With six roster players who hail from the barrier island and who lived through the ravages of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Kellenberg volleyball program jumped into action when news spread of the catastrophic conditions in Texas resulting from Hurricane Harvey.
Working in conjunction with the Long Beach Fire Department and the parish of St. Mary of the Isle, the junior varsity and varsity teams set out to collect cleaning materials, first aid equipment, and baby supplies. In just two days, the players donated over 10 boxes of goods and delivered them to the donation center at St. Mary’s on Friday, September 1st. An eighteen-wheel tractor trailer departing on Saturday morning is scheduled to travel south, fully laden with these much-needed items. Senior Molly Perrotta, whose car was stuffed with supplies, commented, “I remember so vividly what happened to my family and me just a few years ago, and how simple things–like fresh water and dry clothing–meant so much to us.”
In the midst of their four scrimmages and tournament play this week, the volleyball program took some time to train something beyond their physical skill, something that resides deep in a person’s heart. In this act of mercy they illustrated how “empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”