It was less than a month ago that Hurricane Dorian, a category five hurricane, hit the islands of the Bahamas, killing more than 50 people with at least 1,300 still missing. Dorian is the most powerful tropical storm to ever strike the country in recorded history, and many people who lived there lost everything they owned. Waynesburg University is planning a trip for students to help the situation.

For the past three years, the Center for Service Leadership has worked with Hands and Hearts, an organization that aids in supplying the needs of people in areas affected by natural disasters. The organization allows students to participate in service trips each year during the first week of January over winter break to assist in disaster relief efforts.

For the past couple years, the trip has been to Texas to assist after Hurricane Harvey hit the state in 2017. Originally, the plan was to return again this year, since the state was once again hit by a storm. However, after hearing about the vast damage done to the Bahamas and those who lived there, Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of Student Services, and students decided to change their plans and go to the Bahamas to help during the week of Jan. 4-11.

“Our students are amazing service leaders, and I think they are being called to help in an area of such great need,” Hardie said.

It is still uncertain whether the service area in the Bahamas will be safe enough for Waynesburg students to volunteer in. If not, the volunteers will return to Texas for a third year, as initially planned.

Carin Camp, campus security officer, has volunteered as a leader on the disaster relief service trips for the past two years and plans to go again this year. She originally was asked by Hardie to volunteer as a trip leader two years ago because she has previously lived in Texas for 15 years. Camp said the fact that the disaster was in her ex-home state led her to say yes, and she has volunteered ever since.

“When Harvey hit, it was very close to home, very personal for me. I had friends who lost everything,” Camp said. “I realized that, for myself, if I could be there, I would in a heartbeat.”

Camp said one of the best aspects of the volunteer work is meeting the people they are helping and knowing they are making a difference in the lives of those people. It is also one of the saddest aspects, as they see first-hand the loss experienced by those involved.

“It is a very personal experience,” she said. “You get to talk to these people, hear their stories and see the devastation of their homes.”

If they are able to volunteer in the Bahamas, Hardie said the work they do will consist of going through debris, possibly tearing down homes that are unsalvageable and other immediate hurricane relief efforts.

An interest meeting for the service trip will be held tomorrow at noon in Stover 303. Students interested, but unable to attend the meeting, can email Hardie at khardie@waynesburg.edu or stop by Stover 102 to get more information.