VERMILION PARISH — A team of high school students from Kansas is in Acadiana this week, trading classrooms for construction work and volunteer shifts.
Students from St. James Academy in Lenexa are working with Catholic Charities of Acadiana on projects meant to help residents who need extra support. Organizers said the school has made the trip each year since 2017.
The students’ work includes building a wheelchair ramp at one home and finishing a ramp at another to improve access for people with mobility challenges. Away from the job sites, the group is also sorting donated items at a local food bank as part of a seasonal food drive.
Students are also helping clear out and pack up two homes, preparing them for a separate volunteer team expected to work in Acadiana next year.
