The hammers and work gloves were donned this year by about 135 students and chaperones from the four Rockwood high schools who chose to spend their Spring Break volunteering in New Orleans.

“I heard it was a neat experience and I thought it’d be a neat way to meet Lafayette kids I don’t see every day,” math teacher and chaperone Lorraine Weiss said.

The week-long venture included work with the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity, as volunteers helped to build affordable housing in some of the harder hit areas of the city.

Those who didn’t work with Habitat for Humanity on a given day worked in charter schools as part of the New Orleans Outreach program.

One of the unique experiences on the trip was a chance to meet seniors from Pass Christian High School, which had suffered severe flooding in the wakes of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which happened back in 2005.

“They didn’t mind us asking awkward questions and they were so friendly,” senior Melissa Berry said.

On St. Patrick’s Day, volunteers at the Habitat for Humanity site also got to attend a ceremony in which a finished home was given to its new owner. Senior Christine Hibler was chosen to present the new homeowner with his house keys.

“The ceremony was really moving,” Weiss said.