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
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
posted by singsforyou at 4:25 PM
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