Moran Offers Helping Hand, Repairing Homes Affected by Hurricane Katrina

MANCHESTER, NH (02/21/2012)(readMedia)-- Stephen Moran, a senior English and secondary education major at Saint Anselm College, spent his winter break in New Orleans, Louisiana repairing the homes of families who were victims of storm damage during Hurricane Katrina.

Moran led a group of 16 students from Saint Anselm who volunteered with Operation Helping Hands, an organization of Catholic Charities that brings together volunteers to paint and rebuild homes devastated by flooding.

Moran's favorite memory of the trip was interacting with the locals and hearing their stories. "Many of these people have survived countless hardships, but are still able to maintain a positive attitude and their cultural heritage," he said.

Moran and his group are a part of Saint Anselm College's Service & Solidarity Missions program. The program consists of student-led service trips overseen by Campus Ministry during winter, spring, and summer breaks. Now in its 22nd year, Service and Solidarity Missions will send 216 students on 16 trips in 10 states, and to Washington, D.C., Costa Rica, and Honduras throughout the year.

Moran, who has participated in four of the service trips, has been drawn to volunteer work since high school. "These trips have helped shape the person that I am because of the people and experiences that I have encountered."