On a cold Sunday morning in early March, a group of 25 Wayland students and 5 chaperones met at the Coach Grille and headed for Logan Airport. A three and a half hour flight later, the group landed in New Orleans, ground zero for Hurricane Katrina. The final destination of the travelers was Waveland, Mississippi, where the students planned to help repair and clean up Wayland’s “sister town.”

In 2006, shortly after Katrina hit, Wayland first made contact with Waveland as part of an initiative to reach out to hurricane victims. Wayland chose this town because, although Waveland was not as well known as New Orleans, it was similarly devastated, and it was in need of help. Wayland to Waveland, a coalition founded by community members, has since built houses for victims and helped rebuild the devastated Gulf Coast town.

After landing in New Orleans the students took a tour of the city, experiencing the distinctive culture and inspecting the lower ninth ward, one of the most heavily damaged areas of New Orleans. The devastation caused by Katrina was evident immediately. The majority of houses stood as empty shells, their insides washed away by the 10 foot+ waters created by the Katrina floods. Other houses had simply vanished, leaving rusty paint chipped gates behind to mark their existence.

More shocking was the writing on the affected houses. After the hurricane, houses were marked with numbers and letters by the soldiers and local residents who had gone through checking houses for survivors. These numbers and letters signified whether bodies had been found, if they were dead or alive, and if pets were found. It was a sobering experience for students to stand before these houses and read these reports, knowing that people had been found dead here.

After this tour of New Orleans and lunch at the locally famous Parkway Bakery and Tavern, the group headed for Mississippi. It was a scenic hour’s drive to Waveland, as the sun set over the seemingly endless bayou (a marshy coastal plain) on one side, and the ocean stretched out on the other. But among all this beauty, proof of Katrina’s devastation became more evident, as we passed countless houses and piers wrecked beyond repair.

After arriving in Waveland that night the group went to dinner at the Silver Slipper Casino’s restaurant with the mayor of the city, Tommy Longo. The food at the restaurant was great, offering students a taste of southern culture. Dressed in a pair of jeans, a plain t-shirt and a sports jacket, the mayor was welcoming, and he expressed how grateful he and the people of Waveland were for all the volunteers who came to help their city.

Keep America Beautiful, an organization that works to beautify areas all over America, was having its kickoff day in Waveland on Tuesday, so the Waylanders spent much of Monday making sure everything was prepared. The group spent a good deal of the day moving bushes, work gloves, shovels, supplies, and food to the different sites that were going to be worked on the next day by over 800 volunteers.

Visiting the different sites that were going to be worked on also allowed the students to experience more of Waveland. The group’s day was split between spending time working at the local beach, at a ball park much like the Cochituate ball field, and even at the mayor’s office, where many of the supplies had been stored. Students also had some down time to spend bonding and getting to know each other better.

Tuesday morning dawned early for the students as they boarded their vans at 7:30 AM and headed for a Waveland beach where the Great American Cleanup Day kickoff ceremony for Keep America Beautiful was to be held. About 800 volunteers came to see Mayor Longo and other project leaders thank the volunteers, and Wayland to Waveland received a special thanks. After a performance by the Waveland High School band, volunteers divided to their assigned work sites.

Wayland students spent the whole day working at a local playground with other volunteers, transforming it from a beat up old lot to a warm and welcoming place for children to play. They planted trees, dug trenches, laid down mulch and fertilizer, and helped install a gazebo, fence, and picnic tables. The students felt exhausted but proud after a hard day’s work.

One of the leaders of the project came to speak to our group as the playground cleanup came to a close, and he asked us what we were building. When we answered “a playground,” he corrected us, saying “community.” He expressed his gratitude for the hope that volunteers brought to Waveland, and said that this hope spreads to the community as their city is rebuilt.

Wednesday was time for Wayland to Waveland to return to their chilly hometown, but before leaving they visited the famous French Quarter of New Orleans for a final taste of southern culture. As the plane took off for hom, a flight attendant who lived in Mississippi thanked the group over the intercom for their service. The thanks was returned by the Waylanders, who had had a great experience of their own.