Chelsey Antony graduated from the University of Texas in 2016. She moved to New Orleans to go to law school, but she missed what she calls the “Texas vibe.” Fortunately, the local chapter of the UT alumni group Texas Exes were around.
“It’s nice to have another Texas community here in New Orleans,” she said. “It’s nice to have the Texas vibe in New Orleans and to know we have a community to come back to. We’re all still doing the same thing and helping.”
Her chapter joined NOAHH on site in February 2018 for their first Habitat build. Statton Frank, another member, explained that they do service projects around the city.
“Every few months we like to do a service project to get everyone together and support the community,” he said. “We’re thankful for the opportunity to work together.”
These opportunities not only allow them to give back, it gives them a chance to bring people together.
“We like to try to get some people involved who might not otherwise be whenever we do these events,” he said. “We put it out to a broader audience and give other people a chance to serve the community with us. It’s a good way to get to know one another and build camaraderie. Any chance we have to serve other people really seems to bring people together.”
On their first build day with Habitat, they not only gave back to the community through helping to build homes, they learned about the Habitat program and how it works.
“This morning is the first time I ever heard about the program and how it helps a person,” said Chelsey. “I learned how they come out and help volunteer and build their own homes. It’s interesting and cool to know that someone’s gonna live here. We want to help. I think that’s part of the goodness of the program.”
