MCA students supply hope, one good deed at a time

By Rachel Stone & Tori Mire
Contributing writers
 

As students of Mount Carmel Academy (MCA), serving others is an integral part of our high school experience. We desire to make helping others a habit.

Habitat for Humanity is doing just that – creating habits, building habitats and shaping communities.

The New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH), a nonprofit affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, has been constructing affordable housing since 1983. NOAHH unites community efforts to build houses for those in need because everyone deserves a place to call home.

Mount Carmel’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity began with a group of students interested in community service 25 years ago. Sue Buras, director of student activities at Mount Carmel Academy, reached out to the volunteer department of NOAHH. Since 1996, an estimated 3,700 MCA juniors and seniors have volunteered more than 29,000 hours to the nonprofit.

After Hurricane Katrina, NOAHH increased its home production efforts to help rebuild the New Orleans area. MCA students were active volunteers in many of the houses built in the Musicians’ Village in the Upper 9th Ward. The rebuilding of this area continues to be one of the most successful and well-known projects of NOAHH.

The students at Mount Carmel are so fortunate; it’s important to us to give back to the community we call home so that others can have a place to call home, too.

“Participating in Habitat for Humanity made me realize the importance of volunteer work and giving back to the community,” said senior Sophia McKean, a NOAHH volunteer. “Sometimes we can get so caught up in the materialistic matters of the world that we lose focus on our call as Christians to help others.”

Early Christmas present

On Dec. 4, Mount Carmel students again volunteered at NOAHH. It was beautiful to look around and see our classmates paint a newly constructed house, knowing that our collective efforts would one day give someone a home, somewhere to eat dinner, somewhere to sleep, somewhere to feel safe.

The work Habitat for Humanity is doing is so meaningful, Mount Carmel students do not hesitate to lend a helping hand. Most importantly, however, we are honored to give back to our community and show God’s love through our service to others.

Rachel Stone and Tori Mire are seniors at Mount Carmel Academy.