Halloween

Im up super early to write...finding it's the only quiet time around here. I won't be going out on a job today-staying in to help make the Halloween meal. Spaghetti and meatballs (with olives inside the meatballs to look like eyes...deviled eggs and an other scary things that I can't remember right now. I hurt my elbow yesterday. We were wiping down the mold residue and i was up on a dresser wiping the ceiling. I was being very careful, moving like a ninja, doing a section at a time, carefully climbing down to move the dresser over. Yes, a dresser as we didn't have any tall ladders with us. Another crew had them.
I should have known better as I have a bad history with ladders as it is. They don't like me and I don't like them. So using a dresser was not smart on my part. After a few hours I lost my footing, slipped and fell on my elbow. Thank god I didn't break it-just bruised the bone and had to take the rest of the day off to put it on ice.

This is a scary Halloween. It's cooled down here enough to wear a sweatshirt at night (I know, don't hate me Seattle)and therefore rodents and bugs are moving back inside. They are big here. I haven't seen a rat yet but I know that if I get up in the middle of the night to pee and see one of those crossing my path, I will release a scream that will pierce every wall of this church and every dream my fellow volunteers may be having.
Plus, many people here are complaining of feeling unwell-seems there is a flu or bug going around-I'm feeling it too. Tonight is supposed to be insane-Halloween in NO. I am planning to avoid the insane part and go with a group to a jazz club-near the French Quarter but not in it.
I wasn't the only one injured yesterday. Chandra broke her thumb while cutting down a tree. Many are complaining of back pain. I'm so glad that fresh volunteers have arrived to help as many here need a few days of rest. Including me. One guy on our crew yesterday is 75 years old and he kicked ass. With a smile on his face. All day.

I received 3 care packages yesterday. Candy, DVDs, CDs,(Thank you Jay and Tracy) homemade chex mix and coffee-(thank you Suzanne and Michelle!) kitchen utensils and more coffee and candy (thank you Clayton). I was so excited and happy. Tearing up as I opened the boxes. Overwhelmed. Keep it coming y'all. I brought out a bowl of the chex mix last night and people dove into into.
Tonight before we go out we are lighting all the Jack-o-Lanterns that were made last night at the pumpkin carving contest here-and giving out candy to the neighborhood kids. I'm excited about that.

The Joyful Saturday

We went to a high school where 100 volunteers showed up to paint and landscape the school. The organizers of this event work with students who are having trouble passing state exams.
I worked with 10 volunteers planting flowers and putting down mulch. Lunch was donated by some local BBQ places. After that we worked on painting the office and other volunteers tackled other areas in this huge (compared to my high school)school.

Highlights of the day.
One woman and her grandson made my day. I was painting and her grandson Rodney, 8 years old was painting nearby. The first thing he said to me was, "when I grow up I'm going to be an artist." He also mentioned that his grandma was taking him to Paris on Nov 7th and he will get to see paintings of Van Gogh (his favorite artist). I enjoyed working with his grandma too. She told me the best part of being a grandmother is that you have a chance to get it right. Later we were talking and I told her I was hoping to teach music while being here. She told me about a program created by Winton Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr.(both New Orleans natives)to bring jazz programs to all kids of the city. She told me to give her a call--she is the president of the Mississippi board of education.
Two of the men who worked with us on landscaping graduated from this high school years ago and came to New Orleans just for this project.

Later painting with my Hands On team in the school office we listened over the intercom announcements of various prizes being given to volunteers. When they said, we have a volunteer who has won a free manicure...I said, I know it's gonna be me...and they said, Maria Kramer, please come to the principals office. Yippee! It's so fun to win stuff. So I just have to make the appointment...seems like a waste on hands that are working on gritty stuff but I'm sure it will be very relaxing.

Not sure if I mentioned this before but on Friday the cast from "Days of Our Lives", (for those of you who don't know-it's a soap opera. They were checking out our facility and work as they intend to work with crews for one week in January. I want to be here to see them get nasty dirty and take lots of pictures. hee hee

When we got back to base we were welcomed by a great meal made by the sweetest couple, Donna and Wayne. Chicken, baked potatoes, green bean casserole, fruit salad, salad, home made cookies. Yummmm (check out their picture on last post)

Later the evening was spent creating Halloween costumes and going out as a big group. I ended up leaving the French Quarter 20 minutes after we got there. I just wasn't feeling well and grabbed a cab back.

Yesterday was joyous-today I'm kinda down. Its my day off and I haven't done much of anything-still not feeling so well. It's been like that. Up and down. Can't remember when I've felt so happy.

Check out the pictures I took on Saturday-the last post.

Pictures from a Joyous Saterday

Saturday Day-working to fix up a high school

Andrew's goodbye outing-Carol's house

October 26-gutting a house

October 27th-early morning

I'm am up very early as I'm on breakfast crew. Not much for me to do as it's just cereal and toast. The best part is that I get to pick out the wake up song that is played at 7am on full blast as the lights go on. I'm picking out a Tito Puente song that will either be appreciated or I'll get growled at. I'm looking forward to it.

I wanted to write my blog last night but my hands could not type. I had a difficult gut job yesterday, overdid it and I'm paying for it. Not complaining though because working physically like that helps me get out the frustration and anger I sometimes feel here.

As we drove to the sight again I was overwhelmed by the level of poverty that exists here in such large numbers. The streets of the poor are falling apart and there are huge piles of debris that have not been picked up by the city as promised. The house we gutted belonged to an older woman-older than her age who took the bus out to her house to open it for us. Inside in the front room there was a large pile of things she had pulled out to keep. It looked like a pile of moldy trash but it was her stuff-and it's all she has. We first worked on shoveling up a deeply compressed pile of debris that looked like papermache with rusting batteries, Mardi grass beads and unrecognizable items. Huge cockroaches, spiders as big as my hand and termites poured out of it. I nearly threw up in my mask. The owner, Carol, stood by picking out objects that she wanted to keep wearing a hefty trash bag and a dust mask for protection. It was the saddest thing to see and i had to check myself to get that look of disgust off of my face. This is her house and her things however sad it may be. The floor was tilted and the floorboards rotten.
After getting that gross stuff off the way we began to tear down the walls and ceilings down to the frame-pulled up the tiles and moldy carpet-filling huge trash cans with debris and emptying them out in front of her house until the pile was 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide.
Outside of the house there was a constant traffic of drug dealing and neighbors stopping by to say hi to Carol and to us. Many came by to thank us and say, "God bless you."
Some of the neighbors-were coming home for a break from work. Work being that they are also gutting houses nearby for money. That is one way they can make money right now. It's rough rough out there. I made a point to take time to talk with Carol. The house was built by her grandfather. She told me it was the prettiest house in the neighborhood and asked me if I thought they would end up tearing down the house. I told her I didn't know but felt very sad. She had a great sense of humor and we laughed about young kids and they music they like and how she should set up a crystal ball and tell people their future as she thinks she may have the gift.

The team leader, Jud-21 years old grew up with the Amish people though he and his family are not. He told me they work from 4am and go to bed by 8pm. Amazing great people and many his best friends he told me with a smile. Many people assume he is Amish because of his name and where he is from. He works so damn hard but is a gentle soul who told me to take as many breaks as I needed.

A group went out to see a local jazz band that I've been told are truly great. I tried to go but I couldn't make it to 10pm-my body and mind were screaming at me for rest and I had to give in.

Well, it's time to play Tito and wake up the little angels.

Gutting a house and making dinner

It's 7am and I'm trying to get this out before going out to another house to gut it.
That's what I did yesterday with a crew of about 7. First thing I got a pry bar and started hitting some plaster and huge chunks fell to the floor-ignoring all of my physical limitations-it was just too fun and satisfying.

I was picked up from the job site around 2pm to go back to base camp to help on the dinner crew. Melanie-from NYC, puerto rican taught us how to make a real carribean meal. Challenging to get it all done in time. For instance 3 of us were trying to peal yucas with dull knives and one cheap potato peeler that broke immediately-they really need better kitchen tools here. I'm thinking of starting a gift registry on
Target so that we can offer a way for people to donate in smaller funds so that we can directly get the things we need and anyone with $10 can help out. Potato peelers for instance:)
We took Andrew out last night as he is leaving us to go back to Seattle. He's been such a sweatheart and hard worker. We all adore him and are sad to see him go.
We walked to Magazine street-I made the mistake of wearing heels on a long walk. There were huge cockroaches running across the sidewalk. So I couldn't take them off.
My first view of the Garden district. Beautiful houses-untouched by Katrina?? Some say Katrina only liked white people.
Off to work. Hope I get to tear down some walls today.

Back in New Orleans

We are all so happy to be back in New Orleans. Yes.
Just a recap on the last days in Biloxi. Dancing at the only gay bar in Biloxi-JUST US. Saturday a large group of us went to a house to demold it-the goal was to get the whole house done in a day-we almost made it and the rest was finished the following day. I enjoyed scrapping the black mold off of the wood. We worked mainly on the ceiling and it was hard with my glasses and goggles getting wet from sweat and resisting taking them off. The respirator is hard to breath in when you are working hard and needing more oxygen.
The highlight of the day for me was talking with the home owner who shared his photos of Katrina taken over the entire coarse of the storm. After Camille hit and they had a foot of flooding in his mom's home they decided to build the building on steel beams as stilts and build out that area into a living space. He wanted to be prepared if their was another Camille, even if it was twice as bad. He couldn't believe how the water continued to rise and rise.
He showed us a picture of the house across his street that floated away and hours later another house floated in and landed in the same expect place. He and family members swam out to rescue 30 people and they all waited to be rescued in their attic with no food or water. Many more stories....one that really got to me was the story of a fire fighting team who showed up for duty about a block away and got caught in the water rise. By the end the water covered the entire truck and the firefighters standing on top of the firetruck had water up to their knees. They had to wait to be rescued too. Insane.
He was so nonchalant about the whole thing but had tears in his eyes when he told us about a couple who climbed a tree and ended up drowning. So sad.

I wish there was a place to go here where I could be alone. I've fixed up my bunk with sheets covering all sides, x-mas lights, hooks to hang up stuff-trying to create my own space that feels like me. I'm wearing headphones and listening to music as the girl on the bunk next to me is talking loudly on her cell phone and the kitchen crew has their music blasting. I may force myself into the group room and try to start up a board game...or just stay in my bunk. It's too loud to read. If anyone reading this has some DVDs to send me I would love that.
I'm working with a crew to gut a house tomorrow and I hope to see much more of New Orleans.

Dancing at Night, Demolding during the day

Demolding a house

Demolding a house; leaving Biloxi

I wrote a long blog yesterday and accidently erased it. I'm leaving for New Orleans tonight with the HOLA group. We are actually moving back into the same facility only now we will have national gaurdsmen 24 hours around our area. Weird, huh?

I'll write more about the amazing experiences I had this past Saturday but for now I'm scrabbling to get ready to go.

Friday night

Last night nearly everyone went to this gay bar (yes, they have one gay bar in Biloxi)called, Just Us. karioka sp?, dancing, really really fun. Just to get out of the camp at night is a treat.
Today I helped the chef, Jan, cook from 12:30 to 6:30. She is an amazing cook but it was a stressful day for her. Her order of beef was incorrect-
I just had to stop writing as there are some new volunteers making a lot of noise right by my bunk...Earphones on.
I don't have much to say right now. I'm happy that I got a call from Jenny and a letter from her the same day.
I heard this guy say, "I'm waiting for a package" and another guy said back to him, "Dude, we are all waiting for a package.
Tomorrow: demolding a house.

More pictures from week 2

Biloxi, 2nd week

Is it Wednesday?

My hands are so tired Im finding it hard to type but I just wanted to put a few things down so I won't forget.
Yesterday was really really hard. I was angry, frustrated and very down. I worked with a crew leader who was in a pissy mood-put up a big circus tent in a field and was eaten by red ants. We were left there for our leader to come back for 2 hours with nothing to do but stand there. Later the Humane Society and felt myself turning around by spending time with animals.
I had a few-no many moments of feeling fed up. I didn't want to eat dinner with 150 people so I took my food outside and then went to bed with my laptop and watched a movie. I needed that so much-just to kinda be alone.
Today I signed up for gutting a house. Got some anger out and worked with a great group. I'm so physically tired but my spirits are soaring. My hands feel weak.
When we started this morning I volunteered to go up in the attic and kick the ceiling down. I got up there in my tyvek suit and respirator-immediately sweating buckets and had to balance on a two by four on one foot while kicking down the ceiling with my other foot. After 15 minutes or so I start to hyperventalate-the claustrophobia and fear of falling-my head started spinning and I needed someone to help me get down inch by inch. The rest of the day I worked downstairs pulling up rotten floorboards, carrying out debris. My clothing was completely soaked under my clothes and my hair was never dry. But it was great because the people I worked with kept a sense of humor and no one was trying to be a hero about it.
I spent some time taking to the families across the road-4 families in FEMO trailers on one persons lot. I heard their terrifying stories of their experience during Katrina and what their lot is now. They had such a great sense of humor about it and their was no "I'm such a victim". One woman said,"I had a house but I guess Katrina needed it more."
One guy told me he and his family were on their roof for 10 days before they were rescued. Another woman told me that her husband's cousin had just had her 6th child the week before. She went under but all her kids and her fiance survived.

When the floor of the attic was gone, below were the remnants of a lifetime. Christmas decorations, children's shoes, clothing patterns from the 70s and many 45s of Motown-Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Tami Torrell. An elderly couple lived there and are currently living in a temporary shelter in Texas.

I found out today that FEMA is taking back the trailers in a month. That people had 18 months to rebuild their homes. Only a small percentage of people are back in homes as it's nearly impossible for them to get help. Enough of that for now. I'm tired and there are 160 new volunteers coming in tomorrow. It's going to be very crowded.

I hope to have to have time to upload pictures I took today

October 17th

I woke up very early to the deafening sound of lighting, thunder and pounding rain. The lightening was right over us for a while and it was both frightening and thrilling. Yesterday morning was the same. I don't know when I last saw rain coming down that hard. It's so warm outside too.
Yesterday most of the jobs were rained out so I started to take it easy when I was asked if I wanted to go to a warehouse to clean up appliances. We cleaned out many many refrigerators, stoves, ovens, microwaves and dishwashers. They were all donated and are given away to the many residents who need them. It was so muggy in that warehouse that we all sweated buckets. My hair was soaking wet all day. I sort of enjoyed cleaning out the ovens. It was challenging as we only had papertowels and soap scum cleaner.
Later a crew of 6 more joined us and we had it done by 2pm. Then we worked in a tent sorting donated clothes. We were stopped when a lady and her son came to get clothes so that they would have some respectful privacy. This warehouse does 400 transactions a week with local residents. They mainly collect building materials but also furniture, mattresses and books. Any resident can come by and get what they need, no questions asked.
The man who runs it 7 days a week is a minister. About 50 churches support it and donations come from all over the country. He wanted to move as much out-the 200 appliances to make room for the 150 couches arriving tomorrow. In the break room he told me that 100,000 residents lost their homes and only a small percentage of people have them back. Some get vouchers for new appliances but again, not everyone. One day he put 50 front doors out on the street and they were gone within hours.
Later we move and sorted lumber and moldings into the warehouse.
Back at camp I gladly waited in line for 30 minutes to take a shower. Bliss!
A great dinner of pasta with hot sausage and chicken and a wonderful salad with walnuts and cranberries. I ate so fast that my stomach hurt.
Most of the volunteers went to see a musical "Rent" put on by volunteers at a local theater. It was terrible, unbelievably terrible. (smile) I'm pretty generous when it comes to people singing off key...But the entire cast was tone deaf. But they were having a great time and the audience was very supportive. I found my body tensing as I was trying to "help" them mentally.
If anyone wants a reminder of these posts, please put this site in your "favorites" and you will get a weekly reminder (I think)

More pics and video

  

End of week One

Ahhhh. Made it one week and tomorrow I have off. Today was pretty easy but very emotional. I feel like having a good cry.
The work project I had signed up for was cancelled so I joined the morning clean up crew and in the afternoon went to the Humane Society to pet kitties and dogs. One the way there I saw another area of Biloxi that was completely destroyed and still hasn't been rebuilt. There are a few buidings up but very few. It blows my mind. And then the kitties all reaching through their cages and meowing. It was too much for me today. I need tomorrow's down time in a big big way.
I'm sitting on the couch and their are two men on either side of me passed out. Rap music in the backround and I can hear the kitchen crew working and smell the food-I'm eating well here and yet losing weight. At least I think I am..there are no scales here.
I haven't seen or read the news in a week. Feels weird. Feels good. I'm curious though.
Last night a woman came to our meeting to tell us thank you for rebuilding her house. She was so choked up as she talked, I don't think their was a dry eye in the building.
Ok, now they are playing the beach boys.
Oh, I went to the store today and bought an extention chord and now I have electricity in my bunk!! Put up some Christmas lights. It made me feel so happy.
We had a beach party last night-fun.
I'm so homesick right now. I want a double latte. A bath. I miss everyone so much. This sounds like being at summer camp as a kid and in a way it is.

Day 6, Thursday evening

I just found out that we will be going back to work in New Orleans on the 23rd. Yeahhhh! So glad to be going there...glad I came to Biloxi too.
Yesterday I did tutoring in the morning. 3rd, fourth and fifth graders. It was great fun and the kids I tutored were so cute and so bright. The last session was a fifth grader who needed help with her pre-algebra class I wish I had paid attention when I was in school. I did fine with most of it and felt really embarrassed when a problem came up that I knew the answer to but couldn't explain to her how to do it. I had to go to one of the teachers to explain it to me. Nelson if you are reading this, I'm sorry:)
Later in the afternoon I went with 2 other volunteers to the boys and girls club where 100 kids gather to have a snack, do their homework and then go outside and play. I helped a girl with her reading and one 7 year old who is just starting school and wanted to work on her words and writing. She was so determined and other kids came up and made fun of her for being so far behind. And she would just look up and tell them to shut up. She was so determined and such a perfectionist. At one point she pointed to the scar on my neck and asked me what it was. So hard to expain surgery to a 7 year old. She had a great sense of humor too. Then suddenly she got up and ran out to jumprope. I played basketball with a 5 year old who kicked my ass. Let me just say that I felt a whole new kind of tired at the end of the day.
Today I painted and painted. Served lunch with the Salvation Army kitchen crew, painted and painted and went back to camp to work with the dinner crew. A great day overall.
All volunteers who worked on the pier are being taken out by the yaucht club on a schooner and fed yummy shrimp tomorrow evening at sunset. That includes me! I can't wait. So sleepy now.

Pics from Biloxi

Biloxi

Music is blasting downstairs (Simon & Garfunkal) and everyone is dressed and ready to go out to their projects. Today there was a choice of mold removal, gutting a house, digging ditches, making planter boxes, picking up tools and moving them to a house or tutoring. I'm choosing tutoring. It's starts at 10am, we get a 2 hour break and go back to help at the boys and girls club. I hear that the second part is really hard. The woman that runs it constantly yells at the kids to shut up and that the kids all want your attention at the same time. I'm really looking forward to the challenge. I'm still in my PJs which everyone within earshot made a comment on but hey I'm not leaving until 10am. Ate cold eggs, french toast and cold french toast. Not complaining.
Overhearing quote of the day. "I'm not feeling my team".

I heard a few of the higher ups talking of house they need more spanish speaking volunteers to help the Mexicans who are down here working to get connected to health clinics. Many of them are working without protection and are getting ill. We use a full on tyvec suits, advanced filters in resperators, gloves and eye protection. They take it very serious here. But many other volunteer workers in other organizations aren't taking these precautions. Still, I may pass of that part of it and stick to the other projects.
My goal the last two days was to NOT to get injured. However I woke up many times last night with numb hands. It makes me mad that 5 years after my scenic painting injury I still get the numb hands from labor intensive work. I've got to work up to it and respect my limits. I'm working with a lot of very strong volunteers and I'm not there yet and may never be. That's ok.
I uploaded my pica last night but still have some work to do on that before sending pics on the blog site.
I miss everyone. It feels sort of lonely out here. I'm making friends and just have to stay centered and remember to meditate and do a little yoga each day. God I'm sore today.

Yesterday on of the men on our crew, 40ish, computer programmer from Phoenix was digging ditches as part of his week vacation. He said to me "I'm so out of shape". But he amazingly stuck it out all day. At the end of the day he was asleep on the couch admist music%2

Digging ditches in Mississippi

Hello all,
I am now in Biloxi, MS working with many groups housed in the Hands On facility which is basically bunkbeds, tents and a big dining area. Those of us from New Orleans will be here until their new location is settled.
Yesterday I worked my ass off-well, I still have a big butt:) I worked with a large crew on the rebuilding of a pier. Most of what I did was drilling holes in planks and using a drill to screw in nails. There was an architect from Scotland who had just arrived the day before who was put in charge of the project. He told me he was making it up as he went along-they don't teach pier building in architecture school. It was beautiful out there and I was amazing at how well the crew working together and how much stamina they had. I found it so hard to work in the sun and left early at 3pm to go and help on the dinner crew. We had a great chef who ran the hectic kitchen with grace. Enchiladas, fruit, tortilla soup, handmade chips and salsa...key lime pie for desert. For 150 people. Wow.
Driving along the Gulf coast it's unbelievable. For miles all you see are skeletons of hotels and land with only a chimney or stairs left of a home. A year later...
Today I thought I had signed up to do kitchen work at the Salvation Army but instead I ended up working at the Salvation Army location digging trenches in the sun. Again worked with a great crew-a combination of people from different organization. Habitat for Humanity, Americorp and Hands On. The salvation army made lunch for us.
I am soooo very sore. But great in spirit. How I long for a precious bath and an air mattress that stays inflated. Regardless, I know I'll sleep well tonight. Tomorrow I hope to take on something easier like tutoring or the animal shelter. Waiting for the dinner call. Grumble grumble.

Hello from Mississippi

It sure is hot in Miss. I'm at this new camp that seems more like burning man-big tents outside with smaller tents inside of them. Port-a-potties. But the rest is in this big building. Huge dining room, couches, people viewing a DVD on a cotton screen. It's Sunday, the day off so many people are gone. It seems so different than NO. More isolated, not the same need for security.

I've learned so much in the past 24 hours about what is really going on down here and my pre conceived perception is being turned around. I ask alot of questions and many answers are surprising. More on that later. But the general idea is that our government is hardly doing anything for the people of NO. Funds have been cut off and people were paid $6000 or much less from the government to restore their lives. Many people bought themselves a car. You can't buy a house in NO as the prices have skyrocketed. Corporations are buying up the land where all the homes were torn down.

I was so surprised when we arrived in Biloxi, I needed to use a restroom and went into a coffee shop. When I walked in a man told me they were closed today as they were having church in there but I was welcome to come in for the service. (their church was destroyed) I said I just wanted to use the bathroom and this woman looked me dead in the eye and said,

"We are closed until Tuesday so you can't use the bathroom." I was embarrassed and started to leave with an apology and then she just burst out laughing saying, I'm just kidding" and everyone is the room was laughing. It was just so sweet.

They said come back anytime and have a great day. Church on Sundays at The Joy of Coffee.

This morning when I woke up on a bunk in the church (in NO), I awoke to some beautiful singing coming from the church. The soloist was singing like an angel. It was something else-hard to describe. I could hear the sermons all morning. I was informed that there were 7 sister churches and this is the only one that is operational so all the church members and ministers come to this one church. Services run from 7am to 1pm.

I'm hanging out in the big room waiting for a staff member to arrive and tell me where to set up.

So much to learn.

Thanks to everyone who helped me get here and love to all of you.

Maria