Working with the Church at the Gateway on Staten Island, the volunteers helped to rebuild some of the many homes that were destroyed due to the flooding. As they drove through the neighborhoods to reach the houses where they would work on they saw some of the most devastated areas. They saw large open areas of dirt where houses had been before being washed away. As they drove around they noticed a field with the roofs of houses lying in it, but there were no houses to be seen anywhere around. Joe Melendez, the lead volunteer coordinator and retired NYPD officer, explained that the roofs had been from homes a mile up the Island but had been washed into the field after the storm surge.
Many homes were either flattened or moved from their foundations.
Despite going to the Island to help others, many of the students found themselves blessed by the resiliency of the human spirit and the strength God gives to His people. They met volunteers from all over the country, retired policemen, pastors, former members of the military, contractors, and many others. Greg Cawood, Student Senate President, summarized the experience this way: “There is something humbling about experiencing someone else’s suffering and loss while knowing that you can still go home at night to a warm meal and comfortable bed. We were reminded of our blessings and the hope that no matter what happens we are not alone.”


The Compassionate Aid in Dying Bill is No Neighbor to Life [From Northeast Times]
In March 2023, Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced the Compassionate Aid in Dying bill (HB543/SB816). The bill is modeled after Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act, which has largely set the framework, in