Relief efforts are still occurring in New Orleans to help the city recover from Hurricane Katrina. In order to help the victims, local religious organizations including Illini for Christ and the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, are organizing relief trips to the disaster-stricken area for the upcoming week.

Stephanie Wypasek, senior in Education, is president of the University Illini for Christ. She said her organization helps with volunteer and service projects throughout the year, including sponsoring a team for the upcoming Relay for Life event and adopting a campus path to take care of.

As part of their main mission trip for the spring semester, Wypasek said her organization will send 15 people to Ocean Springs, Miss., to help with a hurricane relief effort during spring break. They will be working in collaboration with the Ocean Springs Church to build a church in the area.

“The people of the area need so much help, even today,” Wypasek said. “They are in need of homes, and we are doing our part to help.”

This is the second trip Illini for Christ is taking to the area, but the previous trip was mainly comprised of students from Parkland College, Wypasek said. Students from the University are the main participants of this trip.

“Even though we are up north, the effects of the hurricane can still be felt where we are,” Wypasek said. “This is a great opportunity for us to go down there, as there is so much work that needs to be done. We felt that the need was stronger in this area, and selected to go down south as our main mission project. Even if people can’t physically go down, they can help with money or even by praying.”

Illini for Christ is not the only University group heading south next week.

The Orthodox Christian Fellowship is also working to help victims and their families of Hurricane Katrina. Nick Poteres, junior in LAS, is president of the organization and has participated in various philanthropy and service projects.

Poteres said it is very important for students to be active in the community. The Orthodox Christian Fellowship is a University branch of a larger national organization. The state and University branches have helped organize various projects, including an effort to send a team down to the Hurricane Katrina disaster area during Spring Break. The project is called Cajun Cleanup. The group will help in the clean-up efforts and will also help to rebuild churches in the region.

Eleni Apostolopoulos, junior in LAS, is vice president of the fellowship and served as philanthropy chair for the organization last year. The fellowship works in cooperation with churches in Champaign and Urbana for service projects, she said.

The group will try to bring their huge support system to the area and help their extended Orthodox family down there, Apostolopoulos said.