After the dust settled in New York City after Sept. 11, many people were eager to help those in need.
Likewise, many students felt the desire to offer their services, and 46 students from Baptist Collegiate Ministry did just that.
“It sounded like a really good opportunity to help people out and show them how much we cared about them,” said education senior Kristy Martin.
Steve Masters, BCM director, contacted the Metropolitan Baptist Association of Manhattan soon after Sept. 11 to offer help.
“I told them that if there were some need they were aware of to let us know,” Masters said.
On Dec. 17, 46 students from BCM, along with a student from Southeastern Louisiana University and team leader Josh Causey, director of college ministries at Parkview Baptist Church, arrived in New York City to help civilians in their time of crisis.
“For Christians, Jesus was all about crossing over different cultural rules,” Causey said.
Going to New York and trying to do as Jesus did and taught was an important goal the group was trying to achieve, he said.
During their four-day stay in New York, the group spent most of its time conversing and praying with people.
However, poor weather conditions kept the group from doing some things they hoped to accomplish.
But, freshman Theresa Lobianco said the plan turned out better than BCM could have imagined.
“Our plans were messed up because of the weather, but that gave us more time to go out and minister to the people at Ground Zero,” Lobianco said. “It gave us a better chance to meet the New Yorkers and help them.”
The students went to low-income hospitals delivering about $600 worth of Christmas presents to sick children and singing Christmas carols, Causey said.
“We realized that so much attention was being given to the World Trade Center that many services were getting neglected,” Causey said. “That was something we wanted to focus on while we were there.”
Also, the students took cards children around the country sent to the Metropolitan Baptist Association and brought them to fire and police departments.
The time spent talking with members from the fire and police departments was an amazing experience, Martin said. One fireman told them the morning of Sept. 11 he cut his finger badly and was unable to join his group at Ground Zero.
He told them out of 12 firemen who went there that morning, only one survived. The fireman left behind said he still feels regret for not going with them.
“It completely opened my eyes to how many people were affected by this event,” Martin said. “The hope that these people have now is amazing.”
Finance management sophomore Deidra Robinson said going to New York and seeing the devastation was a moving experience.
“Going to New York definitely broke me,” she said. “It just came off the TV screens and into your life. It was so massive.”
Causey said the most important thing for the students was having personal conversations with New Yorkers.
“[Going to Ground Zero,] it wasn’t like we had a definite task,” he said. “We just walked around striking conversations with people.”
The students who went to Ground Zero had to attend training to become oriented with the situation, Causey said.
“It’s so outside of the comfort zone, but it is always good when you can see a different side of life than you are used to,” he said. “After you experience that, it is no longer intimidating.”
Causey said the students had to commute via the subway from their hotel in Harlem to Manhattan.
During the commute, students spoke with people on the subways and heard their stories from Sept. 11.
“Watching the difference in the group from the first day to the last was interesting,” Causey said. “At first they were overwhelmed but by the last day they almost hated to get off the subway because of all the emotional conversations they were having.”
Masters said overall, the experience was very good for the students.
“It was a very productive trip,” he said. “Everyone was able to share their love, care and concern for the victims.”