Notre Dame High School enrolls 7 New Orleans students; LMU helps deployed aid workers' families.

Assistance from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has come in a variety of ways for those affected by the hurricanes in the Gulf States Region.

Monetary aid provided through parishes and schools totaled $2,958,349 as of Oct. 17, said Msgr. Royale M. Vadakin, Moderator of the Curia and Vicar General. He expressed optimism that by week's end, the total would surpass $3 million.

Contributions are being divided among the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the Diocese of Biloxi, and Catholic Charities locally for resettlement efforts and the rest nationally. (Checks should be sent to: Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Hurricane Relief Fund, 3424 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010.)

In Sherman Oaks, Notre Dame High School recently welcomed six displaced students from their New Orleans sister school, Holy Cross, and one from Dominican High School in New Orleans, following Hurricane Katrina's devastation in their hometown.

The seven students, all seniors, will now have the opportunity to complete their high school education without interruption and within the "Holy Cross family" environment to which they are accustomed, said Notre Dame Principal Stephanie Connelly. "Leaving their parents and siblings was difficult but Notre Dame families stepped up to provide loving homes for each of the students," she said.

The school provided airfare, tuition and books, while Sue Mills School Uniforms outfitted them in schoolwear. Many other members of the ND community have helped to make their transition comfortable.

Several Notre Dame students had previously met some of the New Orleans students at Holy Cross-sponsored leadership and service programs this past summer, making relocation to the Sherman Oaks campus a realistic idea. Other Holy Cross schools across the country opened their doors to Holy Cross New Orleans students as well.

When Connelly announced at a school rally that Notre Dame would be welcoming some students from New Orleans, the cheers from the student body were deafening. "I have never been more proud to be the principal of Notre Dame High School than I was at that very moment," noted Connelly.

The high schoolers are currently living with six Notre Dame families who have reached out graciously. Ron and Emily Viola of Sherman Oaks are hosting twins Ian and Heather Bozant. Other host families include the Ribeiro family, hosting Marcus Stewart; the Timberlake family, hosting Daniel Bonilla; the Binkow family, hosting Arthur Booker; the Krakowski family, hosting William Weaver; and the Homsy family, hosting Randy Wood.

The students have assimilated into the ND community and are enjoying southern California and all that it has to offer," said Connelly. "Life is good and graduation is on the horizon."

New Orleans senior Marcus Stewart recently addressed the Notre Dame student body at an assembly and brought the entire community to its feet. "Today I want you to understand the bond that all Holy Cross students share," he says. "I am exactly 1,914.46 miles away from my New Orleans Holy Cross High School doorstep and I feel as though I am right there. That is because at Holy Cross schools, where both hearts and minds are educated, we create lifelong friends and form lifelong bonds. We are family."

Family debriefing at LMU

At Loyola Marymount University in Westchester, first-year graduate students in the university's Department of Marital and Family Therapy provided assistance with a family debriefing experience for the children of Los Angeles rescuers deployed to the region.

Children of firefighters from Station No. 88 in Sherman Oaks met with students at the firehouse to engage in art therapy. As a way to express feelings and initiate conversation in their homes, children were asked to craft a three-part booklet with sections dedicated to the child's recent activity, their parents' activities while away and the child's intended activities once their parent returned.

First-year master's student Tim Sagafoos, who helped three children to construct their booklet said, "I am hoping that the drawings produced were able to fuel a little discussion once the families returned home" and children were able to present their booklets to their parents.

Offering the only art therapy training in Southern California supported by a fully accredited university, the program is specifically designed to educate marriage and family therapists using clinical art therapy.

In dealing with psychological traumas such has as those seen in the recent events of Hurricane Katrina, "a caring person may be able to help, but without training, the assistance may be misguided or even more tragically, unintentionally harmful," said Barbara J. Busse, dean of LMU's College of Communication and Fine Arts.

"Trained clinical therapists are educated in the use of art therapy processes to successfully engage therapeutic interventions," continued Busse. "I am pleased that the College of Communication and Fine Arts includes the Marital and Family Therapy program, whose potential for affecting the world for good is enormous."

Debra Linesch, chair of the program, is extensively involved in promoting art therapy in the community and will be the keynote speaker for "Healing and Transformation Through Art." The exclusive three-week art exhibit and speaker series will take place at Gallery Saint Germaine in West Hollywood, beginning December 3.