IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/7/06 CONTACT: PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

            SILVER CITY- Most Western New Mexico University students spent their winter break in their hometowns celebrating the holidays with their family but not the four students who were part of Project Amigo. Project Amigo is a group of students, faculty and community members who volunteered their time to go to Baker, La. and help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 

            Project Amigo was an idea conceived by a WNMU social work class. After deciding this was something that the group wanted to do, they started getting help from other people and departments including the WNMU Early Childhood Development program, Social Work Department and the United Campus Ministry. The volunteers in Project Amigo decided that the primary goal the group wanted to achieve was to work with the children in one of the Federal Emergency Management Agency evacuee camps.

            All together the groups raised almost $7,000 in cash donations and another $7,000 was donated in goods and services. Wal-Mart, Chopper Trading Company and Southwest Hazard Control all made large cash donations. Individuals throughout the campus and community also donated money. Repeat Boutique and the Early Childhood Programs at WNMU donated many of the goods and service items that were used.

            The volunteers left for Louisiana in two groups. The first group consisted of five people and the second group was made up of seven people. Driving two ten-hour days and more than 1,000 miles in personal vehicles and a university van, the first group arrived in Louisiana on Dec. 12 and stayed for three weeks. The second group left on Dec. 17 and returned to New Mexico on Dec. 30.
            Working at the FEMA evacuee camp called Renaissance Village, Project Amigos worked with the children and teenagers that had been devastated by the past events. In this evacuee camp, which had almost 600 trailers occupied by families, there were more than 600 children all under the age of 17, with no recreational things to do. There was one basketball court but no playground or equipment for the younger children.

            A few of the activities that Project Amigo provided daily for the children were arts and crafts projects, a bicycle clinic that repaired and made adjustments to bikes, outdoor games and sports, a talent contest (which everyone won a prize for participating) and they also helped the children and adults make a community mural. Some of the activities that were provided for the adults of the community were bingo games with prizes, massage therapy and special needs interventions.

            Mike Lavelle, WNMU United Campus Minister says, “One thing that made us so successful is we went in there with open minds and no specific plans on how we were going to serve the people of this community. We were going to let the survivors tell us what types of interventions were best for them.”

Alice Jones, Early Childhood Programs director, adds, “We had other groups coming to our tent asking for advice on how to be more successful and relate to the people like we were doing.”

            When talking about the overall experience and the impact Project Amigo had, Lavelle says, “In the grand scheme of things, two and three weeks are not much time, but in terms of real human contact, I think we made a difference in the lives of many of those young people.”  

Jones adds, “We served almost 35 children on a daily basis and twice that amount floated in and out doing different activities throughout the day. I know we had a great impact on the people in that community and we are all very happy with the help and support that we provided.”

Both Lavelle and Jones stated, “This will be an experience that none of the volunteers will ever forget.”

            Participants included WNMU students Leatisha Etcitty, senior, social work major; Katy Mindar, senior, social work major; Raechelle Morgan, senior, chemical dependency major; and Kimberly Smith, senior, social work major. Early Childhood program volunteers included Alice Jones, Eugene Kirker, Susie Medina and Raquel Placencio. Professor A. Hamilton Williams of the social work department and Minister Mike Lavelle of the United Campus Ministry also volunteered their time. Community participants included Rev. Bob Gates and Gwynne Unruh.

            Several WNMU students who didn’t go to Louisiana but helped Project Amigo included Celeste Bencomo, Alfred Chavez, Scott Eckstein, Michelle Fritzen, Megan Mora, Rocky Otenio, Arnold Ramirez, Angie Silva and Amy Valenzuela.

Anyone interested in hearing about Project Amigo’s work in Louisiana is invited to attend a buffet lunch on Tuesday, March 14, at noon in the Sierra Meeting Room located on the third floor of the Thomas B. McDonald Student Memorial Center. A slide show presentation of the camp and display of the community mural created by children and adults in Renaissance Village will be shared. Team members and the class that planned and produced the project will be on hand to answer questions.  Members of the community and WNMU faculty, staff, and students are all welcome. If you are interested in attending the presentation luncheon please RSVP at 538-6813.

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