IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/28/06 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.
	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. 
WNMU senior and social work major, Kim Smith of Gallup participated in 
Project Amigo. Leaving with the first group Smith says, “I was nervous 
and although we had been prepared about what to expect, none of us were 
sure how it was going to be.”  
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 Planner, 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 asked if she would return to Louisiana and volunteer again Smith 
said, “I would definitely go back. It is even more of a critical time 
because most of the services that were available are being 
discontinued. I also really miss the people and the kids.” 
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.” 
“The trip was a rewarding experience that I would not trade for 
anything. connected with a lot of the children in the camp and that was 
the most rewarding experience. I hope that everyone gets the 
opportunity in their lifetime to volunteer and give back to a 
community. This is an experience I will never forget,” said Smith.
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