When Bethany Roberts, a sophomore at Houston High School in Memphis, TN, returned home after the mission, what she felt most was grateful.

“I am grateful for my ability to give back to people and help them and make them happy,” she says.

For Bethany, aside from the volunteering, meeting people throughout New Orleans who constantly give back to their community really inspired her.

“This trip changed me as a person,” she says. “It showed me how passionate people are and how joyful they are when they’ve found something they really enjoy, and [it] inspired me to find something I enjoy just as much.”

She adds that the trip also changed her in another way.

“It changed me as a Jew because it made me feel connected to Judaism and made me feel very proud to be Jewish,” she says.