By Chloe Nott

Most QU students rush home to spend winter break with family and friends at the end of the semester. But for many people, the holiday season is often passed by with little attention.

Those devastated by natural disasters have more basic needs to be concerned with. Having safe shelter and enough food to eat is a common problem for many communities.

QU Campus Ministry took a group of students to Biloxi, Mississippi on a mission trip.

The team was able to help with food distribution as well as purchasing and distributing presents to children who may not received any other gifts over Christmas.

The group was hosted by New Life Disaster Relief at Biloxi Christian Church. Pastor Ken Wetzel and his family established a ministry dedicated to serving struggling communities. Their program focuses on responding to natural disasters, distributing donations, and assisting in rebuilding projects.

The group traveled two hours each way to serve the region. The majority of buildings were damaged in Raceland and surrounding towns. Cars were lined up for miles waiting each morning to receive free grocery hampers and hot meals. Pastor James, a local minister, runs the distribution and cooks the meals.

Presents were wrapped and organized into age groups for children to pick out.

The evening included food and drinks before kids got to unwrap presents. The mission team spent the morning purchasing the presents at Walmart with donations from the QU community.

The mission team spent one day visiting different sites including an alligator park, the French Quarter of New Orleans, and Ocean Springs Beach.

QU campus ministry plans to continue offering mission trips and opportunities to serve. The Biloxi mission trip occurs annually during winter break.