In 2005, people across the United States watched as the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and devastated coast areas around the Gulf of Mexico. Many donated food and supplies to the survivors, but there were other volunteers like senior Beatrice Strnad who actually went to the affected areas and directly helped out.

During the summer of 2005, Strnad stayed at a refugee camp in New Orleans with her church youth group, The Vineyard. “We weeded gardens and tore down houses that were molding,” she said. “We also talked with people and prayed with them.”

Strnad described the missionary work she performed in New Orleans as a truly humbling experience. “It was amazing,” she said. “A lot of really strong people came out of that horrible hurricane. It’s really hard to describe how you can experience such a devastated area and come back to Palo Alto and the Silicon Valley.”

Back home in Palo Alto, Strnad is also actively involved in community service. On the last Sunday of each month of 2004 and 2005, she volunteered at a soup kitchen with the Palo Alto Baptist Church, working seven shifts. “We prepared meals from food that local markets donated,” Strnad said. “We served the food and made bag lunches for whoever showed up at the soup kitchen.”

Strnad first got involved at the soup kitchen after her youth minister encouraged her entire youth group to volunteer there. While Strnad said that church members tend to do a lot of community service, students do not have to be religious to volunteer. “If you’re interested in that kind of stuff, then it’s a good experience,” she said. “It’s nice to escape from school and your social life.”

Strnad also recommends that those interested in volunteering look to community service clubs available at Gunn. “Community service clubs like [Youth Community Service/Interact] and Key Club can always hook you up with day cares or small businesses that need help,” she said. In addition, Palo Alto City Hall also has volunteer opportunities and surveys that students can fill out.