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UUPers seize opportunity for rebuilding
March 16, 2006 Tom Matthews of SUNY Geneseo helps to gut and restore the home of a Mississippi woman who has lived there for 41 years. "Circumstances create opportunities," said Tom Matthews in his low, matter-of-fact voice. When a hurricane hits, people need help. That's an opportunity. Shortly after hurricanes took chunks out of the Gulf Coast , its buildings and its residents' lives, college students started coming in to Matthews' office. They wanted to take action. Matthews is director of leadership education, development and training at the State University of New York at Geneseo. He's a go-to guy. This time, Matthews went to his community. He helped form Livingston County Community Action Relief Efforts. The people who belong are from the college, churches, village, town and county government. Their goal was to find a location, including college communities, which had been hit hard. "We wanted to forge relationships," Matthews said. They picked Harrison County in Mississippi , where some areas were 90 percent destroyed. In January, 33 members of the group headed to Biloxi , Miss. , for six days of work. Among them were faculty and staff who are, like Matthews, members of United University Professions, representing faculty and professional staff at SUNY. They took down walls, cleaned, ripped up floorboards and ripped out wiring, sanded and painted. They helped the heartbroken remove treasured, destroyed possessions from broken homes. A second group is going this month with 50 college students and four UUP members. On the January sojourn, helpers met with Gulf Coast Community College leaders to explore long-term ideas, including donating books. Matthews said 25 percent of faculty and students lost homes, cars and possessions. Other colleges are closed from water damage. "It's so mammoth," he said. "It looks like a war zone." Matthews estimates it will take a decade to restore the area. — Liza Frenette |
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