Not your run-of-the-mill spring break in New Orleans, La.

Hurricane Katrina. It seems like forever ago that I remember seeing the news about the devastation of New Orleans, watching the news and seeing people getting rescued from the roofs of their houses and seeing almost the entire city filled with water.

As soon as the storm happened, I wanted to go down and help, but I never got the opportunity.

This spring break, I was finally able to go with a group from campus called the Collegiate Disaster Relief Team. We stayed in the Lower Ninth Ward, a neighborhood that is not known for being the safest in the city and where only 10 percent of the residents have returned. For every 10 houses you see, nine of them will be abandoned, that is if they are even still standing.

One afternoon, as we were preparing to head back to the Lower Ninth Ward Village, which was the community center where we were staying, we decided to walk back rather than take the van. It was less than half a mile, but it was an eye-opening walk.

There were a few houses that had obviously been fixed up; the residents were sitting on the front porch and would say "Hi," as we walked past. I tried to imagine what it was like before the storm, when all the houses were inhabited.

Looking back at our week, we did a lot of work: tearing out moldy sheetrock, putting up new sheetrock, painting, putting up siding, caulking, digging a drainage trench and much more. But when I think about all that needs to be done in the city, there is so much more.

Something we discussed while reflecting on our experiences was that our trip was helpful, but it was only a small drop in the bucket. It's when you combine all the groups going down that you begin to see the impact that can occur. These groups are changing New Orleans, they are restoring New Orleans.

While in New Orleans, we not only worked on service projects, but we also heard from a number of speakers. This was a part of the trip I wasn't necessarily looking forward to, but it was much better than I ever could have dreamed.

During our stay, we spoke with the director of New Orleans EMS, the former New Orleans chief of police, a professor at Tulane, an employee for the Army Corps of Engineers, some people who had come to New Orleans after the storm and a number of people who had lived through the storm.

It was amazing hearing all their perspectives. A quote that we heard and began to internalize was, "Service without learning is volunteerism, learning without service is activism, service with learning is change."

It is only when you learn about the problems in a community and do something about them that change will occur.

So I challenge you, search for stories of the people and the situation in New Orleans. If you get the opportunity, go and be a part of the change going on there. Although it seems like so long ago and the media has long forgotten, don't forget about Hurricane Katrina and don't forget about the people of New Orleans.

They need us. They need you.