“A lot of people outside of New Orleans have forgotten about Hurricane Katrina, but a lot of New Orleans has forgotten about the volunteers,” – Walt, Camp Hope Coordinator
Growing up in the Midwest, I didn’t (and still don’t) know a lot about hurricanes, and it is very safe to say that before this week I was one of those people who forgot about Hurricane Katrina. It’s been ten years since Katrina and there is still so much damage to the city that it is hard to put into words. Entire city blocks are still scattered with house remains and empty lots with overgrown weeds and half built foundations. This week, we are working with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild New Orleans and the life of Cecile, a single mother with three children who is buying the house once it is completed.
Today was Day 2 of construction and I woke up feeling beat up, bruised, and exhausted. I woke up tired and wanted to go back to bed. My hands were cut up and my arms were sore, and I wished I was at the beach with my friends instead of building a house with people I met last week. Once we arrived back to the site for Day 2 though, I was immediately reminded that this has nothing to do with me. This house that we get to help build will change a family’s life in ways I cannot even imagine. I was honestly embarrassed at my attitude this morning (and any other time I complained today). I have a place that I can call home, in fact I have many of them, and many New Orleans citizens cannot say the same.
Enough of my self-pity. Today’s progress was A M A Z I N G. We got there bright and early at 7:38 and began work promptly at 7:45. We arrived to yesterday’s stopping point of most of the cinder block foundation being done. Many houses in New Orleans are raised to help prevent flooding, and this house’s foundation stood five feet tall. This morning we globbed and smoothed and globbed and smoothed and globbed and smo unbelievable amounts of mortar onto the front side of the house’s foundation while we waited for the lumber to arrive. Our group and another alternative Spring Break trip group came today today to finish the foundation and begin laying the bottom of the house. We honestly could not have gotten even a quarter of where we did today if this other group did not come in and help us out.
While there was a lot of progress today, it did not come without its setbacks. After hitting my finger a few too many times, I learned that hammering is not really my thing. After spending unnecessary time having to redo a board of the house we messed up, we learned that precision and accuracy are extremely important. However, everyone pulled their weight and then some today to get us back on track.
Yesterday we left a lot with a bunch of random cinder blocks filled with cement, and today we left a house, or at least the initial stage of one. I felt like I was mindlessly pouring concrete into cement blocks yesterday, but today I really felt like I was building a house that would one day belong to Cecile and her family. And that is something to celebrate.
To New Beginnings,
Molly