Rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

Stephen Scarff is a chaplain and hospice volunteer with the Visiting Nurses Association of Northern Massachusetts. A philanthropist, Stephen Scarff worked with Habitat for Humanity in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild New Orleans. 

Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005. Its speeding winds and gushing floodwaters forced their way through New Orleans, destroying homes and sweeping away property worth billions. In its wake 1,577 Louisiana residents lost their lives, 80 percent of New Orleans was flooded, and more than 800,000 residents were displaced. 

Today, 13 years later, New Orleans is returning to its former vibrancy. The French Quarter, one of the city’s most popular tourist spots, stands resilient and as alive as ever. It is surrounded by inviting restaurants, clubs, and hotels. The St. Charles Streetcar is operating, the Garden District and Uptown are beaming with life, and the Warehouse District, with all its art galleries and museums, is as attractive as it ever was. Old places are being rebuilt and new places are springing up. 

Homes in some of the areas that experienced the most flooding like the Lower Ninth Ward have been rebuilt with the help of aid organizations. The levees that broke under the weight of the storm waters, causing rampant flooding, have been rebuilt and a 1.8-mile-long concrete wall has been erected in downtown New Orleans to reduce the risk of damage from a storm surge.

Habitat for Humanity Highlights Its Latest Activities in New Report

A chaplain at Compassus Hospice Care in North Andover, Massachusetts, Stephen Scarff also serves as a hospice volunteer with the Visiting Nurses Association. Over the years, Stephen Scarff has volunteered for organizations outside of the health care field, including Habitat for Humanity. 

Habitat for Humanity recently released its 2018 annual report, which revealed that the nonprofit housing organization has impacted the lives of more than 22 million people since its founding in 1976. Last year alone, Habitat improved housing conditions for 8.7 million individuals through its home building and rehabilitation projects across the United States and in dozens of other countries. Additionally, the organization reached another 2.2 million people as part of its training and outreach activities. 

Habitat's 2018 annual report highlights several specific projects completed during the year, including a bathroom build for an 81-year-old Georgia resident who had never had indoor plumbing in his home. The nonprofit also directed a number of advocacy activities last year. Through its work, 27 housing policies affecting over 374,000 people were either enacted or improved. 

Other Habitat activities outlined in the report include the group's global response to natural disasters, including hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in the United States. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity's recent activities, visit www.habitat.org.

The Otis College of Art and Design Celebrates Its Centennial

Since obtaining a master’s in divinity from the Yale Divinity School, Stephen Scarff has delivered spiritual and pastoral care in hospice centers in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Aside from his hospital-based work, Stephen Scarff also serves on the Board of Governors for the Otis College of Art and Design's Los Angeles campus, and has helped the college raise millions of dollars. This year will mark 100 years since the college opened its doors. 

When Otis College opened in 1918, it was the only professional art program in Southern California. During its 100 year history, the school has welcomed renowned American painter Norman Rockwell as an artist-in-residence, created murals for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, and expanded its degree offerings, including programs in graphic design, public practice, and interactive product design.

To commemorate its centennial, the Otis Ben Maltz Art Gallery has curated an exhibit titled, "Some of Our Favourite Things," featuring works and art objects collected from faculty, alumni, and local artists. The exhibition opened in September 2018.

Budgeting for Walking the Camino

After earning a certificate in theology for ministry from the University of Cambridge in England, Stephen Scarff served as a chaplain at the school. He then returned to the U.S. where he served as an interfaith chaplain resident at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center and curate at St. John's Episcopal Church. Stephen Scarff has also sought to raise awareness among youth about the opioid crisis by walking the Camino de Santiago.

Historically a pilgrimage route to the tomb of the apostle James, the Camino de Santiago attracts travelers for a variety of personal and spiritual reasons. If you would like to join the pilgrims on the route, you need only four or five weeks to walk the full 500 miles of the most popular route.

Budgeting for your trip depends upon what type of experience you want. Those looking for an authentic pilgrim experience will most likely want to stay in the albergues and eat the pilgrim meals, and can, therefore, expect average daily expenses of around €30-35. If you prefer a more luxurious experience with private rooms and fine meals, you should expect to spend approximately €50 or more.

Another option for those traveling on a stricter budget is to carry your own tent, so that you can camp near the albergues and gain access to their kitchens, showers, and other amenities at no extra cost.

Otis College of Art and Design Writing MFA Program

Stephen Scarff is a hospice volunteer with Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) in Northern Massachusetts, as well as a sales and instruction professional at Orvis, Inc., in Manchester, Vermont. In addition to his work with VNA and Orvis, Stephen Scarff sits on the board of governors at Otis College of Art and Design.

For the last 100 years, the Otis College of Art and Design has established itself as the nation’s preeminent provider of art and design education. The college offers a number of programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including a master of fine arts (MFA) in writing program, as well as various programs for youth artists and designers.

Students enrolled in the Otis College MFA writing program have the unique opportunity to develop their craft in an environment dedicated to aesthetic and thematic innovation. Encouraging students to follow their art wherever it may lead, the Otis writing program permits graduate students to work in any genre and does not require them to announce a concentration.

Otis writing workshops bring together poets, authors, and essayists, a structure that allows students to explore less familiar modes of writing as they borrow from other genres and learn from both instructors and peers. The program features a number of special advantages, such as the opportunity to work at the college’s small publishing press and access to Writing Colloquia, which involves faculty and students collaborating on future MFA curriculum. 

To learn more about the writing program at Otis, please visit the college online at www.otis.edu.