Students in Campus Crusade for Christ took an active role in the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts by traveling to Slidell, La.

Nine students made their way to Slidell over the weekend, where 80 percent of the homes were damaged, said Dennis Leskowski, CRU staff.

At the latest CRU meeting people were asked to go to Louisiana for “long weekends” in the next three weeks, Leskowski said. About 75 people were interested in going from Friday to Sunday and Sept. 23-25, but nine students said they wanted to go the weekend of Sept. 9-11.

“It just shows their heart for helping those in need and their willingness to make a decision that night and leave the next morning,” Leskowski said.

Students drove in two cars filled with supplies purchased by CRU to give to local residents. Leskowski said the supplies included a washer, chain saw, snow shovels for removing mud, crowbars for removing ruined carpets, buckets and other work material, he said. Lowe’s, 2050 Sycamore Road, offered CRU a 20 percent discount for items purchased to help with the cause.

Students stayed in the basement of a local resident’s house which had not been badly damaged, he said. The people they worked with provided meals.

The atmosphere in Louisiana was peaceful and quiet, said Michal Herka, a freshman electrical engineering major, and one of the nine students who helped.

“Especially on the streets, you could feel it in the air that people need help and they are struggling a lot,” he said.

Herka and three other people helped a pastor whose home was filled with water. They shoveled mud, took out furniture and tore up carpets, he said. They also gave out food, water, ice and clothing to victims of severe flooding. Herka said the experience was very fulfilling and he encourages more people to help. He added that he will never forget the experience.

“It is very exhausting work but it’s worth it,” Herka said. “People really appreciate what we did. Every time they asked us if we were hungry and what we needed.”

The next students to travel to Louisiana will include members from the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, said Brent Batiste, CRU campus director. CRU is hoping NIU will provide transportation for the next trip.

This weekend, CRU will travel to the First Baptist Church in downtown Slidell to help pastor Mike Claunch clean up the facility, Leskowski said. NIU students will clean yards, work with chain saws, distribute food and provide baby-sitting for harried mothers, he said.

For more information on CRU, visit www.campuscrusadeforchrist.com/katrina/index.htm.