By Traci Newell

courtesy of stephanie chan The group works to clean out a school.

Sifting through months-old black mold, taking out walls and insulation, sharing five showers among 400 people and dealing with cockroaches and ruined homes is not the way typical college students spend their spring break. But Los Altos residents Lizzie Paulsen and Stephanie Chan decided to dedicate their vacation to helping New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward.

The former Mountain View High School students traveled with the California Public Interest Group of UC Riverside, where Chan attends school. Once the group of about 10 students arrived, they met with Common Grounds, a community-initiated volunteer organization that offers assistance, mutual aid and support to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“I had no idea things were still that bad there; it was devastating,” Paulsen said.

Paulsen said the day before her group arrived, local police had found a little girl dead with her backpack still on. Paulsen saw a dead dog trapped in a tree. She said floodwater was still very evident in the Ninth Ward.

The students met the homeowners of the three homes they were gutting. Gutting includes taking out walls and insulation and removing mold and water. During the process they had to wear Tyzek suits and respirators.

Paulsen said the home-owners were eager to share their stories about Katrina.

“A lot of people in New Orleans are feeling very neglected,” Paulsen said.

Paulsen and Chan also worked on gutting an elementary school and constructing a home that will eventually become a women’s shelter. Paulsen described desks pushed into walls and textbooks stuck in the ceiling of the elementary school.

“It was very humbling and tragic,” Paulsen said. “It makes me wish I could do more.”

Paulsen said she hopes many people will reach out to help, no matter what their age.

“They really need aid and people down there helping,” she said.

Chan said the group stayed at St. Mary of the Angels, one of three locations in New Orleans where Common Grounds houses people. Chan said that if a group wants to work through Common Grounds, they should contact Common Grounds ahead of time to arrange sleeping accommodations. Common Grounds will provide meals and shelter but the group has to provide transportation to New Orleans.

“You can help,” Chan said. “The opportunity is always there, it just depends on whether or not you take the time to help. It’s a good experience. It is totally out of your comfort zone, but it is definitely rewarding in the end.”