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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday October 3, 2008 - 25 At home in the wake of natural disasters By Hiba Kesebi SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Danielle Ludwick's passion for travelling didn't bring her to New Orleans, Wisconsin and Dallas. Her love to help others did. Ludwick, 24, chose to embark on a 10-month journey across the United States so she could be there for the people and environments that have been hard-hit by natural disasters. She was there when Gustav hit and when floods ravaged Wisconsin. Now, she is working in Texas to ease the chaos left by Hurricane Ike. But she's not alone. The Wilfrid Laurier University alumnus is part of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCC), a U.S. residential program aimed at helping communities and developing leadership through team-orientated national and community assistance. While there's still two months remaining before her term with the corps comes to an end, Ludwick has loved every part of the experience, so far. "It's been incredibly amaz- Danielle Ludwick Expert help for parents challenged by kids Dr. Stuart Ablon will be in town to offer parents help in dealing with challenging behaviour in children and teens on Oct. 7 and 8. Halton community and parent organizations have worked together to provide the presentations by Ablon, a well-respected lecturer on dealing with challenging behaviour in children and teens. The Tuesday, Oct. 7 presentation will take place at 7 p.m. at the Milton Sports Complex, 605 Santa Maria Blvd. in Milton. Reservations are required due to room capacity. Contact Halton Region 905-825-6000, ext. 7785. On Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m., Ablon will be at the Operating Engineering Banquet Hall and Conference Centre at 2245 Speers Rd. (between Bronte Road and Third Line). No reservations are required. Ablon will focus on a collaborative problem-solving approach to understanding the thinking and behaviour of children and teens so that parents can help them develop needed skills. These skills include impulse and emotional control, problemsolving, interpersonal and social skills and adaptability. Ablon is associate director of the Collaborative Problem-Solving Institute in Boston, Massechusetts and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He co-authored Treating Explosive Children with Dr. Ross Greene. The collaborative problem-solving approach has been featured on Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, The Early Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Admission is free, however, donations toward future speakers will be gratefully accepted. ing," she said. "All of us have been coming together and helping." When news came of Hurricane Ike, Ludwick and six other team members packed their necessities and travelled to Dallas. "We were there early to help set up shelters. We're helping the Salvation Army with the food," she said, explaining that they were there three days before the hurricane was scheduled to hit. According to Ludwick, the aftermath is still obvious in some cities. "I haven't been able to go the part of Houston that's badly affected. But I know stores are closed and electricity is still off." Ludwick and her team are living at an airbase in Dallas. She said people are seeking refuge there because it is one of the cities least affected by the hurricane. Helping out with the aftermath of Hurricane Ike is just one of the initiatives that Ludwick has been involved with for the last eight months. While in New Orleans, she would visit 10 homes a day to tell people about energy-efficient light bulbs. "Their energy bills are so high," said Ludwick, of some people living in New Orleans. "I would sit with them and calculate how much money they would save with an energy-efficient light bulb." She also helped build a wooden stage in a small flood-ravaged town in Virginia. "I'm just grateful to have had the opportunity to help people in diverse communities," she said. Ludwick came to know of the corps after searching the internet for projects by non-profit organizations. She said that after graduating from communications studies she felt like it was important to help in the non-profit sector. So when her computer lead her to the NCCC's webpage, she was immediately interested. Luckily she was eligible to apply. "You have to be an American citizen to get accepted and I was born there," she laughed. Ludwick left Oakville for the United States in January 2008. When she returns in November she will be offered an education award of up to $5,000 that she can put towards any program she desires. For more information about the NCCC, visit www.americorps.gov. 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