In Katrina's wake, alumni join together

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Princeton alumni across the country — both those directly affected and others far from the devastation — are contributing to recovery efforts. Their work so far has included hosting University recruiting sessions for displaced students and sending backpacks filled with school supplies.

Many alumni have used a discussion group on Tigernet, the Princeton alumni website, to coordinate their mission to help those affected by the worst American hurricane since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Marta Richards '73, president of the Princeton Alumni Association of Louisiana, is active in the discussion group on TigerNet and has used her Princeton connections to help raise spirits in the area.

Richards lives in Baton Rouge, La., and experienced the chaos of living in an area now inundated with displaced New Orleans residents.

"Living in Baton Rouge is like living 75 miles from where a nuclear bomb was dropped," she said.

Richards teamed up with the president of the Princeton Alumni Association of New Orleans, Mindy Patron '91, to host a college night in Baton Rouge for high school students interested in attending Princeton.

"So many New Orleans students are up here," she said. "I think that the joint efforts [of both alumni associations] will really help morale."

Richards is especially driven to help with recovery efforts, having witnessed the crisis firsthand and heard the stories of her family members in Louisiana. Her two stepsons had to ride out the hurricane in New Orleans on the fourth floor of a high rise condo near Tulane.

"They tell me that they have never felt anything like this before," Richards said. "The glass from the sliding door was coming out, and they were scared to death, hugging each other."

While alumni like Richards are helping from within the Gulf Coast region, other alums are doing what they can from afar.

Peter Lafen '73, a Maryland resident, has helped "Project Backpack" send more than 5,000 backpacks with school supplies to the region.

"I don't have any personal attachment to the disaster," Lafen said. "Everyone just wants to help out in some way."

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Lafen said a neighbor started the project and received far more backpacks than the initial goal number.

"The project needed people to receive the backpacks, so I got in touch with Marta Richards in the area to help me find places to send them," he said. "All I did was use the Princeton connection to people in Baton Rouge, which went smoothly."

Lafen said he believes there is something distinct about the Princeton community that has involved it in the recovery effort.

"There is a fairly justified assumption of integrity and quality with alumni," he said. "There is a level of trust and a degree of accountability. What we are doing is a way of extending help through a channel that you are comfortable with."

Lafen hopes alumni and the University will continue to help in the recovery.

"I had a meeting with a student and we talked about having students sent down to the area during fall break to help," he said. "I hope alums in the area will help find projects for them and make the process more productive."

Recent efforts, Lafen believes, were carried out quickly and successfully because of the Princeton discussion group and a common bond.

"We are starting to see the fruits of our effort."