day, take them out and just think of all the good you have done here, all the lives you have changed, and how lucky each and every one of us really are.’

“After reflection, a lady came up to Sara crying, saying thank you and how moving it was to listen to our reflection.

“Many times throughout the trip, people we didn’t know would come up and thank us for all of our hard work,” Francesca said. “To me, this trip wasn’t about giving up my spring break to go build houses, but was much simpler than that. It was simply putting in time to help my neighbors rebuild their community and start a new life.”

She summed up that helping with the hurricane relief effort called Operation Home Delivery on the Gulf Coast was a life-changing experience, showing the brutality of Mother Nature but also how people have come together to rebuild after the devastation.

Francesca is involved in a variety of groups and activities on campus, including Campus Activities Board Special Events co-chair, Sister of Alpha Xi Delta, and is a member of Habitat for Humanity, Student Senate, Circle K, and Best Buddies.