Jerry Godbout is a Chemistry Professor at St. Bonaventure and one of
the most committed BonaRespond members there is. He has been
involved in virtually every response since his Spring 2005 trip to
Biloxi. The following is his moving reflection.
Becoming BonaResponds
What got me, and kept me involved
My first experience with BonaResponds was the Katrina relief trip in March 2006. Like most
people, I had spent the previous six months horrified and repulsed by the conditions in MS and LA.
Deep down inside I wanted to do something, but I didn't know exactly what, or even how. And it
seems that there was always something that got in the way. A presentation given by some students
returning from previous trips finally pushed me over the edge.
A few weeks later, I got on a plane to Biloxi not really knowing what to expect. Growing up in
Florida, I was no stranger to hurricanes but this seemed so much worse than anything I had seen before.
It was. Six months after the storm, the devastation was still simply unbelievable. As I saw street after
street lined with debris at least waist-high, I wondered how I could possibly make a dent in this
catastrophe. I got my answer.
After several long, hot days removing toxic mold from flooded houses, I was drained both
physically and emotionally. But I had made a difference. Of course no single person can make a
noticeable difference in a disaster that big. That's preposterous. It's also the wrong way of looking at
it. You can, however, make a huge difference in the life of another person. And we all did.
The nature of the help we brought, though, caught many of us by surprise. The tangible work
that we did was substantial. Surprisingly so. The capability of a small group of highly dedicated
people should never be underestimated. No matter how substantial it was though, it wasn't half of we
brought. We came with hammers and crowbars, but what we really brought to the people living as
“Prisoners of Katrina” more than anything, was hope. Our presence let the residents know that they
were not forgotten, that someone (many) cared, and that their suffering would come to an end.
Even before I left, I had made up my mind return to the Gulf Coast. My only regret was that I
hadn't gone sooner. For once, I was the good person that I always wanted to be. Instead of just helping
out when it was convenient, now I wanted to help whenever and wherever it was needed. I wanted to
keep on being that good person.
BonaResponds let me do all that. Many “BonaResponders” have made multiple trips to the
Gulf as it continues with the decade-long recovery. In addition, we have been able to lend aide after
other natural disasters. In two cases, BonaResponds was on the ground less that 48 hours after the
event itself. Being among the first volunteers in Buffalo after the “October Surprise” snowstorm and in
Enterprise, AL after a massive tornado are destined to be among the most memorable moments of my
life. Along with disaster relief efforts, BonaResponds' local service projects have helping others a part
of everyday life, rather than just a spring break activity.