The January trip departs in T minus 17 days for Mississippi! We're busy getting ready (and packing!)
I'm pretty excited to be working with such a great group of people! I look forward to getting to know everyone :)
Stay tuned for updates as we embark on our January 2009 trip. We will be blogging daily, so you can feel like you're right there with us.
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season,
Elise
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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.
Read the news article here.
Monday, May 26, 2008
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
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
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?!??
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.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
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
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
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