Call for Volunteers in St. Bernard Parish

I spent the first week of July having the experience of a lifetime as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer in St. Bernard Parish.  Since returning home, my thoughts wander daily back to Louisiana and part of my heart remains with the residents and volunteers of St. Bernard.

Nothing could have prepared me for the devastation still apparent a year later.  My first reaction was disbelief. Why was there so much trash and debris along the curbs?  Why were so many businesses still closed?  After cycling through rage, anger, depression and sadness I became resolved to do what I could to pitch in.  

My week gutting houses with Habitat was as much a gift to myself as to the people of St. Bernard Parish.  As one of 12 members of Gold Team 1, I was able to contribute in a way that was immediately meaningful to me and to the families we were assisting.  Due to the overwhelming number of residents that have requested assistance in gutting their homes, Habitat is focusing first on the homes of the elderly and disabled.  The week I participated, we gutted three homes in Chalmette.  You have probably seen photos or video of the flood damage inside these homes, but loading wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of the debris of peoples' lives was a whole other thing.  It was devastating. That said, I also felt cause for hope and optimism.  I got the feeling that we were helping people move forward.  Along the way, we came across items that had suffered minimal damage and these belongings were set aside and returned to the homeowners.  Some of the things I happened upon were photo albums, Christmas decorations, Mardi Gras beads, a passport, an address book, ashtrays, plates, glasses, and an unopened bottle of Johnnie Walker.

AmeriCorps*NCCC and Habitat for Humanity are in the process of setting up Camp Hope in a previously flooded elementary school in Violet, LA to house volunteers. Men and women stay in separate classrooms where cots are set up. Bring your sleeping bag and inflatable mattress, toiletries and clothes to wear after work.  Previous volunteers have left large amounts of work clothes, hard hats, goggles, and steel toed boots.  Three meals a day are provided by the wonderful people of Emergency Communities, who also offer meals to the residents of St. Bernard Parish. There is  internet access and plenty of outlets in which to charge cell phones and mp3 players. New showers went in during the week I was there and I got a chance to try them out on my last day. Above all, you will meet and work with wonderful people from all over the country and from abroad.

Yesterday, I received another appeal from Camp Hope asking for volunteers to return.  Sadly, the number of volunteers is dwindling and they are desperate for reinforcements.  I am appealing to all of you who might be able to spare a week's time off to go down there and join in.  My husband and I are going the 3rd week of October and we can't wait.

While down there I met Louise, an 80-year-old woman with red hair who drove down alone from Vermont and was gutting houses right alongside college kids.  Not only that, but she broke up her trip along the way, stopping to volunteer on the Mississippi coast.  She is my new role model.  I also met Claire, a 19-year-old French law student who had never been to our country before but was brave enough to get on a plane by herself and show up at Camp Hope.

Please consider making the trip.  You will be rewarded many times over.

Visit http://www.camphopeonline.com for more information.

My experience: http://www.youtube.com/...

•  After the election...

  ...I would really like to volunteer for this.  Thank you so much for bringing it to our attention.  I guess I assumed that LA had all the volunteers it could eat.  

  by goldberry on Mon Sep 04, 2006 at 05:51:57 AM PDT

  •  You're welcome, goldberry--

    I hope you'll be able to make it down there.  The number of volunteers has dropped off drastically over the past months.  It will be life-changing experience, that I can guarantee.

    by stillrockin on Mon Sep 04, 2006 at 06:20:47 AM PDT

•  Thanks for your work!

  and thanks for the post with links. It's getting harder to find where to connect with opportunities to help.
  I may be heading back down at winter break - school prevents me giving more time - and I am aware of the lack of vollies. Please consider posting another diary in a week or so. Fresh news about the work to be done and where to do it is so rare

  by parryander on Mon Sep 04, 2006 at 06:00:28 AM PDT

  •  You're most welcome, parryander--

    I understand, of course, that everyone has different constraints on his time.  I think it's wonderful that you might be going back during winter break. Have a good semester!

    by stillrockin on Mon Sep 04, 2006 at 06:25:16 AM PDT