An article about the FEMA trailers

Tens of thousands of youngsters may face lifelong health problems because the temporary housing supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency contained formaldehyde fumes up to five times the safe level.

Read the news article here.

Biloxi on my mind

I just have a few thoughts lingering about our week in Biloxi.

First, I'm optimistic about the future of Biloxi.  It's relatively small, there are some quality homes being built and lots of people  have been touched by lots of people, like you all!

Prior to Katrina, Biloxi seemed to be a mess, drugs etc, and was not a community of security or support.  That has the potential to change, to be a different place, a better place.

Second, being in Biloxi changes you.  The conspiracy of compassion metaphor is a powerful one.  How does one sustain that kind of involvement, that contribution, that service?

  What I've been thinking about is that, yes, many people in Biloxi have had the "wind" knocked out of them and need "help to breathe", but people in Livingston County or wherever you live also have had the "wind" knocked out of them and need the service, help to breathe, the conspiracy of compassion to help them through.  You don't need to go to Biloxi to be a "conspirator"!  Biloxi reminds us that giving of our time to others is richly rewarding, greatly appreciated.  

My point is that giving of oneself is possible regardless of your profession.  whether you are a teacher, counselor, judge, doctor, engineer, reference librarian...whatever, there are always opportunities to be the "conspirator"!  As a student, your talents and interest can take you  in many possible directions.  I admire Craig immensely for his commitment to his missionary work, as I know many of you do as well.  Your contribution to society, to your neighbors or community may take the form of mission work/commitment, but your interest and study may take you to some other area, teaching reading at an elementary school, or medicine and so on.  You will find a way, within your field to give to , to help to breathe, those who need it.

So sustaining a life filled with giving may look very different from building in Biloxi and will look very different amongst our small group.  The week in Biloxi, with a couple of great roll models, helps us to recognize the benefits of being involved and making a contribution.  Now you have to translate that involvement into your everyday existence.  Great things are possible for each of you and I am personally thankful for having had this week together.

Finally,  why were you such a great group?  It wasn't your drywall or painting skills that made an impression.  It was you willingness to do whatever, your being quick to volunteer,  your picking up after yourselves, your inclusiveness of each other and the kindness and support that you showed each other.  

I could not have had a better week!  Thanks.

Dan Dimpfl 

Leaving our mark

N'awlins (Part 1)

There has been interest in heading over to New Orleans for a brief visit since the beginning of our journey. We held a couple of conversations to consider whether or not this was a good idea and if it were plausible. Weighing the pros and cons, in the end the general consensus was to get to the job site early, shorten a lunch break and cut out a bit early on one work day. The actual plans changed as the week progressed, mainly due to weather concerns and commitments and in the end, we decided that Friday was the day to go.

No one wanted to leave Craig and his crew short nor to leave them with all the cleanup, so we all threw ourselves into the day's tasks and the following cleanup. A quick stop to the stadium for showers and we were off to New Orleans by 2:00. It was about a 90 minute drive with 5 folks in 3 cars. The general plan was to gather at a visitors center, get some maps and plan out our visit. One of the central ideas was to witness the lower 9th ward. After seeing the state of East Biloxi, we were all curious to see how it may be different or the same.

As we drove over we saw a number of different birds. The terns and ibises were plentiful all along the way. I hadn't realized that Lake Pontchartrain was as massive as it is until we began driving over it. I later looked at the map and saw how we barely saw a sixth of its size!

Never having been to NOLA before, there was little for me to compare. What is "normal" and what is the result of this disaster? Having witnessed this small area in Mississippi, I was braced for what I'd find in New Orleans. Or at least, I thought I was. Coming into downtown on the 10, there were signs of reconstruction and there were certainly plenty of damaged buildings, but it wasn't overwhelming. It can be misleading to see East Biloxi and that part of Louisiana because, a little more than 2 and a half years later, there is a semblance of normalcy. Streets and highways are clear. Traffic flows in, out and around. People are walking about, meeting and talking. Stores are open and folks eat out at restaurants.

Then we drove down into the 9th ward.



I noticed the destroyed buildings along the main road that we took, and a number of them were being worked on, had been repainted vibrant colors, or were torn down. There were so, so many sites with the markings from the rescue searches done following Katrina's fury. And then we took a few circles around the side blocks. It was breath-stealing.


Concrete slabs of one-time driveways leading only to overgrown plots of 2 feet of overgrown weeds. Partial walls and steps leading to nothing.



Empty shells of what were homes, now abandoned. Windows blown open with the blinds swinging in the stale breeze showed glimpses of trashed rooms. All abandoned.

Lot after lot after lot.





So many houses with red "X's" that were obviously some official notification of occupancy - or denial thereof.

A brick church crumbled with the spray painted directive to contact a certain bishop; presumably to tell him about the state of his flock.

A planetarium, gutted. Derelict and half-standing structures with "For Sale" signs in the overgrown front lawns.



And then a yard of RV trailers. Rows and rows of them. I can imagine camping comfortably in one for a week or maybe a bit more. But to live there? For nearly three years!?!?








I have related my experience of the Northridge earthquake back in 1994 to many of the folks here on the trip. It was a terrifying experience and it took a bit of time to get things back to a semblance of normal. I was attending Cal State Northridge at the time, and we were still in trailers and temporary buildings for classes when I graduated in 1996/97. Sure, we slept outside in the courtyard of the apartment building for more than a week with all of our neighbors while waiting to find out if it was safe to live in our building, but the inspectors came quickly and we had our home and our belongings.

It's nearly three years later and these people don't have their homes!

There were some very few homes being rebuilt. A few were being repaired. But not many.

How is it that these people - our neighbors- are so invisible? How can this be yesterday's news?!??

Our work comes to a (temporary) close

Today was a fine day and we accomplished much. With the drywall up, our next task was to begin mudding the walls, and as you can see in this image (left), we got a great start with the first coat. This was my first crack at mudding and it took a little while to get into a rhythm, but eventually, we got cranking. Craig tells us it's at least a 3-coat job . We had a couple of visitors to the site and both commented on the superior quality of work done by our team and that feels really good to know that we have not only done good work, but quality work as well.



The rest of the team got to finishing up the covering on the underside of the house. There is a mesh fabric that needs to cover the insulation. Two folks had started the job earlier in the week and our two teams of 4 or 5 finished stapling today.









A big thanks to all the hardworking folks of May 2008 Biloxi worktrip!










And of course, tonight was the time to inscribe our handprints on Geneseo's wall here in Biloxi's "Yankie" Stadium. Another week of work is accomplished and we all remember that there is yet more work to be done. I suspect there are many who will be returning to East Biloxi next year.

Little Things

This is my second trip to Biloxi, Mississippi and what a trip it has been. I am sure that I will remember this trip for the rest of my life and I can't wait to share my experiences with everyone I know. The only problem I have is that no one has the capacity to fully understand what you feel through out this trip and after, until you experience yourself. But here is my story for this trip...

I worked with my friend Megan all week and it was a blast! Coming into this trip she and I were talking about how nervous we were for the week. We were nervous about it because we went last year and it was incredible, we had hoped that our experience would be the same. This trip by far surpasses every experience that I had last year. Our site coordinator was the sweetest, most kind, compassionate, caring, patient, loving, pure hearted man I have every met in my life. He has touched my heart forever and I will always remember him. He has done so much for other people and it has just inspired me to become a better person and strive to help others for the rest of my life. I had already known that I wanted to help people but he has just opened my eyes to what I can really accomplish in this short life. A brief little bit about Craig, our site coordinator, he worked in China, helping young pregnant teens find options for their children if they chose life. He has been a missionary for 22 years and he just wants to help.

The greatest thing for me on this trip was just hearing other peoples stories and how compassionate people can change so much in the world. These people realize that the only way things will change is if they help and take action.



This trip we got to meet the home owner, Leaster. She is such a sweetheart and she just appreciates everything that we are doing. She has brought us food on multiple occasions just to thank us for all the hard work, sweat, and love that we are putting into her house, correction home. We have seen her through out the week and every day that I see her the smile on her face grows. For me just to see her is incredible. To know that I can help her and her family to get their lives back on track and in the right direction just fills me with so much pride and joy.

I would also like to say that nothing that I am writing really gives justifies what my experiences were and how I feel. There are no real words for the warmth and love that you are filled with after one of these trips. One of my philosophies is that it is the little things in life or simple experiences in our time here that really matter and make our lives something worthwhile. Its not money you have or the number of friends that you have on facebook, its the little things like helping one family get back on their feet after a disaster or even your friend noticing that you are having a bad day and buying you your favorite candy bar. I guess I am just a simple person and enjoy the small pleasures in life and I feel that if you decide to go on a trip it will be one of the most enjoyable, if not the best experience in your life. YOU CAN make a difference, even if its only one person that you touch, because for that one person YOU made that difference!

Samantha Feldmeyer

And the sheetrock is up

What a satisfying day! Somehow, amidst all the joking, laughing, and ever-present threat of rain, we managed to finish all the exterior painting, tearing down the scaffolding, cleaning the decks, and mounting the drywall at Leaster's home. She stopped by again today with excitement fairly leaping out of her face and body. Now we can see the delineation of rooms and begin imagining how this space will eventually be filled with appliances, furniture, decorations, and a loving family.








The house on Division Street has made progress as well. It's more difficult to see it (especially in photos) than on the first site, but that team has been working at least as hard as we have. When I stopped over this afternoon, the team was finishing off the rafters to a very unique and complicated roof structure. This was designed in part by the homeowner to incorporate a greywater system.

The idea is that the rainwater will be collected from the roof into a cistern that is being created in the center of the house (image below). Very cool!







We were also told some of the background to why it's being built so high. See, the homeowner is a fisherman who works the waters of the Gulf,and at this height, he can stretch out his nets under the house. Everyday they have brought over homemade egg rolls to all the workers on the site; one batch in the morning, and one in the afternoon, because they are best when fresh and hot. It doesn't matter if you're there for a week, a day, or simply for a conversation; the gratitude for any contribution, large or small is to be rewarded with this kindness.



The care and attention paid to each of these homeowners by Craig Snow of HopeForce is profoundly generous. There are limitations of time and resources, but if it's possible, they do all they can to make requests happen. He further upped the ante by inviting our entire crew over to his new house to share in a fine dessert of banana pudding and apple pie, made with his own two hands as a gesture of appreciation for the week of work we've given him and those he serves. I'm happy to report that they were a big hit with everyone who stopped by tonight. We were able to meet his wife, Becky, and took some time to reflect on what this week and its work have brought to our own lives. Many expressed anger and frustration with the situation that has brought us here, tears flowed for the people who are not here and seem all-but-invisible to the rest of the world, and there was a lot of laughter for the joy and friendships built through working hard to provide a home to deserving folks.

No one of us will leave Biloxi unchanged.

Quote for the day

"I was kinda scared to death at first, but then I got used to it."

Marc
~ when asked how it was being up on the uppermost scaffolding to paint the exterior of the house.

Hurray drywall!

Tracy is tired tonight so she has entrusted me with the great honor of posting to the blog.



Unfortunately due to an allergic reaction to the fire ant venom I spent the morning in bed and thus missed out on anything that went on in the morning. I can say that our homeowner (who brought us cookies yesterday), brought over sandwich fixings for our lunch today!







The drywall is going up very quickly, and over half the house is done! It's awesome how quickly it all went up. Not to mention all the little things like the trim being painted all over the outside of the house, which resulted in Dan being up on a very very tall ladder for a large chunk of the day.









We had a story time with Craig, our work leader, in which he told us about the things he'd done before he started working with Hope Force. He was part of the first group of people to go into China in the early 90's and start up the process of adoption for abandoned baby girls. It was very interesting to hear him tell the story of being in China and being able to talk to all sorts of people in order to get something done for these girls. We have met a lot of very compassionate people like him while we've been down here. It's nice.


Dinner was nachos and fajitas, which were of course delicious. I'm going to be really sad to go home and not be able to enjoy all this delicious food! (The pancakes for breakfast this morning were particularly excellent. I highly recommend them.)

Anyway, it's late and thus time for bed! I can't believe tomorrow is Thursday already!

Sincerely,
Megan (the one that ticked off the fire ants... oops)

For the Good Times

The work is basically hot and sweaty, sprinkled with plaster dust. The progress feels good. Working with lots of people makes the big jobs become small. What I feel the most, is, the fun of working and being with students from SUNY Geneseo. They work hard, volunteer quickly, are on time and funny. The people, the place and the task are all uplifting. Biloxi is a good thing!

Dan Dimpfl

Flickr Photo album coming along

I've been trying to post some of the many pictures I am taking throughout the week. I am very limited on time and I don't want to hog all the bandwidth here, so I am putting up only a small percentage of what I will post upon my return to Geneseo. If you're enjoying the images in the blog, then click on over and see more of what we're doing right here:

Flickr

And feel free to leave comments on both the images and the blog! We're checking it when we can and we'd love to hear what you have to say!!

Day Three....

began with a sense of knowing what we are doing and a great determination to get a lot of work done. With the insulation finished, there was lots more drywalling and painting today.
















Our homeowner, Leaster Archie, stopped in for another visit before heading home to get some sleep. See, she's been in nursing care for hospitals and long term care facilities for 29 years now, and tomorrow is her anniversary! She works the 11 PM -7 AM shift and has seen her institution grow through the years.






The students leave a little extra love behind the walls...



Teams have formed and folks are working well together. I was painting the exterior of the house today with Amanda and Ashley. We were all a bit dubious of working so high up on the scaffolding and the ladders on the platforms. As Amanda said, "You can tell where I painted, because the lines are wavy [from being nervous]"






Eric and Marc made a lot of progress inside with the bathroom.














Here is where one of the bedrooms began yesterday....












and how we left it today. It's coming along nicely!

We'll be heading off to the Division Street house tomorrow since it is so much further behind and it's looking to rain on Thursday and Friday. We'll come back to finish what we can for Ms. Archie then, since most of the work is inside and we won't get soaked.



With the baggage issues settled, Megan kept things interesting by climbing one of the amazing oak trees... and making the [fortunately brief!] acquaintance of a local group of fire ants. She reacted quickly and we managed to get her all taken care of, but not without a few welts on her right forearm.





And we finished off the evening with a trip for ice cream. Unfortunately, the usual place has closed since our last visit, but we found another spot. It was sub-par, so we'll need to find another locale when we can. But we also had a stop over along the beach where we watched the moon rise over the Gulf and turn from a vibrant reddish to a creamy hue as it danced through the clouds. We were surprised to see the tide pools along the coastline, though it was difficult to observe much in the darkness.

Another very late night for me. If I don't manage an update tomorrow, it's because I fell over asleep!

Join the conversation

If you're enjoying the commentary on this week's adventures, go ahead and leave a note with your thoughts! If you'll notice, at the end of each post is a notice that says "comments."

If you click on this link, a new text box will open and you can just type in your thoughts and click on "Publish your comment."

We're checking the blog daily, and the folks working here this week would be thrilled to know someone is out there checking in on them.

So let us know!

Bringing in the First Day

Whew! It's been a busy day! I'm going to need to keep this brief since I've only got about 20 minutes before lights out and the morning rolls around early here in Mississippi. Food is plentiful here with all the promised foods to start off the day.











The entire group received an orientation to the work we've undertaken this week from Craig, a representative of HopeForce. There is no shortage of stories, and everyone's got at least a dozen. I was able to capture some on video, but those edits will have to wait for my return to NY.














Everyone jumped right in to the job at hand for Ms. Archie's home, jobsite #1.











Everyone was divided up into teams and work began. Our task today was to insulate and drywall. All of the walls had been insulated, but we had to do all of the ceilings. Once that was accomplished, up went the drywall. By day's end, only half of the living/dining room was needing insulation and 2 bedrooms were completely drywalled.

The saga of the lost luggage came to a conclusion today as I and the two folks who were waiting journeyed to the airport over lunchtime to retrieve the bags. Everyone will sleep better tonight with all of their belongings accounted for!




I'm uncertain as to the name of the homeowner for site #2, but I will get that and post it soon.













At the end of the workday, Ms. Archie came over to thank us for the work we're doing and took a moment for a photo-op.












After dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, lima beans and salad, we were treated to some cheesecake for dessert. About half of us chose to take that as a cue and go for a walk over the Ocean Springs bridge where I was able to capture this image of the sun setting behind Biloxi.








And finally, we capped the night with EVERYone watching the season finale of House!





'night all!

Dinner and the Beach

There's nothin' quite like gooood su'thn' bah-ba-kew and The Shed was no disappointment there. BBQ chicken, baby back ribs, and pulled pork were all a hit. Cole slaw, baked beans and mac salad with a bit-o-bread completed the selection. The restaurant has quite the eclectic decor, so be sure to check out the other pictures for a lil' more flavor.

After dinner, the folks in my car and I were noticing the amazing nearly-full moon over the Gulf and were lured to the beach for a tiptoe in the water. The white sand against the dark water with the moon's reflection was a sight to behold. Although we didn't have time to get ice cream this evening, it was the perfect cap to our day in Mississippi.



Unfortunately, we were unable to get lure the missing 2 bags tonight; fortunately there was a supply of sheets and blankets, so we're all bedded down for the evening with the promise of their arrival in the morning.

It's an early start to the day tomorrow with a "light" breakfast of eggs, bacon, oatmeal, dry cereal, hash browns and toast promised on the menu.

Safely arrived and settling in

It was a mostly-uneventful day of travel that brought us to the Salvation Army shelter here in Biloxi. All participants have managed through the early morning flight (I left Geneseo at 4 AM, myself) and connect up with the main group. All but 2 bags have made it as well, and our deprived folks are handling the small snafu with gracious patience. We're waiting now for the 4:30 flight to come in and see if the runaway luggage has landed.

The group of 15 is comprised of Geneseo students, faculty, and community members; most of whom have already been here in the reconstruction effort. Edwin, our oh-so-Southern host, has greeted and introduced us with colorful stories and fervent passion for the work that he has done over the past 24 months. It's a bittersweet week for him as he prepared to pack up this coming Sunday and return to the "real world" to find a job and re-enter "normal life" far from this slice of Mississippi. I hope to find some time to talk with him this week and get a little more background on his dedicated service.

So we've decided to head off to The Shed, a perennial favorite spot with the folks of Livingston Cares and I have 15 minutes to get ready! More to come soon....

Check out more pictures form today here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23874161@N08/?saved=1