Reflections

Yesterday we went on an epic bamboo flooring mission, with our goal being to finish Elmore's living room floor before leaving for the week.  Angie measured and cut the irregular boards at each end, making exact measurements.  Alanna hammered in the boards, squatting down and getting up again, leading to sore legs today.  Summer held the heavy floor stapler in place just so, while Barb hit the stapler hard with the, appropriately named, 'Whack-a-mole'.  Our system was extremely efficient.  Whenever one of us was waiting for another to complete a job, we found something to do, never standing still until we took a very necessary lunch break. 

Our group was motivated because we could see our progress.  After meeting Elmore, we wanted to make him a beautiful floor.  Halfway through the day, Elmore stopped by, and we insisted that he come in and see his floor.  Again, Elmore stated that he knows the floor is fine.  He doesn't need to see it to know that it ok.  He did come in though, stating that he can't wait until his wife can see this floor.  His wife has been living in Atlanta because she had to stay there to work.  Meanwhile, Elmore lives in a tiny back apartment so that he can be available to the people working on his house, and so he can watch  his grandchildren. 

Elmore also stopped by at the end of the day, when, sadly, we hadn't quite finished the floor.  He was so appreciative, loving what we had done for him.  He doesn't feel sorry for himself, despite what he has been through.  He invited us to come to his home next year for some gumbo, and we're sure we will!  YUM!

Working non-stop

The floor when we were done for the day, almost completed

The Whack-a-mole

Looking back on our week, we have realized, more than ever, the importance of going home.  Today, as we are packing up our stuff to head to our homes, we realize that we are lucky to have a home, often taking for granted how important having a home really is.  We take with us the Spirit of New Orleans, having learned a lot about this city this week, and we plan to keep coming back until everyone has been given the opportunity to come home.

- Sumalabarbgie

Yesterday after meeting Elmore for the first time

Elmore stopped by again today.  When he realized we were from Rochester, he told us that he studied at Colgate Seminary!  Small world!  Elmore told us about how he grew up in the Upper Ninth Ward when racial segregation was prevalent.  Every story that Elmore told reminded us that he has been through so much.  Regardless, when we offered to show him the tile mosaic we were in the process of creating in his home, he said that he is sure that it is fine.  'But this is YOUR home Elmore' we said, and we were about to permanently cement the tiles onto the floor.  Elmore did not seem concerned.  Like Toni said yesterday, all Elmore wants is to come home.

 

 

 

Our mosaic

This afternoon those of us who were here last year took the others on a tour of New Orleans.  Despite leaving work a bit early for this tour, we knew that taking this tour could be more important than finishing our bamboo flooring.  By going on this tour, and seeing the damage that is still so prevalent in New Orleans five years later, we are able to bring this information home.  So many people  in Rochester don't understand that the damage from Katrina is not at all cleaned up. 

First, we went to the Lower Ninth Ward to see the Bayou Bienvenue.  This area of wetlands is so important to New Orleans' economy, yet it is being drastically reduced.  We then went to the levee that broke, now re-built, a powerful image.  Driving around the Lower Ninth Ward below the levee, there continued to be few houses.  Every house in that neighborhood, with the exception of one, had either been completely re-built or was gone, just a concrete platform sitting there in what was once a crowded urban neighborhood.  Houses in the Lower Ninth Ward could not be fixed up.  The water there came at such a speed that the houses there were simply gone after Katrina.  We then drove towards the house some of us worked in last year, just to see it.  We had heard that that area in St Bernard Parish had been significantly changed, and it had, but the damage is still drastic.  Houses near where we worked last year that used to be concrete slabs are now grass, as if the families have given up on re-building.

The levee

After the tour we stopped at the drive-thru for some local cuisine.  (Same place we went last year, Susan!)  :)  YUM!

- Sumalabarbgie :)

And Grace Will Lead Me Home

We finally met our homeowner!  Elmore is a Vietnam vet and a retired police officer.  Generations of his family were born in his beautiful home.  When he knew Katrina was coming, Elmore and his family fled, more concerned about their safety than about their home.  Still, though, we could tell that Elmore loves his house, stating 'She is still standing!'  His nephew, living around the corner, told Elmore about how the Earth rumbled as a 70 foot wave of water came into the Upper Ninth Ward.  After a few months of staying in Atlanta, Elmore's daughter went back to see the damage, because Elmore felt that he could not handle it.  The bottom floor of the house was completely drowned.  The walls had to be torn apart, and the house had to be re-built from the inside out.  Although the water did not come upstairs, it completely moved the upstairs floor.  When we asked Elmore what it was like to see his house being re-built, he said 'It is like re-building my heart.' 

When Elmore described the aftermath, he talked about a lot of things that hadn't occurred to us:  His neighborhood was a ghost town, no people, no birds, no dogs barking.  He compared it to Hiroshima, saying that even then people were walking around there.  The water in his house was toxic.  He has health problems, inflicted in Vietnam,  and told us about how people could get Gangrene from touching the water.  Dead animals would float into the homes, and you never knew what you were going to find.  Elmore was away from his home for 3 years, and was not sure he would be able to re-build.  Now, he and his wife are living in his re-furbished basement as hey wait for his house to be re-built. 

We also had a unique opportunity yesterday.  After work, we got to go to a home dedication!  Jack and Toni had their house re-built by Project Homecoming, after two different contractors stopped work on their home halfway through because of running out of money.  Jack has lung cancer, and is not expected to live long.  The family had been living in a tiny FEMA trailer for 5 years.  The family invited us into their beautiful home for a ceremony.  Everyone teared up as we sang 'Amazing Grace'.  The family had prepared food, and were proud to show us their home.  The whole family was there, including the children and grandchildren.  It was a powerful, beautiful ceremony.  Toni talked about how all she wanted during that time was to come home.  She was not concerned about minute details of the work on her home, or even when they had to move back in for a number of weeks with no hot water.  All she wanted was to come home.  Now, 5 years later, they have. 

After the ceremony, Toni gave Barb a hug.  Barb commented that she had not even worked on her home.  Toni said that it does not matter, that every person in that house is a piece of the puzzle who is working to re-build New Orleans.  Elmore, too, was very thankful.  Both of these people have been through so much, and both very much appreciate the work that we have been doing, despite our lack of expertise.   Having Elmore show his appreciation motivated us to work harder to finish his floors. 

A woman whose house was re-built by Project Homecoming made us dinner last night. Boiled shrimp!  YUM!

- Sumalabarbgie

Third Church bears witness to the hope of coming home

Team arriving for work at Minnie and John's house on Clouet.

Our Third Church team working on Clouet includes Nancy Watson, Nancy Bertnik, Nancy Adams (yes, that's a lot of Nancys), Bill Chase, Ginger Potter, Sue Spaulding, and George Gotcsik. We got to meet home owners Minnie and John on Tuesday, and they have already become "our" people and their home "our" house. Minnie and John returned on Wednesday bearing authentic New Orleans po-boys.

(left-right) Ginger, Nancy, Nancy, Kate, Minnie, Sue, Bill, John, and George enjoy the po-boys lunch; the first meal served in their refinished dining room. John said it was the "best blessing" they could have for the table space.

 

Ginger paints window trim.

The crew has been installing baseboards, painting the trim, caulking the finished trim-work and painting the doors. The family hopes to be back in the space for Christmas, and the volunteers are working steadily to make that possible.


George and Bill install floorboards: "measure twice cut once..."



All the work teams at Olive Tree gathered today on State Street Drive for a home dedication--standing in the stead of all the teams who have worked on the home. More on this later, but for now a picture of the homecoming.

Toni receives handmade quilts--made with love by Presbyterian congregations--from a long-term volunteer who worked on her house for half a year.

Nancy Watson

 

We finally learned how to post photos!

TFW

Today we realized our week is going to consist mostly of flooring, but we’re hoping we’ll see some significant progress. We worked together to frantically finish grouting a floor before taking a late lunch, and we learned to install bamboo flooring. We learned that, even though the bathroom we are using in our house does not have a door, we are lucky to have access to one. Other teams have Port-a-potties, or nothing at all.

This afternoon, we learned what 'TFW' means, which we often see on the vacant houses: 'Toxic Flood Waters'. This is written on almost any still vacant house, indicating that it was filled with water for an extended period of time. Water receded around the houses, but the houses stayed filled, filling them with mold and damage, rendering them uninhabitable.

We've had the opportunity to hear many Katrina stories since writing yesterday:

- Our bartender last night grew up in the Lower Ninth Ward, a completely desolated area of the city. He said that he thinks that the city would not re-build if a disaster like Katrina happened again any time soon. It would just be too much. He did say though, that he could never imagine leaving.

- We’ve heard a lot of stories about the crime that occurred in New Orleans soon after the flood, and still continues today. Our bartender told us about how he was shot at for trying to get food from a nearby store. Imagine, calling 911 did nothing. The city was shut down, and local law enforcement was worrying about their own families. We’ve heard of many instances where construction equipment and copper wiring has been stolen from the houses we are working on, often because there are still no neighbors around to keep watch. You’d think a disaster like this would make people bond and help each other, but it shows the desperation that still exists in this city.

- Our crew leader, Henry, was a sophomore at Tulane when Katrina happened. He was away for the weekend, and was not given much information as to how extreme the damage was in New Orleans. When he finally saw what had happened, he felt that he couldn’t handle it and had to go right to bed. He had to very quickly decide what school he would transfer to for the semester. He is now working for extremely low pay because he cares so much about this cause.

- Our roommate Leigh is a fire fighter in Texas. She was available to assist the refugees of Katrina who had fled to Texas. These people had been without a shower for a number of days. They were without refrigeration for their medications, and without a doctor to call to get refills. They ended up building showers, connected to a fire hydrant!

- This afternoon, we drove around a mostly vacant neighborhood taking photos to bring back to NY. A resident seemed concerned that we were taking photos, so we explained why. We told him that our friends in NY often think that New Orleans is completely cleaned up by now, 5 years later. The resident looked at us, shocked, stating “It isn’t cleaned up at all!”

Muffalettas for lunch tomorrow! Can't wait!

- Sumalabarbgie

First Workday for TPC Katrina Trip 7



North Rampart house.

 New Orleans looks good from the airport, and the Superdome was a busy place when I arrived from Rochester. The French Quarter looks good; the trolley cars are running all the way past the Audbon Park. Some neighborhoods even look pretty good, as if the recovery is almost complete. But as we drove to the site today--in a poorer area of the city--the picture changes. Houses are still vacant and unrepaired. The markings from the rescue workers made in the aftermath of the storm are still visible. Streets need repaving.

We are here working with Project Homecoming, which is still busy trying to help lower income, elderly, and disabled folks get back into their homes. We are staying at the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Village called "Olive Tree" in the Gentilly area. One crew: Kara and Andy Torres, Tom Ashcroft, Margaret Schwaneflugel, Bob Merz, and Martha Langford; are working on a house on 

North Rampart, very close to the Industrial Canal and in the Lower Ninth Ward. This house was donated to Project Homecoming, and is being rehabbed for sale as low income housing--something that is critically lacking in New Orleans right now.


Margaret and Tom


We met a neighbor today, Kirk, who was thankful and brought us snacks. He is glad we are here, helping one house at a time, one family at a time. His parents live a few houses from the one in which we are working, and every home that is repaired improves the neighborhood for everyone. The day was busy, demolition and framing work, but there is joy in every hammer stroke. It is good to be here; rebuilding homes with a foundation of faith.

Martha Langford 



  


Baptized in the Louisiana rain!

We woke up to rain, that continued all day. The temperature was in the seventies, so the rain wasn't too bad. This affected where numerous groups were sent to work. We ended up in the Upper Ninth Ward, close to the Musician's Village. Unlike the neighborhood a few of us worked in last year, most of the houses were still standing, but many are still vacant. The vacant houses often have spray paint on the front listing the number of dead people found in the home after Katrina. Still, 5 years later, these houses stand right across the street from where we are working.

As part of Rainbowcorps, we were joined today by Reid from North Carolina and Michael Adee, the Morelight Director. We met our work leaders, Henry and James, Americorps volunteers, at orientation this morning. We were also happy to see Alex, our leader from last year. Today we worked mainly on flooring: laying tar paper, preparing tiles for grouting, and scraping grout. The first day seems to always be a little more challenging, because you arrive at your house having no idea what is expected of you. By the end of the day, it was good to see what we had accomplished. We can't wait to see what progress we have made by the end of the week!

Everybody in Olive Tree Village seems to be very friendly (even the Baptists! :) ) Our roomates are lots of fun, important because it is dorm style living.

Red beans and rice for dinner tonight! YUM!

- Sumalabarbgie

We've arrived!

We were ecstatic last night to learn that our flight was leaving at 7 am- an extra hour of sleep! We arrived in New Orleans at about 1:00 and briefly visited the French Quarter before heading to our home for the week- Olive Tree Village. All of us, except Summer, have been here before, so Olive Tree was a familiar site. It was exciting to find the plaque we made at Olive Tree last year still hanging on the pole. We look forward to our orientation tomorrow morning as we don't know anything about our homeowner. We have been reminiscing about last year and comparing how this year might be different. We'll find out tomorrow!

Sumalabarbgie (Summer, Alanna, Barb and Angie)

RainbowCorp 2010 Heads to New Orleans!

Four women from Rochester represent RH2NO in this year's RainbowCorp week. RainbowCorp is a mission component of More Light Presbyterians (MLP), a network of people seeking the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The team comprised of 11 people from across the USA including MLP Executive Director Michael Adee, will be at work with Project Homecoming next week, November 15-19. We will be housed at Olive Tree Volunteer Village, along with 30 others from Illinois, South Carolina and our own Third Presbyterian in Rochester. The RainbowCorp team will be working at the home of Antoinette Smith. The deployment sheet says we'll be doing exterior siding. We don't know much about our homeowner yet, but we'll share the details with you as soon as we can. Our flight from Rochester departs on Sunday at the cruel hour of 6am. We're looking forward to lunch in the French Quarter before heading to Olive Tree and our "comfy" beds for the week. Stay tuned for more info!
Please hold in prayer your mission team: Alanna Dolen, Angie Gunkler, Barbara Sattora, and Summer Sattora.

October 29th

Hi friends back home- today found us working with our sweatshirts and fleece on until noon, hard to believe! It turned out to be a wonderful day to work,bright blue sky and a gentle breeze. The home is almost all painted, only the front needs to be finished. Work began on the soffets today,the frame work for the porch railings was started, thr air baffels are completed ans the air and heatingman was on the worksite today. Tonight we were ate dinner (wonderful stuffed pork roast) with a group conected with Project Homecoming. George C. from Third,their cook, issued the invitation. What a fun evening! Our work day ended withus saying goodbye to some of our friends from St. Louis as part of their group is returning home in the morning. Perhapswe will cross paths again. That is it from this tired but happy RHINO worker. KVN

October 28th

The weather moderated today -- a welcome change! We convened as usual at 7:45 at the home taking shape on Green Street. Work began on soffits, preparation for insulation, and the final areas of siding. We are all gaining new skills and finding new muscles. We ended our work day before noon. We were treated to an informative tour of the areas of the city inundated by the flooding. Every time we pass the Dome the awful memories of the human suffering return. Then we were hosted by members of the St. Charles church. They had come from Washington state to do a week of volunteering then made the decision to move to NOLA for a year. They now have been here for 5 years. For two years Mark worked for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Now both Mark and Tamara have positions at a school in their neighborhood. After a wonderful meal of creole rice dessert included creole kisses aka "pecan crack" -- very habit forming . . . Reflections ended our day.

October 27th

Another very hot and humid day! At least, we are supposed to get some weather relief for the rest of the week. We did more painting, more moving of sand, some caulking, and began putting some of the final touches on the framing. We also got to know some of the people from St.Louis better. This evening we had dinner at the church again. It was the 5th anniversary for RHINO, and they had special homemade cakes for dessert -- and live entertainment. It was a duo with one guy on piano and one on the clarinet, and they were really good! They played authentic New Orleans jazz. For dinner we had fried chicken (not that KCF variety), red beans and rice, salad, fruit, and did I mention wonderful desserts? Now we're back at the hotel, and had our devotions while the laundry was in, and we're all pretty sleepy. Oh, one more thing - Louise J. found out today that one of her parishoners passed away, so she will be doing a funeral on Monday, after arriving home very late on Sunday.

Tuesday, October 26th

Our first day of work! And the heat broke a record. It was 90! and also quite humid. We painted, nailed, and shoveled sand, and got a respectable amount of work done, considering the conditions. This evening, we had a delicious dinner prepared by members of St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church. After coming back to the hotel, we had a very nice devotion led by Tom Swartz - these sessions allow us to get to know each other better. However, we're all rather tired after working in the hot sun all day, so it is bedtime!

Monday, October 25th

Wow, that was an early alarm that got us on our way at 5:50 a.m.! It was raining like crazy when we got to Atlanta...the plane got hit with lightning but no one seemed worried. After a slight delay we were on the next flight and on the ground in New Orleans by mid-morning. Where else would we go but right to the French Quarter for lunch at the Red Fish on Bourbon Street. Ned is getting the hang of driving the NO streets and we easily met the rest of the work crew at the Land House this evening. We work side by side with a nice group from St. Louis. Our site is on Green Street. This is a tired group tonight, but we are faithfully sharing devotions (and frozen fruit bars!)

New Orleans, Here We Come!

A new RH2NO team prepares to depart for New Orleans on Monday, October 25th. The plane takes off at a horrific 5:50am - some of us don't even plan to sleep the night before. Why bother! There are 6 of us going - three veteran relief workers and three folks who have always wanted to volunteer, and now the time is right. We'll be working in conjunction with RHINO (Restoring Hope in New Orleans), a ministry of the St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church. We'll be staying at the Brent House, an extended stay facility (re: hotel!) and will work with the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH). The Ferry Street project is complete and this fall, Habitat returns to the Pension Town neighborhood to tackle the much-anticipated Green Street project. RHINO recently received a national award from the Presbyterian Health, Education, and Welfare Association (PHEWA) recognizing the ministry’s transformative impact on New Orleans. We're excited, and yes a little anxious, about our week ahead. At our orientation, we promised to be faithful and diligent in all we do, and to be an example of Christian love. Please pray for our safety during this journey, and for the strength to carry out our promises.
Your mission team workers: Louise Armstrong, Louise Josephson, Ned Kavanagh, Carol Santos, Tom Swartz, Kay VanNostrand

Post-Trip

I'm home now and I already want to go back. Not that I don't appreciate and love my life at home. I know I have a blessed life. I already want to go back because I want to share my blessings and experience with others. I want to round up people from NY so they can enjoy this experience. I want to go back and help improve more lives in New Orleans and help not only re-build houses and homes but life itself. To help a child have a home to play in and a backyard for dad to grill in and mom to garden. To have the simple thing we take for granted everyday. To have "just another day in paradise". I went into this trip to honor my dad. Now I feel I honored him more than I thought possible because I get it now. And I never could understand this LOVE without going on this trip. Not only did I honor him but everyone that does this does,and continues to even when back home. The feeling you get is contagious and is a blessing.

The people of New Orleans are so thankful. There not only thankful for our physical labor but for our support,just knowing someone cares. We had a lovely church down the road who not only let us use their restrooms but made us lunch and let us soak up their a/c everyday for lunch. They did this out of LOVE and thanks, just because we cared enough to come help re-build someone's home.(Not even theirs.)

We are all brothers and sisters and should all take action to help out one another. Unfortunately GOD has to do something traumatic to get his children to LOVE one another in the way we should.

I think I should be thanking New Orleans for letting me share the LOVE I have to share. So THANK YOU New Orleans for this chance to feel the LOVE I have felt which is more than I can explain. Thank you for the chance to work with my father again and see and feel the LOVE he felt and saw every time he came to New Orleans.

GOD(LOVE)be with you!

Home Again

A group of 24 people went to New Orleans to honor the memory of my husband, Jamie. Turns out I was the one honored to work and be apart of such a woderful group. Many thanks to all of you! Many of us came home with new skills learned and new friendships made. As for me I came home with a new lease on life. As I realized how I felt about coming home, I thought about those who have been waiting 5 years to come home and those who have to wait even longer. Don't take those little things for granted; embrace them all and feel blessed. Don't just pray for those still waiting to go home - go down there and help them get back! You will truly come home with renewed Faith.

Friday - Coming Home

Woke up this morning with mixed emotions! No longer did I have to don my dust and paint encrusted work clothes. Our last day.... We began with a "potluck" breakfast - dribs and drabs of leftovers from our amazing breakfasts enjoyed throughout the week. An infomative talk from Project Homecoming's Vann Joines followed. Next, clean up! Like busy bees the volunteers buzzed about the entire village cleaning and straightening, getting ready for the next wave of volunteers. Before leaving we were called once again to gather in the former sanctuary for our last devotional service. We reflected on our week of service and honored the memory of our beloved Jamie Smith. We shared communion and sang carefully selected songs including When the Saints Go Marching In. Volunteers signed a RH2NO t-shirt bearing Jamie's picture on the front to leave behind, a tradition at Olive Tree village. Vans were packed and the weary workers set off for our last excursion to the city, humbled by the knowledge and experiences of the week. The French Market was the destination for most while one van headed for a tour of the Gulf and Bayou. First stop was for coffee and beignets at Cafe DuMonde, then shopping and lunch. My group went to a wonderful restautrant called Cafe Reconcile where troubled youth receive the opportunity to learn the restaurant trade as they are employed and trained in skills such as cooking, waiting tables, and management. It was awesome and we were delighted to support such an important endeavor! A little more shopping then off to the airport and now as I write, on our way home filled with memories and the joy of new friendships that will remain with us forever. For many of us this trip was a repeat experience and for many of us we are already thinking of when we will be back to continue this critical service and share our love with those still in need.

Thursday

Our day usually begins at about 6:30am (5:45 for Karen, our cook.) Since we are housed dormitory style, someone's alarm other than your own usually wakes you up. This is now day 4, and we've all developed a routine and how to dress for the particular job site we got assigned to. In my case, I was teamed up with four other Laurelton church family members. Our task for the week was to join us with our PDA Project Homecoming site manager, John, to put the finishing touches to a home before priming and painting the ceilings and walls. The home was located in the Upper 9th Ward on S. Claiborne and belonged to an 84-year-old woman named Margarite. Margarite currently lives in a FEMA trailer parked in her tiny front yard with two giant blue metal storage containers much like train cars. Inside these two 14' long, 6' wide and 8' tall containers were what was left of her previous life before Hurricane Katrina hit. After the storm, Margarite had gone to Texas for three years and returned two years ago to begin the tedious and frustrating process of rebuilding her damaged home after being submerged in 7 ft of water. Basically her entire 1st floor had to be gutted and re-drywalled. Well it's been an interesting experience to say the least. Some of us have family members who've made a living in construction. Others had limited exposure. Our team soon learned to apply drywall compound, sand and reapply and sand again making what were once rough and imperfected walls and ceilings smooth and seamless, our ultimate goal. We climbed step ladders, extension ladders, scaffolding and carried our tools which included sand planers, drywall spatulas, paint rollers and an occasional box cutter. Yes, we are now all trained professionals! Actually we like to be referred to as the MUDgicians. And yes we played in the mud each and every day making those ceilings right. We discovered that our most valued team member turned out to be Sarah, Jamie Smith's daughter. Boy can that girl work her magic with a spatula spreading drywall mud! She picked up various tricks from her dad and made everything look so easy the first time while the rest of us struggled to get the same reults. Would you believe me if I said that our site manager John even learned some tricks from her? We did manage to complete our portion of the work needing to be done. We were disappointed that during our week-long adventure, we hadn't had the privilege of meeting our homeowner but John was able to give us some insight into how she was doing and shared some stories about her 95-year-old house. We were all pleasantly surprised today, our last day on the site, Margarite decided to venture out of her FEMA trailer and say hi to us all, thanking us for all the fine work we put in. As one New Orleans' homeowner so graciously said to us, though our work might seem trivial to us in our short stay, we're helaing hearts and giviing love which is a far greater gift.