SOUTH RIVER – The idea of laboring outdoors in the sweltering heat of Biloxi, Miss., might not sound appealing to some, but they are obviously not members of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Youth Club.
Children and adults in the group made the trip to assist in the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding effort last year, and will return this summer. Now they need a little help.
“The problem is that every [cost] has gone up and it’s a lot more expensive. People can’t afford to pay for the trip themselves,” said Alicia Picone, of South River. Alicia’s son Tyler, 16, is on the executive committee for the Episcopal Youth Club (EYC).
Alicia will be one of the parents going on the trip. Her older son, Jared, 19, a former member of the club has put together a benefit concert to raise funds for the trip. Called “Mission to Mississippi – The Concert,” it promises to feature “some of New Jersey community theaters’ finest voices performing both new and familiar tunes.”
The concert is one of several fundraisers to be held over the next few weeks before the volunteers are scheduled to leave for the trip in mid-August.
Every year, the youth club goes on a service mission to help people in need. Last year, the volunteers stayed at Mission on the Bay, a program of Christ Episcopal Church in Biloxi that offers lodging and coordinates work activities for young volunteers.
“The church had eight buildings that were totally destroyed by Katrina,” said the Rev. Philip Kasey, pastor of Holy Trinity in South River. “The only thing left standing was a bell tower. They began replacing the building with Quonset huts, and the husband of the pastor set up this program.”
The volunteers lived dormitory-style in those huts during their stay.
“There was one hut for men, another for women, one for the cafeteria, and another for the bathroom,” said Tyler Picone.
Luckily, the living quarters were airconditioned.
“It was like some of hottest, uncomfortable days here, but all the time. It doesn’t cool off at night or in the morning. Even the ocean water is warm,” Tyler said.
On the first day, the group was taken on a tour of New Orleans, visiting the tourist areas and business districts that were rebuilt. The volunteers then went to the Ninth Ward and saw the remains of Katrina’s fury.
“It was like a desert with a few partial buildings,” Rev. Kasey said. “There were stray pets roaming around, and hardly any people. We were told the rate for violent crime there is very high.”
The teens and chaperones did whatever work was called for. They hauled topsoil around a neighborhood park, filling in holes, and painted bathrooms and concession stands. They also worked in housing, breaking up and discarding moldy drywall. On their last day, they spent 12 hours building the frame of a house for an elderly man who had been living in a FEMA trailer.
“It was a hard job, but nobody would stop until it was done. We even put up the trusses for the roof,” Tyler said.
According to Rev. Kasey, lots of drinking water, enthusiasm and a great sense of accomplishment got the volunteers through it.
“The man cried when we were done, he was so appreciative,” Tyler said.
Kelly Brandt, who is the volunteer coordinator of the EYC, was impressed with the teamwork the teens demonstrated as they tackled different projects.
“Seeing how people were living and hearing their stories had a big impact on them. They now appreciate what they have more,” Brandt said.
“I think the kids were blown away by what they saw and what they were able to do,” Alicia Picone said. “They got to meet survivors. They went down there typical teenagers, a little arrogant about things, and when they came back their attitude had changed.”
“Service and acceptance of each other is the point of Christian love,” Rev. Casey said when asked why the youth group and these service missions are important.
“We want to go back,” Tyler said. “People think everything is done, but they don’t expect the rebuilding to be finished until 2015. In the meantime people really need help, and we want to do what we can.”
Fundraising events include:
A family barbeque on July 20 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 90 Leonardine Ave., South River, from 12-3 p.m. Admission is $7 per person; TGI Friday’s restaurant in Sayreville will donate 20 percent of all patrons’ bills on July 20 between 4 and 9 p.m., but patrons must state the cause; “Mission to Mississippi – The Concert,” at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 7 p.m. July 27. Admission is $10; a car wash at South River Elks Lodge, Main Street, Aug. 2 from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, call Tyler Picone at 732-672-1318 or e-mail him at jtpicone@ comcast.net.