Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Welcome to Livingston CARES January 2007 Trip
Hello everyone going to Mississippi on Saturday. We are looking forward to our continuing work in Harrison County, Mississippi. Our hosts for the week will be the Lutheran Episcopal Disaster Response recovery center: Camp Biloxi on Pass Road in Biloxi. We hope several of you will join the CARES blog and start sharing your thoughts and reactions to your experiences in Biloxi. Each of you will receive an invitation to join the CARES blog from our new webmaster, Tracy Paradis, from the Milne Library Staff at SUNY Geneseo. More later. Tom Matthews, January Trip Coordinator.
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The first day we were here, New Orleans was covered in a thick, heavy fog that blanketed the gutted houses, torn oaks, and broken spirits. New Orleans was an erie place that first Sunday, and everyone on the trip could feel the depth Katrina reached here; through the homes and through the families.
-Lindsay
On Sunday we were given a tour by Connie Rockoco, a woman who holds a position in Harrison County that's comprable to Maggie Brooks's in Rochester. We received a our tour through much of the area, and the discrepencies in the repairs between the wealthy neighborhoods and those in poverty are so vast. In the more affluent neighborhoods, life seemed almost normal, except there was still something that seemed amiss; usually this was just seen in overturned lawn ornaments, othertimes, just a dented mailbox.
When we entered the poorer areas, Connie informed us that the devastation unfolding before our eyes was to do a 30 ft wall of water that was a deadly precursor to the undulating wrath that Katrina would later bring. Really, as trite as this may sound, there are no words that can capture what we've seen. Rather than try to convey the full breadth of everything, I'll instead share some of the more poignant scenes that deeply affect myself and the others:
The first thing that I saw which brought tears to my eyes were when we slowly drove past a house that had only it's front porch and fireplace still standing. Along the brick one of the owners had scrawled in spraypaint, "What are we supposed to do now?"
A few minutes later we passed another structure that only it's supporting posts intact. Positioned in the middle of the skeletal structure was a lone rocking chair. We learned that many owners come back to their homes and just sit. Nothing was more heartbreaking than picturing the owner who had come back and sat in that rocking chair and just surveyed what was left of their home.
The final moment that left us all silent was driving past low oak trees that were twisted in the wind. Hanging from the branches were blankets, clothing, and in one, a child's toy. With the wind silently pulling at the objects in the trees, and the fog slowly rolling in from the the bay, the scene was truly haunting.
-Nancy
Working on homes in Biloxi has been an amazing experience. The first home I worked on I had the opportunity to meet the family that lives in the home. It was moving to hear their story and how they were impacted by the hurricane. The water level came so high in the house that the family had to take refuge in their attic. They lost almost everything in their home, and were only able to save a few photo albums. We asked a young woman in the house what item she was most upset about losing. She explained that the hurricane changed her life and that she was simply just happy to be alive with her family. The family was so thankful for all the people that spent time working on their house.
On Tuesday (today) I was moved to a different home and had a different experience. We began exterior work on a historic home in Biloxi. Though we did not meet the family in the house it was still great to know that we were working to rebuild a historic part of the community. It was a beautiful day in Mississippi and our team worked hard to sand paint off from the house.
I am excited to continue working this week. To actually see the damage that has been done to Biloxi is sad. After a year and a half there is still a lot to do, and I am happy that I can be a part of helping Biloxi rebuild to the state it was before Hurricane Katrina. I certainly will never forget this trip, it has taught me to be thankful for what we have and the power of taking just one week of your life to help people hurt by Katrina.
-Carolyn D.
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