What were the days following Hurricane Katrina really like?
New Orleans resident Earl Barthé, Jr. and Occidental College assistant politics professor Caroline Heldman will discuss their personal experiences in a noon presentation, "Rising from the Waters: Stories of Struggle and Survival in Hurricane Katrina," on Oct. 29 in Morrison Lounge.
In the days following the disaster, Barthé and his impromptu civilian rescue group, the "Soul Patrol," saved more than 500 people. Heldman, director of the New Orleans’ Women’s Shelter, drove to the stricken city to help with rebuilding efforts the week that Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, and has returned dozens of times since to assist with rebuilding. Heldman works in a leadership position with Common Ground, a New Orleans-based grassroots relief organization, and is the co-founder of Critical Response, a group that provides volunteers for high-risk rescue efforts during crises and disasters.
Both speakers will discuss how these experiences have influenced their political, social, spiritual and vocational commitments.
The talk, part of the Office for Religious and Spiritual Life’s Values and Vocations program, is free and open to the public. Occidental College is located at 1600 Campus Rd. in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles. Map and directions are available here: /x119.xml
