WMG Katrina Team: Rhino team members return to the Gulf to continue hurricane cleanup

Learning The Cupid Shuffle

2007-05-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

What Becky didn't say about the Priestly gut was that this is where she actually learned the steps to the Cupid Shuffle! This dance, which will no doubt soon be sweeping the nation, was incorporated into almost every work environment and provided endless comic relief. To the Right, to the Right, to the Right... ~ Amanda

KaBoom Build Pictures

2007-05-21T06:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday via Sunday

2007-05-20T18:11:00.001-07:00

We are home now but with that comes time, energy and bandwidth to better update the blog. First I would like to post about my work assignment on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, May 15th, Amanda, Lellie, Jennifer and I were on the "Priestly School Gut". It was described as a second day gut which means most of the contents have been removed from the building and the walls are coming down. Since this was a three story school and not the typical home gut the rules were a little different. We still had debris to clean up including drapes and blinds to be removed.

Lellie and I took on the third floor. A decision that was not well thought out as it meant carting trashbins full of heavy junk down three flights of dark cement stairs and then back up again for more work. We must have made 15 - 20 trips up and down those stairs over the course of the day. And while that may not sound like much don't forget it is near 90 degrees and we are wearing Tyvec suits, respirators, goggles and workboots. It was a very physical day.

The school has an interesting story in that it was decommissioned in the late 80s and used as storage for both school equipment and munitions. (The connection is not clear to me either) Due to the storm destruction of the nearby local schools it has been determined it is more efficient to return this building to code and reopen than tackle those that were flooded. So what was once thrown away is now better than what was left from the storm.

The work itself was very satisfying. Lellie and I made a great team working methodically without talking; which was lucky because we had one of the worst Team Leaders I've met in my 3 trips to the Gulf Coast. We earned our showers that day, for sure!

Let's get that checked out.

2007-05-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

The following entry was written on Friday May 15th....

At the moment I am sitting in the waiting room at Touro Infirmary. James has had 3 bug bites blow up into major infections in the past 24 hours. The most severe is on his leg and looks like a nice replica of Saturn while the one on his arm is more like an areola. It seemed like a good thing to get checked out by the doctor.

Being at the emergency room is never a good thing but tonight also happens to be our last community meeting after dinner at HONO. This is our chance to stand up and say thank you to the people who have made this trip so special and express any final thoughts we might have. I have asked Drue to take care of this and include James and I in her goodbye. I hope she doesn’t take this opportunity to proclaim my love for someone in the bunkhouse just to see how awkward things can be when I get back. (Although I might have done the same thing to her if given the chance)

My workday was spent building a playground with the KaBoom organization and volunteers from the local Mariotts. It was a gorgeous day and I had a hand in many projects from building a jungle gym, shoveling mulch, cleaning up, and a lot of “gofer” requests. “we need a hammer, do you know where we get more tarps, why is this jungle gym leaning to the right?” It was a very fun day. KaBoom organizes playground builds around the country so I encourage anyone to get involved if they come to your town.

I have yet to shower after my workday and am covered in dirt. I love that I can walk around anywhere in New Orleans without a second glance since I have a Hurricane Relief Volunteer T-shirt on. Of course I wouldn’t mind if that shirt was clean…

Our Team At The Slidell Animal Shelter

2007-05-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

Day the Fourth: My First Blog

2007-05-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hi all -- I'd first like to introduce myself in that very, very special picture of me in the partial team photo. See the person in back with their eyes closed who looks like they're about to fall over? C'est moi, Jennifer, honorary Rhino.

It's hard to believe that the week is already drawing to its close -- Thursday, just tonight and Friday left; I'm leaving on Saturday morning, with kudos to JetBlue. The week has been so incredibly rich and rewarding and life-affirming, and there's so much to write about, but I'm sure that some topics are already called by other blogmeisters (i.e., I think night of the tots belongs to Drue). So I'll just write about yesterday, when Amanda, Lellie, Becky and I all become Hands On Studs.

You are a publicly recognized Stud at evening meal if you do an incredible, out of the ordinary job on your day's assignment, and yesterday we kicked it thoroughly. Sarah, Sergio, Drue, and James had been assigned to a KaBoom! playground building job for most of the week, and they told us how great it was -- and they weren't wrong. However, unlike them, we had to get down and dirty. The four of us spent the day digging holes. Not your ordinary holes either, my friends. No, these holes had to be an exact certain depth and width, dug vertically into the earth, tamped down on the bottom. If we failed in our mission, playground equipment would be crooked.

We couldn't allow such a thing, so we gave it our blood, sweat, tears, and dignity. We moved dirt, bricks, clay, and rubble with postholers, digging sticks, shovels, and the old fashioned way with our bare hands. We bemoaned our lack of upper body strength, but that didn't stop us. We lay down in the mud to put stone pavers in the bottom. We got into the holes head first to make sure those suckers were FLAT. We tamped and measured and used a funky laser thing to make sure that all was well. When we got too exhausted to tell if the laser was half an inch off or not, Playground Planning God Traynor got us back on track (i.e, that hole you just spent an hour digging with giant tweezers is six inches too deep, so put some dirt back in).

About halfway through the day, it started raining. Disaster! We had to protect our holes! We ran around with tarps and bricks and shovels of dirt and pieces of cardboard to protect them from the rain. We didn't bother protecting ourselves; the rain felt great. Living in LA, I'd almost forgotten about rain. It's been years since I got to stand out in a driving, needle-like rain, getting thoroughly drenched while thunder roars and I run around putting tarps over dirt. Good times.

And then, when the holes were dug and protected and we took a deep breath of satisfaction, we learned that, since another thunderstorm was coming, we had to mix concrete really, really fast and get the posts in the ground for the shade structure. The Keystone Kops aspect of the concrete mixing will be long remembered, but we triumphed in the end. Posts await for the final building on Friday, and God willing they're not slowly listing to the left or right as the concrete sets.

As though all that wasn't enough for an incredibly fantastic, dirty day, I finally got to meet some of the neighborhood kids in the evening. We're staying in Central City, a historic part of New Orleans, but also a poor one. Meeting the kids was one of the best parts of my trip to date. Ellie, Kaeyla, Ariana, and four-month-old Shilea joined us at an outdoor party held for a HONO staff member who's moving on, and they were fantastic. We played with hoops and pinatas and ran around and had an utterly wonderful time, and Shilea fell asleep from all the excitement.

Remember to keep checking the blog for more fantastic pictures -- the trip is full of stories waiting to be told, and very amusing pictures waiting to be posted!

Partial Team Photo

2007-05-17T04:51:00.000-07:00

We haven't had a chance to get the entire team together for a photo but here is a partial group shot. From Left to Right - Jennifer, Amanda, Sergio, Lellie, Drue, Becky and Sarah.

Keep Reading!

2007-05-17T04:38:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to keep reading this blog through the next few weeks -- as with past trips, our team is so totally exhausted by work (and yes, fun too!) that we're not able to keep up with the blogging on a daily basis, but we'll all be writing a bunch to make up for it when we get back to regular computer access. And there are some GREAT photos on the way too, it's just that uploading them remotely is a bit of a challenge.

Thanks!
Amanda

Even my dirt is dirty

2007-05-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

If you were to look up the word EXHAUSTION in the dictionary, I'm pretty certain you would see a picture of Lellie, Jen, Amanda and me. This has been by far the longest workday of the trip for me. We left the bunkhouse at 7:30 and didn't return until 5. Sure, that may not sound long to you while you sit in your air conditioned, roof-covered office, but imagine spending that time outside in the heat, humidity, sudden downpour and heat again, all the while digging holes. And of course, loving it!

Today we did the first day prep for a KaBoom playground build. KaBoom is an organization whose goal is to have a play area within walking distance of every child in America. They have vowed to build 100 playgrounds just in the Gulf Coast area. We worked on the Craig Elementary School build which is number #49 out of 100. The first day involves unloading a semi-trailer full of playground unassembled equipment, marking off all the various areas and digging holes, serious holes, for the posts to be cemented in on the full build day. On Friday 300 volunteers from the community, school parents, and the Mariott organization will come together to "build a playground in a day", but today we made sure everything was ready for that to happen.

Thanks to the great leadership of Traynor from Planet Recess we all had great fun but at the moment I couldn't be more tired. And I'm sure the soreness will be here soon. My shower will have to wait until after dinner at which point I can distinguish between my dirt and my bruises.

But right now they are lining up for dinner so I better join them. I may be exhausted but I'm never too tired to eat!

-Becky
(I'm too tired to spellcheck so my apologies to the Editorial Dept)

We are trying not to be silent

2007-05-16T05:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the slow updates on our work and experiences here but internet access and computer time have both been scarce. Amanda and I come home early after dinner out last night with the sole intention of updating this blog only to find the bunkhouse under attack by a swarm of flying termites. The whole place was on a lock-down of sort with all doors and windows closed and all lights off, hoping to get rid of the bugs. This morning the windowsills are stacked inches deep with dead bugs. I spent yesterday scraping bird poo out of an abandoned school, now dead bugs. Are we having fun yet? (actually, yes, tons of fun and more info on that to come)

Time to get ready for work. I am helping build a playground today and we have to leave for the worksite 30 minutes earlier than normal.

See ya!

Cleaning House

2007-05-15T05:34:00.000-07:00

As part of the "Dryades Gut" team, we were at first assigned "AM KP" duty, cleaning up the Hands On bunkhouse before heading out on our hurricane clean-up work. KP consists of scrubbing toilets, mopping floors & generally getting the place in shape for the start of a new day. This chore is not nearly as glamorous as gutting houses or de-molding, but needs to be done daily, especially with the bunkhouse filled to capacity as it is now.
At the last minute, 7 of us got pulled off the Dryades gut and sent to the Slidell animal shelter to clean cages, walk the puppies & play with kitties. As much as we love the hard labor of gutting, we all LOVE the critters. After doing this numerous times, we're an incredibly efficient team of pooper scoopers and cage-cleaners. The happy news is, this is a no-kill shelter. The sad news is, due to lack of funds/help, the rescue dogs probably only get walked once or twice a week. We dedicated ourselves to giving them as much fun and love as possible in our brief visit, and came away wanting to take all of them home with us.
The shelter job didn't take as long as expected, so we were first back to the showers, then made a quick visit to Cafe du Monde for beignets & cafe au lait. We had a spectacular dinner -- sort of a last hurrah from Hands On chef/kitchen manager Melody who'll be leaving HONO this week -- boiled crabs! 6 of us volunteered for "Dinner KP". One of the best moments was a visit from Mr. Mason, a New Orleans native who's home is currently being worked by Hands On. His eloquent speech thanking the volunteers moved us all and confirmed why we're here.
Now, we're off to work again!

The word of the day is "Flexibility"

2007-05-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

We are here! Today is the first day of work. We grabbed our work gear, put on our ugliest possible outfits (at least that is my excuse) and gathered outside to start a first day gut on Dryades. Unfortunately, (?), there were too many volunteers so the Rhino team has split between Dryades gut and Animal Shelter! Amanda, James, Lellie, Jennifer, Drue, and Becky are going to the animal shelter while Sergio, Gianni and Sarah will get the joy of sweating in Tyvec. We will check back in later with pics and stories. Thanks for stopping by!

NOLA News Updates

2007-02-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

On my first night in New Orleans, I listened as a guest speaker and Nawlins native gave a presentation on the state of the city. His photos and stories moved me, but the most memorable part of his speech was his one-line motto that summed everything up: "WE WILL NOT BE SILENT." That's the message I took with me when I left the city and returned to my everyday life. And it's time I started acting on it.

The situation down in Louisiana is a complex web of hope and despair, progress and decay, opportunity and disadvantage, blame and neglect. The news cycle has long since moved on to sexier topics, and the "if it bleeds, it leads" mentality of the news media keeps the depth and complexity of the true New Orleans story from being widely understood. Many Americans don't realize how badly New Orleans needs their help. Partly, that's because nobody's telling them the whole story. But we've been there, we know the truth -- and we will not be silent.

Each month, I will compile articles, news items, and opinion pieces about New Orleans and post the links here in the blog. They will serve as an ongoing chronicle of the dire situation down South. I hope you'll take a moment to read some of them. New Orleans needs your help -- not just your donations or volunteer labor, but your HEART, your sense of compassion and justice, your belief that our nation will not abandon its wind-whipped and flood-damaged brothers and sisters. The city needs your support, your attention, and your faith. You may not be able to single-handedly fix the city, but by learning about its story -- and telling that story to others -- you'll help focus energy and attention toward the Gulf Coast and make rebuilding New Orleans a priority in the minds of Americans.

Until every heart beats in the rhythm of the jazz saints, we will not be silent.

Some recent news items on New Orleans:

"Senators at Louisiana Hearing Criticize Federal Recovery Aid" - Three United States senators sounded off on Monday about the slow pace of recovery from Hurricane Katrina at a hearing in the French Quarter, criticizing federal officials for perceived inequities in aid to Louisiana and for imposing rules that are halting government assistance. Read more here...

To give you a sense of the extreme good and bad that make New Orleans so complicated, see these two articles:

"Murders in Post-Katrina New Orleans Reach Staggering Levels" - Statistics indicate that 2006 murder rates were the highest in Jefferson Parish (the area surrounding metro New Orleans) since 1980. According to the Sheriff's Office, murder increased 123.1 percent, assault 64.6 percent and burglary 40.6 percent. Read more here...

"Dreams Come True Amid Devastation" - Southern Oaks Plantation and its owner, Robert Asaro, were recognized with top honors during the Wedding Professionals Guild annual awards luncheon. Voted "Reception Venue of the Year" for 2006, Southern Oaks Plantation is located in one of the most devastated neighborhoods of New Orleans, and was one of the first businesses in the area to reopen following Hurricane Katrina. With no help from the local, state, or federal government, Mr. and Mrs. Asaro resorted to flagging down passing utility trucks and using cold drinks and sandwiches as incentives to get jobs completed. Finally, after four months of working and waiting, on January 6, 2006, the gates of Southern Oaks Plantation opened once again. Read more here...

Keep your eyes on this blog for monthly news updates and stories of the city's progress. If you find an article that touches you, PLEASE don't be silent. Share it with your friends and family. Pass it around your office. Help spread the word. Thank you.

Before and after a gut (Lower 9th Ward)

2006-12-21T17:49:00.000-08:00

BEFORE (the remains of home contents and walls)

AFTER (removal of all possessions, debris and walls)

But most houses have not been touched ... 15 months on...

There is still so much to be done.

The Professor Longhair Connection

2006-12-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

I know that Oprah is building "new" neighborhoods outside of New Orleans, but the people we worked to help will eventually be able to return to the homes they knew. That's really important to them.

The most notable experience I had the entire trip I was working on the house that had belonged to Professor Longhair (yes, the LEGENDARY R&B pianist who IS New Orleans history). Rhino still puts out his music, so for us to arrive to gut his former home, on our very first day of work, was incredible. I don't believe in accidents and think that was meant to happen. It was a reminder that we are all connected.

He had passed the house down to his daughter, Miss Patricia, who was living there with her son when the storm hit. They had no insurance. She shared stories with us of the horrific conditions at the Convention Center and went on to tell us how that house is home to her. Her son is the bravest young man I've ever met and I think several of us fell in love with him. He has been through a horrific 15 months and still can light up a room with his smile and charm. Miss Patricia pointed to the spot where her father died and continued to tell us how much his music meant to him.

"My dad could make a piano walk" she said.

Completion is still a long way away, but when the house is renovated, it will be declared a New Orleans historic landmark. You can't put a price on someone's memories. She just wants to be HOME. In THAT house. I'm attaching a photo of some of us with Professor Longhair posters that were salvaged from the house (yes, we are filthy as you can see from our faces). She gave them to us to take home which was incredibly generous. She even made us red beans and rice for lunch as well as some chicken, which, through an unfortunate series of events (including a gas leak and moving to a new job site) resulted in a different crew eating our lunch. :-(

The waiting list at Hands On to have a home gutted and de-molded is currently nine months. For these people, volunteer efforts are their only hope. I don't want them to lose that. Do the math: by the time teams are sent out to the homes on the bottom of the list, they will have been sitting for 2 years. Without your support and donations we wouldn't be able to do our bit. From myself and the people of New Orleans, thank you.

Thanks For The Phlegmories

2006-12-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

So it appears that most of the volunteers that were gutting and de-molding for the entire week have come down with some version of a cold that basically just amounts to various states of what I'm calling phlegmage. Nothing too bad, just a stuffy nose and some sore throat reports. We all wore our respirators like good little gutters, but I think that inhaling dust, being exposed to many different peoples germs and flying all conspired to mess with our immune systems. Basically a minor inconveniance in the face of all the good we did down south!

One thing that struck me on both trips was the enormous generostiy and modesty of the people who answered the call and contributed to our cause. They are just as important as any of our volunteers and I consider them all part of the team. I can't always afford to pay for a plane ticket and equipment for these trips, so without their financial support it would difficult if not impossible to go at all. And yet when I thank them they say, "The people who go are the real heroes." And I say "oh BALONEY!!!" (or some other word that starts with a "B"). We are all heroes people. Beleive it!!

So endless thanks to all concerned. I'm a very unmushy / uncheesy person (or at least I pretend to be), but I feel an intense emotion that might just be impossible to articulate when I go on these trips, when I meet the absolutely amazing and inspiring people of New Orleans, and when I think about my fellow volunteers any time afterwards. So I won't even attempt to.

OK, now I need a kleenex. Oh come on it's just the phlegmage, I swear!!

Reflections a week later

2006-12-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

We have been back for just over a week and it has taken me this long to be able to write my blog. The emotions of what we experienced catch me unawares at random moments. Tears well while preparing coffee purchased at Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter; looking at the many photos we all took; while watching "Studio 60" (of all shows) or phoning a friend. And, even worse, when I realise that I haven't thought about New Orleans for a while, the tears start again. How quickly we settle back into LA life and forget. Mind you, I am sure that my emotional state is not helped by the "moldy lung" (a virilent fungal lung infection) that I seem to have brought back as my souvenier from NOLA!

I still don't really know how to put into words what we experienced this past Thanksgiving week. Immense sadness, physical exhaustion, new intense friendships, drunken nights, breathtaking live music, tears, laughter and too many beignets. But the overall feeling that I left with, and still stays with me, is a feeling of being overwhelmed. I left New Orleans angry. So angry. Angry at everything. 100 of us worked for 10 hours a day for a week and stripped no more than 6 homes to their bare bones ("gutting"). Each home will then have to be "molded" (de-moulded I guess would be the correct technical term). This requires more volunteers scrubbing away the mold with wire brushes and PineSol. And what does that acheive? It leaves a house ready to be rebuilt - new electric wiring to be installed, dry wall to be put up, walls to be painted, furniture to be bought and lives to be rebuilt. But these people have nothing. How can they afford to rebuild? And what is left of the city? And even more overwhelming - it took a 100 people to start on 6 houses. The number of houses on the Hands On waiting list is in the thousands. I left asking, what was the point? The city is corrupt. The money is running out. And people have already forgotten. In fact, back in LA, I am already starting to forget.

But when I reflect, I know that in one week we made a dent in the rebuilding of the new New Orleans. In gutting Patricia's house alone, we saved her $10,000 (the price that contractors charge). When we met her, her gratitude was effusive. On our last day we drove through a neighborhood that you or I could live in, save that now, post-Katrina, the streets are deserted and the houses empty and gutted. But on one of those streets we saw hope - one house, rebuilt and newly painted, standing alone amongst the empty houses, flamboyantly decorated in preparation for the Holidays with a huge inflatable Santa and a snowglobe in the front garden. Defiant. For me, this "Christmas House" represents so much - Hands On, Habitat for Humanity, the residents who are able to return and all the others who are part of the re-New Orleans effort.

I am glad that I experienced what I did. I am not sure if I will be ready to go back in February as others on our team are (I don't think my lungs are strong enough), but I do want to go back. As a final note, I want to thank all our colleagues, friends and family who generously contributed to our travel funds. It meant so much to rebuild the wall of "bricks" in the Hands On bunk house and the metaphor that it represents. THANK YOU. You all were part of that dent in the rebuilding of New Orleans.

"Patricia Byrd's Gut"

2006-11-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

More pictures without words

2006-11-27T06:24:00.000-08:00

Random photos that deserve to be posted.

Amy Edgar from WEA Atlanta.

Becky Wagner and Amanda Howell outside the Mother In Law Lounge

Morning Chaos, a.k.a. Breakfast

James entertains Dana and Raena in his spacious apartment

Wednesday/Thursday

2006-11-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

The following was written on the plane home...

The day started with a whimper as we were awaken at 5:45am from our slumber party at Our Lady of the Air Mattress to "pee and brush our teeth" before the city shut the water off to the church. 100 sleepy people stumbled through the back passageways of our temporary host in a daze, following orders. The actual wake-up call came an hour later in the form of Starbucks coffee and Dunkin Donuts. The team quickly piled into waiting vehicles and were shuttled off to the Lower ninth ward for our day of work.

This day was set up differently then the others. The entire population of Hands On New Orleans was working in the same block radius and we were not allowed to sign up for projects until we arrived on site. The options consisted of several gutting projects, a couple of mold-removal projects and a huge landscaping endeavor. Barbara Bolan and her daughter Amanda Howell joined Rachael, Raena and myself on a gutting project for their first day's work.

The house was extremely small. I have no concept of square-footage but I would guess the 4 rooms making up the residence were only slightly larger in area than my studio apartment. This residence made up one quarter of a four family dwelling, each sharing two common walls only the thickness of a piece of drywall. This house had not been entered since the storm, 15 months earlier. Debris still needed to be cleared as nothing in the house was salvageable. Among the objects I found was a child's grade school picture that had adhered itself to the cement under the carpet. It was difficult, both emotionally and physically to remove and throw away.

One point I want to make is that although this work took place in an area of deep tragedy, within each project was a work crew filled with fun and laughter. Although I do suppose the hilarity of my landing accidentally in the debris pile is more of a "you just had to be there" situation. The same with Rachael yelling at the top of her lungs in the respirator mask "BECKY!" only to have me pop up behind her, thus proving the person in the Tyvek suit she was so adamantly trying to get their attention was actually Barbara.

All the teams broke for lunch at 1:30 when we were treated to a huge feast cooked up by Miss Antoinette.

Wednesday night-
Most of the Rhino crew took some time to escape the bunkhouse and head to the French Quarter for some seafood at Red Fish Grill. This gave us a chance to get to know some of our satellite crew member, Amy Edgar who had just arrived at Hands On. The rowdy crowd included 10 of the remaining 15 Rhinos (Drue, Jason, Michael, Faith and Quincee departed earlier that day).

Thursday, Thanksgiving-

Although Thursday was not an official project work day we had several opportunities to be of service if we so chose. Many of our crew accepted Honorary-Rhino Amanda-from-South-Africa's invitation to join her with serving dinner at the convention center. This is an annual meal presented by the sheriff's department currently in its 32nd year. The hardy souls getting up early on this day off included Amanda Smith, Barbara Bolan, Amanda Howell, James O'Toole, Rachael Bickerton, Anna & Sarah Skaggs and myself. Unfortunately for most of the volunteers outnumbered the diners. (Several theories have developed in regards to this; primarily that the homeless and underemployed populations of the city have been displaced because of the storm and have not yet returned, coupled with the fact that the Convention Center brings back too many heartbreaking memories for most residents.) Regardless, those in attendance were well fed and entertained by world-renowned musicians, including Miss Irma Thomas.

Home is where (the) Hoover is

2006-11-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

I have but one regret this trip... I missed my chance to go work with animals. We only worked for a little while on Sunday afternoon clearing roofing debris so we were still spry, free of bruises and muscle soreness on Monday morning. We were ready to knock down some walls! I thought there would be other chances to go help out with the furry friends but that was the only day a team was sent out to the Animal Shelter during our stay.

To say there was no evacuation plan in place for animals is redundant since obviously there was no evacuation plan in place, period. Family members were forced to choose between leaving their pets and service animals behind knowing they would not likely survive or staying with them where they risked their own lives as well. Many chose to stay behind and the results were tragic. I find this particularly disturbing because I know that I would have done the same thing. I don’t see a “choice” in that situation. Thousands of pets roamed empty streets. Many survived water and wind, only to succumb to dehydration and starvation. Others survived only to be murdered by renegade cops who shot innocent dogs. I know it's disturbing, but I promised I would not be silent. I promised I would share the stories so that what happened is not forgotten.

In June, 2006, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco signed the “Pet Evacuation Bill” which mandates that local and state governments include companion and service animal issues in disaster planning and emergency preparedness. It’s a start and a huge step forward. It also sets a precedent for the rest of the country. My appreciation goes out to the authors of the bill and to those who worked tirelessly to get it passed. Thank you for being a powerful voice for those who cannot speak (barking/meowing/hissing/growling do not count here). I confess, the photo is not from our trip but I really needed to post a happy dog face. The activist dog above was owned by Shannon Moore who worked tirelessly for the animals as well as the legislation even though she herself lost everything to Katrina. Sadly, Shannon died in June.

Thanksgiving Day was particularly sentimental for me because it was the one year anniversary of my dog Hoover’s adoption. Last year while Amanda was working at Hands On in Biloxi I was driving to Best Friends in Kanab, Utah to adopt my boy. The sanctuary he came from was responsible for rescuing over 4,000 four legged hurricane victims. They mobilized immediately and set up temporary shelters to rescue, reunite, transport and rehabilitate displaced animals, as did many other organizations. Although Hoover himself was not a Katrina dog his adoption made room to accommodate one more. Like most dogs, he is incredibly empathetic. He sensed my heavy-hearted mood last night and fell asleep with his body stretched out like a human, head on my shoulder, something he’s never done before. And unfortunately like a lot of volunteers in the bunk house, he snores loudly.

Jean K.

UPDATE: Orginally posted by Jean on 12/22/06

The officers involved in the shootings (see previous post: Home Is Where (The) Hoover Is) have been indicted by the Louisiana State Attorney General's Office and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals. If convicted they face a maximum 10-year sentence and a fine of up to $25,000.

For the full story go to:
http://network.bestfriends.org/hurricane/news/9935.html

We will not be silent: Part I

2006-11-25T23:22:00.001-08:00

I have just arrived home. It's late and I'm tired so forgive me if the writing is a bit sloppy. I can't sleep anyway. My head is flooded with emotions and experiences and my camera is full of pictures I want to share with you, all of which I will do in the days and weeks that follow, but the first experience I want to share with you was for me the most important one because it is the reason I will continue to be a part of the work that Hands On is committed to completing.

------

Jason, Roxy, Amanda and I arrived at the Hands On headquarters on Saturday evening, Nov. 18, after dinner was over which is when the nightly Community Meetings take place. There was a special presentation going on on that particular night and unfortunately our mini group missed the beginning of the presentation but we definitely got the message which was concise, simple and powerful:

WE WILL NOT BE SILENT.

We made a promise to not be silent. We made a promise to come back to our own neighborhoods around the world (there were volunteers from as far away as South Africa and Japan) and share the stories of the people whose lives have been turned upside down. We got to connect with some of those people on a level that I can neither explain in words nor photos. The emotional stress on them alone is intense and yet they get up everyday and move forward in their lives with a positive energy that gives new meaning to the word courage. They are kind, good, hard working people who deserve to be in their homes. Think about that for a minute. Think about how you would feel if everything you held dear was gone. Your community, your home, your heirlooms, your photos of your family history and the most painful loss of all, the lives of your loved ones.

I will keep doing what I can so that they don't also have to lose all they have left. Hope.

To my team: we are forever bonded by this experience. I made new friends, spent quality time with old ones and had the best Thanksgiving I've ever had. A stampede of twenty Rhinos is a force to be reckoned with and I was proud to be there with you.

Goodnight my friends and a million thanks to everyone who helped us get there. More to come...

Jean K.

"Usher Out of the Bunkhouse"

2006-11-24T15:04:00.000-08:00

The idea of blogging every day sounds good in theory but at the end of a long workday it may not actually happen. That is why it is Friday and I still haven't explained what happened Tuesday night.

On Tuesday we learned that Usher was going to be doing a press junket from our humble bunkhouse. So the good news is more press for Hands On, the bad news is all the volunteers had to sleep somewhere else. So 100 volunteers packed up most of their belongings and were shuttled across town to a church hall where we all slept on air mattresses like a big, annoying, slumber party. Some of the Rhinos escaped to the Maple Leaf Bar to see the Rebirth Brass Band.

Wednesday was a very, very busy day. All Hands On crews were working in the same block of the Lower 9th Ward to support some of Usher's press stuff. Miss Antoinette supplied lunch for the entire group with some amazing Southern Thanksgiving fixings.

Wednesday was a stinky stinky stinky day.

Tuesday via Thursday

2006-11-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

Don't let the timestamp on the blog fool you, it is really 2:53 am as I start this post. I can't sleep. The bunkhouse is at capacity of over 100 sleeping souls. My quick focus group tells me that while 20% of the population snores, they prevent the remaining 80% from sleeping. Earplugs are a wonderous thing but sometimes once you are up, you are up. I figured I might as well take this opportunity to add my own little typing sounds to the chorus of the night and catch you up on our activities.

I left off my previous post with Tuesday afternoon's gut. This second house my Tuesday crew was assigned to was in the heart of the Lower 9. If not for the few FEMA trailers parked on some properties it would be hard to say anyone lived in a 2 mile radius. With us dressed in our Tyvek suits, respirators, goggles and hardhats it was as if we were a hazmat crew responding to a town eradicated from radiation or a horror-flick plague.

The house was rather small, 4-5 rooms total I believe, but I never made it past the first two rooms so I'm not sure. There was a visible waterline slightly higher than my waist circling the room. Black mold was visible on every possible surface with paint peeling in sheets 5 feet wide. But the truly horrific part was the floor, the carpeting and the wood underneath were still sopping wet. It was a slimy sludge that was slippery to walk on, much less stake a ladder on while you climb up with a crowbar to rip out the sagging ceiling. And once all the "dry"wall has been pulled down from the ceilings and walls it must be shovelled into trashcans and hauled to the street. After all the debris has been cleared we pulled up the carpet to expose the still-wet wood underneath which finally gave way in some spots. The final duty when gutting a house is to pull each and every nail from the wood studs to make a smooth surface for the de-molding crew. Many of the nails below the waterline simply dissolved on contact; 6-8 inch framing nails reduced to dust, thus is the power of the levee break.

The amazing part of this work was not that a crew of about 8 can completely gut a house in a few hours, it is that they do it willingly, without hesitation, without a freakin' "org chart". You pick up the closest tool and attack whatever surface needs to be done, no questions asked. The only heirarchy on the work site is the two Team Leaders who are entrusted with our safety in the situation and take that on with the utmost respect. The TLs on this day's project, Reggie and Elliot, are no more than 20 years old. I cannot think of anywhere else in my life that I have encountered such a classless society. Age, race, sex, income, education, and what kind of car you drive don't mean a damn thing in the Lower 9. So the most disgusting house I've ever seen was also one of the most beautiful sites I've ever witnessed. My gratitude towards my team that day, which included Rhinos Jason, James, Sarah, Dana, Jean as well as to everyone who made my trip possible is immeasurable.

Belated Blogging

2006-11-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry for not posting in several days but we have just been so busy with work and fun. When was the last time we talked, Sunday? Monday was our first full work day. It started at 7am with loud Kenny Wayne Sheppard blasting from the kitchen signaling breakfast is served. Breakfast consists of bread, some bagels, random bags of cereal and anything else they may have dragged out. While preparing your breakfast you also must pack your lunch (pb&j with cheeze nips or cookies). Monday being the first day we all underestimated our hunger. Word to the wise, bring at least 2 sandwiches! I would also like to announce that Rachael ate her very first peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Monday.

The crew I was on was gutting Professor Longhair's house. The crew also included Amanda, Dana, Jean, Rachael, Drue, Jason and JO'T. (I may have forgotten someone since we all look alike in our white Tyvex suits, no offense meant to anyone left out). The work is strenuous in physical and mental ability. We had to sort through clothing, furniture and random documents that have been in the house since the storm, salvaging anything possible. Once that is done we attack the drywall, tearing the house down to the studs. The first floor was our goal for the first day and we were pleased to accomplish our goal. During the afternoon Professor Longhair's daughter, Patricia, stopped by to see us and thank us for our work. Word had gotten back to her that we were from Rhino and she was very touched by the personal connection. I'll let one of the other Rhino's describe the meeting in more detail.

Monday night, what did we do? I don't even remember but it probably involved Igor's.

Tuesday morning a group headed out to finish the second floor gutting of Ms. Patricia's house but it was cut short about an hour into it when someone knocked the valve off the gas line and we had to evacuate. The main shut off valve could not be found and the gas company had no record of the house when called. But during the searching for the main valve we did find live ammo. An awesome combination! That ended the work at that house for the day.

The crew came back to basecamp to regroup and be assigned to a new project. The second project was another gut but this time in the 9th Ward area of New Orleans. In all of my work in Biloxi and to date this was the most disgusting situation I've ever experienced. And on that note, dinner is served. I'll report back later.

late night blogging

2006-11-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

It's 11:45 pm, and despite a long day of walking around New Orleans and painting primer on a halfway-rebuilt house, I can't sleep. Maybe what's keeping me awake is the existential sadness that such a beautiful city can be ignored and forgotten by the men we elected to keep our country safe and strong.

But more likely, it's because the chump in the next bunk won't stop snoring. Compassion be damned...sometimes you just wanna kick someone in the face. So, in the hopes that my neighbor's nasal passages will clear out with time, I'm up and blogging.

Today's expedition around the French Quarter was fun but bittersweet. We all had a great time eating, shopping, walking, and taking goofy pictures, and I definitely did my part to support New Orleans' economy. But it's sad to see the stark difference between the "tourist" neighborhoods and the block where our Hands On base is situated. The "new" New Orleans definitely has two sides -- the strong, positive, optimistic side that is promoted to the outside world as proof that the city will thrive, and the distressed, chaotic, and dangerous side where gang activity runs high and damaged houses & debris stand waiting to be repaired or demolished.

On our first night, we heard from a speaker & activist whose message was "WE WILL NOT BE SILENT". I realize now how vital it is to speak up about the issues facing New Orleans, and to confront the fact that tourism dollars and Saints games are good, but they won't bring the city back to the level of stability needed for real re-development. That stability can only be accomplished by spreading awareness of the "other", unseen side of New Orleans and mobilizing the efforts of local & federal government and volunteer organizations to counteract the negative, destructive, and corrupting influences that are burrowing into the heart of the city. It's good to have Mardi Gras, and it's good for Americans to see that New Orleans is not dead. But it's also important to acknowledge that much work still remains to be done, and the embattled citizens of this proud city can't do it all by themselves.

I've only been here a day and I already want to come back and work with Hands On again.
I urge any of you with a desire to help to look into volunteering. Hands On makes it incredibly easy...they give you a place to stay, food to eat, and well-organized volunteer projects. All you have to do is show up and work. But if you can't come volunteer, at the very least, don't be silent. Tell your friends and family about the situation and spread the word. The more people we reach, the better chance we have of helping this struggling city get back up on its feet.

-- Jason

p.s. - here are some more photos from our trip so far. Sorry if they're a little blurry...my camera-phone is tempermental.

visiting an old friend...

2006-11-19T17:40:00.000-08:00

It was an official day off for the Hands On volunteers, so, even though the WMG team was ready and willing to tear down some walls, we spent our first day in town exploring the French Quarter and visiting our old friend Shirley instead. Some of you may have heard about Shirley from our last volunteer trip in April. A waitress at the Coffee Pot restaurant in the FQ, Shirley had evacuated the city before Katrina hit, but due to the aftermath, was unable to move back into her apartment, and in April was still commuting all the way from Baton Rouge to work. She was happy to still have a job, but suffering in a million small ways from having her life turned upside down. As with everyone we'd met, Shirley was extremely grateful for the presence of hundreds of volunteers in town helping to rebuild, and after serving us a delicious meal of catfish poboys, expressed her gratitude to us in song... "take me to heart, and I'll always love you..." We recognized it immediately as Aretha Franklin's "Do Right Woman" (a Rhino legacy artist), but it was imbued with a special poignancy in light of all she'd been through. It brought most of us to tears and was one of the most powerful experiences of our April trip. Of course, Shirley was high on our list of things to do/people to see in the French Quarter, and we were relieved to find her still there at the Coffee Pot today. It was a very happy reunion for all of us -- she told us that she had found an apartment in the city three months ago (prices are more than double what they had been pre-Katrina) and that her life was improving. She serenaded us with another song, "Amazing Grace" this time, because "it's Sunday" she said.

After our visit with Shirley, we caught some amazing street performers and happily plowed some money into the local economy before heading back to Hands On. Jason, Drue, Dana, Jean, Rachael, James and I all worked for a few hours on a house across the street from the Hand On home base... cleaning up debris from their new roof and painting. Tomorrow the real heavy lifting begins!

Amanda Smith, c/o Becky

Pictures from Saturday

2006-11-19T07:16:00.000-08:00

We made it, well some of us did.

2006-11-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

It is after 11 on Saturday night, our first night here. Currently we have me, Drue, Deidre, Sarah, Anna, Michael, Faith, Alessandra, Roxy, Jason, Amanda and Jean in camp. (Pardon my spelling as it is already past "lights out" and I'm trying to type as quietly as possible.) Raena missed her morning flight but we believe she caught the same evening flight as James. I don't believe they have arrived to the homebase just yet but they should be here any minute.

Since we are all coming in on separate flights and airlines through various connecting cities it seems every few hours another "rhino" shows up at the door. The church we are stationed in is certainly not on the main tourist route so even the cab drivers are having difficulty finding it. I was part of the first group to arrive (Drue, Deidre, Becky) so I guess I've had the most time to settle in.

In the bunkhouse I chose an upper bunk, completely forgetting that a lower bunk can quickly become a private cocoon with a simple sheet. Instead I am up here in the open like a plastic figurine on a storebought birthday cake. I may have to make a move tomorrow. Some of the group supported the local watering hole tonight where we played some pool and dusted off the jukebox. Drue, Jason and Deidra are joining some fellow Hands On people going to Tipatina's tonight.

Tomorrow is an "off" day for the volunteers so I think most of our group is going to take advantage of it and explore the city. Of course Deidre scored a free ticket to the Saints game so she has a date with the Superdome.

I would post some pictures of our homebase but I forgot my camera cord in my bag under the bottom bunk and that is where it will stay for the night. So pictures tomorrow, I promise!
Good night-
Becky

Mold, maggots in New Orleans homes left to rot.

2006-11-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

New Orleans remains in the news, thank you to all who have helped make our trip possible...

By Matthew Bigg
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - More than a year after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, thousands of homes damaged by flooding still stand empty, stained by black mold and some of them infested with maggots.

City authorities are now cranking up a $20 million drive to deal with a problem until now addressed mainly by charities, home-owners and contractors who have worked to gut the properties and eliminate the health hazard they pose.

Volunteers from the charity Acorn began the two-day process of gutting one such house belonging to Gwen Brown in New Orleans East suburb in late October, removing damaged goods and stripping the house to its walls, floorboards and ceilings.

They wore white full-body protective suits and put on gas masks, goggles and thick gloves because the spores infested every corner of the house.

"There's nothing like a maggot-filled refrigerator," said Daryl Durham, the team leader, as he hauled one into the street to join a growing pile of possessions. The stench from the fridge filled the road.

Flood waters that surged into the famed city of jazz in August last year churned the house contents around like a whirlpool and then sat at a depth of 5 feet for weeks before receding. Since then the house, like thousands of others, has been left untouched.

Acorn says its volunteers have gutted around 1,600 homes at a rate of around 20 per month and around 2,000 homes remain on its list to be cleared out, though many other residents have signed up with other groups to have their houses dealt with.

"People ... just think it was a city that was demolished. If people realized that these were people's lives then more things would happen quicker," said Lauren Pembo, 19, a student volunteer and New Orleans native.

CITY PLAN

As part of the Good Neighbor Program, Mayor Ray Nagin proposed $15 million in his $419 million November budget to strip 5,000 homes and $5 million to demolish 10,000 more, said Anthony Faciane, chief of development in the mayor's office.

The program, which started a year after the storm, involves a three-step, 120-day process for homeowners who have not cleaned out or demolished damaged homes or applied to a volunteer agency to do the job.

Homeowners are first given notice that they are in violation of local laws, then after 30 days a notice is put on the property and on a Web site and 30 days after that authorities can seek permission to demolish or to gut and board up a property.

"It is crucial that most of our resources have to be given for making a high-quality of life for the pioneers, the people who came back and started to rebuild. We need to clean neighborhoods up," Faciane told Reuters.

Around 120,000 properties were damaged by flooding in New Orleans. Permits had been issued for around 100,000 to be gutted or repaired, leaving around 20,000 untouched. Of those, around 15,000 would have to be demolished, Faciane said.

Many homeowners, traumatized by their experience of losing so much, were reluctant to make a decision on whether to return and rebuild so the city was setting deadlines to help them decide, he said.

"What people don't realize is that this was the first time in history is that an entire American city was shut down," Faciane said.

CROWBARS, SENSITIVITY

Volunteers use crowbars to prize sheetrock from walls in damaged homes. But they have to be careful -- items that look worthless may be of intense personal value.

For many people, seeing the contents of their flooded houses piled up in the street is traumatic.

Brown, whose New Orleans East home yielded the maggot-infested fridge and who fled to Houston, Texas, just before the storm, maintained telephone contact with the team clearing her single-story home and the next day returned to see it.

"This was my first place. I was so happy here. I would sit on this patio after work," said Brown, 51, as she picked through old records, carpets, plastic flowers and other items.

A neighbor who failed to get out before the storm drowned in her back yard. The body was removed in the immediate aftermath of the storm, she said.

Almost every item she found triggered memories. A framed print of jazz singer Billie Holliday had survived as had a bottle stuffed with coins her daughter used as a piggy bank.

Insurance money she received went to pay off the mortgage and she planned, one day, to rebuild the house and move back.

But Brown was unsentimental about her ruined possessions and marveled how much "junk" she'd accumulated over the years.

"It's a closure because this part of our life is over," she said as she surveyed her stuff. "We loved this house but I can't get none of it back."

Less than two weeks away

2006-11-06T10:09:00.001-08:00

Wow, we are less than two weeks away from landing in New Orleans. The group is getting very excited! We are also very close to reaching our fundraising goal and offer a huge thanks to everyone who has made this trip possible.

This afternoon Amanda and I are going shopping at the "survival store" for respirators, work gloves and eye protection which will be needed by each of the team members. When our work in NOLA is done we will leave these behind for future workers who may not be able to purchase the items themselves.

We are also busy with the various travel arrangements since we have team members from all over the country joining us this time around.

We will be posting daily entries with pictures of our experiences so please check back often!

Thanks again for all of your support.
-Becky

Buy A Letterpress Journal -- Help Pay Our Expenses

2006-10-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

I have been selling letterpress printed blank journals to help raise money for our airfare. They make great gifts and the holidays are fast approaching. Buy a few and save yourself the headache of hours of shopping at the mall come December. The books have 2 color letterpress printed chipboard covers, contain approx. 100 sheets of heavy unlined sketch paper, page size is 6" x 9" and there's a pocket in the back for loose notes/photos.

Journals are $20 each and all $20 goes towards our expenses. You can pay via the PayPal link listed above, just specify it's for a journal. Please add $3 to cover shipping and handling (in the US). We need to have all funds in by November 10th, so please act quickly.

She's a brick...house

2006-10-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

Among our many fundraising activities this year is the "buy a brick, build a home" campaign where team members sold paper bricks for a suggested donation of $5 each. We taped off the outline of a house in highly visible areas of our workplace for people to place their bricks and encourage others to do the same. To date we have raised $1715 with our brick houses but we have so much farther to go. We have 19 volunteers set to travel to New Orleans over the Thanksgiving holiday but can only cover 9 airfares so far. The deadline for purchasing the tickets is approaching rapidly. We need all funds in house by November 10th.

Introducing the team

2006-10-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

This photo shows the volunteers who are traveling to New Orleans and the people behind-the-scenes who are helping them get there.

Rachael Bickerton * Barbara Bolan * Jason Butler * Carmie Casal * Amy Edgar * Sophia Fields * Peter Halm * Amanda Howell * Deidre Jericho * Jean Krikorian * Theresa Kozlowski * Karen LeBlanc * Lisa Liese * Drue Madrid * Nikki Monninger * Terri Mouton * Lisa Nauful * James O'Toole * Alessandra Quaranta * Michael Robinson * Quincee Robinson * Faith Sauerwald * Anna Skaggs * Sarah Skaggs * Amanda Smith * Jason Spitz * Dorothy Stefanski * Bryan Thomas * Dana Tyson * Becky Wagner * Raena Winscott * Roxy Zonni