Community

We had a discussion last night at dinner about community. Why its important, what it means these days, how to find it, how to sustain it. It's interesting that within the span of a few short days the 27 of us, from all over the country, from different backgrounds, of different ages, with different interests (yet oddly, all the same political leanings) have come together to create a community of people centered around the idea of contributing and giving back to other communities.

Some of us are here because we want to give back of ourselves after receiving so much. Others are here looking for ways to build community so that those skills can be brought home and put to work in our own hometowns. There's an incredible passion, and a huge source of inspiration present here in New Orleans. Just in the few days our group has been here, we've met and worked with 5 very different and very committed organizations doing work in this city to rebuild and restore the city to something better than it was before Katrina ("Pre-K"). The amount of resolve, love, and community support required to undertake something as large as rebuilding a city and its people is not insignificant, and yet it seems to overflow from every person we've met and worked with in this city.

At the end of this week, I think I'll have a different sense of what it means to be a part of a community, and will have found new ways of thinking about creating and sustaining communities. It occurs to me that being part of a community used to be a given, yet these days its not quite so common. We are often taught to value the individual above all else, and increasingly we live in a world so fast-paced and technologically focused that its easy to get away with not being a part of any particular community. Already this week I am learning that the benefits of being part of a community are too rich and too varied to pass up, And I'm noticing that I haven't been intentionally nourishing my communities, nor helping to build the communities I want to be a part of.

All of this comes down to relationships and valuing people, the stuff of which communities are really made. I think the biggest underlying reason for this trip, and this work, is that we were all brought together by a desire to create a better future for this world. And how attainable this goal seems with 27 other folks by your side, even if our spontaneous community dissolves when we all return home on Sunday. We will surely all carry these lessons about community with us, and the ripple effect of this experience will touch many more lives beyond the work we do here this week in New Orleans, as we come home to our communities as changed individuals.

The start...of the work week.

Today was my day to cook breakfast. With the help of two other folks we managed a good meal consisting of:

A plethora of Buttermilk Oat Pancakes

An overabundance of Bacon Strips

A giant bowl of sliced Bananas and Mandarin Oranges

Buckets of Tofurkey and Tofu-Sausage

Boxes of Annie's Cereal

Pans of Sweet Potatoes and Fruit (leftovers)

Starting at 5:30 am this morning was hard (I had to be up at 4:15 to shower and do my morning rituals) and doing all this without first having coffee was even harder. I am normally a morning person, but not quite to this extent. I've been going strong now for about 21 hours. :)

I signed up for rebuiling duity, working with a local family in getting the first floor of their house into a livable condition. The family came back only days after katrina (the father works for the postal service) and stayed on a cruise ship docked on shore. A few months later they moved into a FEMA trailer parked in the front of their home, but when that was taken away a couple of months ago, they were forced to move into the second story of their home. (At that point the house was still bare (after being gutted) and conditions were very poor. The family even had to hang plastic from the walls and ceilings so that they could cook without debris falling into their food. Their home saw about 8 feet of water for at least 3 days straight and when the insurance company would only cover about 8'' from the ceiling of the first flood (most of the damage to the house happened below that mark) the family was forced to scrape by with what little they could afford. 

Linda (the lady of the house) had so much energy and reminded me of some of the people back home. She was glowing from head to toe. We were instantly informed that we were now her adopted children and that she would take care of us, because now were family. (I almost started crying, to think that a women that had barely met us, she didn't even know our names, was already calling me son made me feel really...WARM inside) Linda explained that we could not leave the worksite because at the end of each block you would only find drugs or hookers, (if we needed any of these things, she would be happy to walk with us to the corner) but that she would be happy to get us/drive us to get anything that we needed. A crew of about 18 (I don't remember the exact number) started working on shutters, doors, the floors in the kitchen and living room, and painting. My team had the kitchen in which we had to lay a sub-floor so that the room was at an elevated level so that the whole floor was flush (or at least as close as we could get it. 

I got to use a number of power tools and ended up having a few special tasks. While we waited for more plywood, a select few of us tackled an even bigger (and at some points nastier) task. A giant pile of garbage had accumulated over what looked like weeks in front of the home and now that a dumpster had been delivered we were to move the pile to the garbage. A few hundred pieces of lumber, drywall, beer bottles and trees later we had accomplished our goal. This gave me an extra boost of energy to get back to work on the kitchen. Seeing this accomplished goal (which took 6 of us on "Team Ernesto" about an hour to dispose of) made me proud that as one person, in one team, I could have an actual impact in the lives of this family. 

Laying bamboo flooring was a lot of fun and after getting over the initial hump of starting the first few rows a sort of assembly line had formed, each person knew their task, each person was comfortable giving and receiving instructions (some more then others) so that we could accomplish our goal. Each person pitched in what talents they had, each person gave what they could and we got a lot more done than I had expected. We hope to have this home completed at the end of our week home. How nice it would be to have their kitchen and home back so that they could have their first REAL thanksgiving in over three years.

Tonight after a lovely dinner a few of us (13) went out to several different bars to check out the live music and culture. The french quarter was great, the live music was awesome, and the people were all so jovial. It was great to see such a vibrant night life knowing all that is happening only minutes from downtown. My night ended well, even after the incident with the drunk man that wanted my twisted fruit Clif Bar. He repeatedly reached for my fruit and made grunting sounds, at which I stood my ground and finished my treat. I think I am now addicted to these yummy servings of fruit. (apparently its not the best thing to replace these with all your fruit servings) I recorded a few minutes of the jazz music, and if I can figure out how to post those I will too.

Now I am exhausted, sick, and excited for tomorrow. 

Until then, Peace.....P.S. OBAMA 08'!!!

Ernesto

Today....

Yesterday we a meeting giving each group the opportunity to introduce themselves to others. It's amazing how similar our companies are. The group gets along amazingly. No complaints from anyone of the 27 living together. We are all very respectful of each other yet you would think we all knew each other for a long time. The jokes keep rolling. Steve's driving, Emily's directions, blazing a new trail, the zoo - everyone is so comfortable with each other. And yes, don't forget those one way roads!! We went to the French Quarter and walked the streets for a while. Went to the Bijou and learned what they are trying to accomplish there. Greta gave us a tour of the lower 9 and upper New Orleans. She brought us to her house which she is currently restoring and told us about her memorial garden she is planting at her grandfather's home site. We learned so much history during these visits and have so many questions as to why...why this is allowed to happen here in the United States.

The devastation here is unbelievable. It makes your heart stop. It's a shame how this country has allowed this to continue. People are homeless, hungry and unemployed. Animals are undernourished as they have no food . Homes that were destroyed still stand. An "X" on a home is defined as such: the top of the "X" is the date they came to the house after Katrina, the right in the "X" is how many animals were found - dead, the left side of the "X" states the group that look into the house and the bottom of the "X" is how many humans were found - dead. The newspapers showed the world that during Katrina the people who had crawled to the roof through the whole in the roof they made to escape the rush and depth of the water. Those homes still stand, the roof with the whole still there - the residents, although very few, tell us the story of the houses that stand and how their owners died. Some people were never found. There is just this terrible sense of devastation. We met "Roy" a happy man as he just moved back into his house three months ago after Lower9.org came in and rebuilt his home. How proud he was although he said the color took some getting used to. Roy didn't mind being photographed and talked up a storm to us about what happened to him on the day the Levy's gave out. He was so grateful to us. He shook everyone's hand - thanking us over and over again. He boasted on how he tries to give back by letting Lower9.org use his shed or his home. Amidst all of this, he smiled brilliantly and with pride that we were here to help New Orleans.

Jennifer passed around a cardboard chart on Sunday morning. Here we signed up for our house duties which we all share. But our real work begins today. This morning we all boarded the vans and headed to our destination of rebuilding a home or working on the farm. I chose working on the home. We met Linda and her husband who spoke to us about themselves and why they were chosen to have their home rebuilt. They were first responders. After introductions, we were given our assignments by Jay - the site manager. The sweat poured off of us. Sub Floors, laying wooden floors, framing windows, painting and caulking - It was amazing how we all worked together as teams. The laughter continues and the friendships build. The work is hard work but ever so rewarding.

At 4:30 we have to end our day and get out of that area because it is unsafe. Crack houses a few houses up. People strolling the streets that can't be trusted. Animals with no homes. You can't ever be alone. I can't believe this is the United States.

Again, the dinner was fantastic. Healthy, organic, and vegan friendly. Emily serenaded some of us. Her voice and guitar playing is breathtaking. She has so many beautiful songs to share. Did a Dylan song "It's all right babe", sent you back in time. For now...

Joanne

Quite a bit of fun today, 

First of to start the day, our wonderful chefs (one of the Cliff Bar folks) prepared us a wonderful breakfast starting with eggs and mushrooms with another baked dish as well as a wonderful salad with fresh mandarins and pomegranates. I had a great cup of coffee with a small glass of Oj and was feeling great by the time we had to meet up as a group. 

By ten O'clock we were all sitting in the backyard of the house. (it was so hot that some of us were hiding in the only spot that was shaded) After a round of brief introductions, each organization got to speak about their company and how they were committed to leaving "less of a footprint" in this world. It was great to hear all of the wonderful work that each company was committed to, and it was also very interesting to see all the similarities that these companies shared with Eileen Fisher. We were all committed to giving back to the communities that we lived and worked in and felt inspired to see so many people, representing so many great companies and being socially and environmentally accountable. 

We spent a few minutes going over some basic house rules (like knock before you enter a bathroom, since none of the doors lock) and received goody bags with swag from Cliff Bar. They gave us all bags, notebooks, water bottles (I used mine so much today), stickers and lists of everyones names and phone numbers. (This proved useful later today when we were missing people at certain points throughout the day)

After this "house meeting" not only did I feel even more like I was in the Real World, but also I felt more accountable and knowledgeable about the work that we would be doing in the next few days. I was amazed by all the planning that must have gone into make this week happen and I am so happy that I can just sit back and let others do all the work (I do this kind of work in most of the volunteer projects that I coordinate back home.) I am truly grateful for all the work the Cliff Bar folks have done to prepare for us to be here. From the house we all got a in depth tour of the areas affected by Katrina. We visited places like the lower nines and got to see first hand, the kind of power mother nature really has. Most of the homes that we went to were still broken down and only a few looked like they had been fully restored. The worst part was when we drove into the lower nines and got to see where the worst of the storm hit. This part of town was were most of the low-income populations lived. It was segregated and most of the population is this area was black. Most of the homes in this area did not exist and instead all that you could see where solid cement foundations and steps and occasionally some remanence of a home (Like a mail box or a bathtub). 

It was hard to drive down so many streets, some of which didn't even have street signs, or traffic signals. Fire hydrants were broken, roads were littered with potholes and we even got to see large pieces of debris sticking straight up in the middle of the street. We were told that so many of the houses had been picked up and swept away and that only a few months earlier there were still houses in the middle of the street. Most of the homes in this area were uninhabited and it looked like an abandoned city. A few people had moved back and rebuilt how/what they could. Tall grasses now grew where only months before 2 or 3 story houses once stood. 

The water/wind damage was more intensive then I had thought and almost found myself crying at a couple of the locations where we stopped. We did feel hopeful about this tour though because of the guides we had. One woman was a volunteer (and has been in NOLA for about 9 months) for an organization called "lowernine.org" A non-profit organization that with a team of volunteers (a group that is constantly changing) rebuilds homes to working conditions to get families that have been misplaced, back into NOLA. Our guide had so much knowledge about NOLA's history including the gentrification of certain areas after Katrina. She taught us about the Bayou and its significance to the people of the lower nine. (I took plenty of pictures that I will post later)

After spending an hour or so at the Zoo for Swamp Days(we got in for free when I bribed the manager with our sob stories and Cliff Bars, thanks Cliff for saving the six of us the 12.50 entrance cost) we ended up back at home with just a few minutes for me to change before we went to dinner.

We had dinner (true Creole cuisine) at a local non-profit restaurant that takes 12 youth (all of which have had issues getting a job or extreme troubles affecting them) every 6 weeks and trains them in food handling, customer service and food prep. All the employees (except for the teacher) were youth age men who served our meals and acted like waiters at a restaurant. I was surprised by their talent after only 4 weeks. The organization takes these "at-risk" youth and places them in jobs, or encourages them to attend school after the 6 week training. Dinner was amazing, Sausage and chicken gumbo, a shrimp dish in a great sauce and some kind of blueberry cobbler. Our night ended with some of us taking politics in the tv room of the house while watching a new show hosted by D.L. Hugely on CNN. 

Until Tomorrow, and more pictures,

Ernesto

Great people...great minds...great stores...

Excellent dinner last night - great chefs and hosts. Great stories of mud flats, brothers, sons and sisters. Lots of laughter. Everyone finally arrived and we sat and talked about days to come. There's the buzz of excitement of all working together. The house is huge and purple. Two houses together as Ernesto states. Met people from Annies, Cliff Bar, Numi Tea, Seventh Generation.Timberland and of course us from Eileen Fisher. Had a great discussion on Timberland boots with everyone's views. Walked some of the blocks and down Magazine St. passing the voo-doo wedding house. Excellent decor! Some stores vacant, streets and sidewalks are buckled from roots of trees - no one knows if it's from Katrina or just age. The homes are beautiful. Some are kept, some vacant, some need lots of work. People just sit on corners or on their stoops. We walked for coffee this morning seeing the Sunday worshipers in their best duds. Must be a hospital near by - Lots of people in scrubs. Breakfast is about to begin, then off on a tour - kick-off dinner tonight. For now....

My first post, and first impressions

I arrived at the house a little while ago. After brief introductions (I have to admit I already forgot everyones names, except for Tan, her name is unique enough that I can remember) we took a short tour of the house. Its actually really two houses, but they are joined, but also separated... it's actually hard to describe. there are a total of 10 bedrooms (or what we are calling bedrooms) each room with two, three, or four beds. Some of the rooms looked finished and have decorations, others still look like they are being worked on. There is a great big balcony that wraps around the entire front of the house, a beautiful view I am sure, if only we could go out there (there are handmade signs at each of the entrances to the balcony stating "do not go on the balcony, its dangerous") I imagine I would be okay if I walked out there on my own, maybe ill convince someone else to test it out for me. 

The house looks old. Its vintage charm actually makes it quant and cozy. The dark wood floors compliment the wood trim all around the home. The is however a sort of wet dog smell to some of the rooms. I'm not sure if it is the carpet, or maybe its molded wood, whatever it is, I am sure that the heat tomorrow will just make it worse. I can use it as an incentive to spend less time in my room and more time running around town and hanging out with the folks from 7th generation, Cliff Bar, Annie's & of course Eileen Fisher (my personal favorite)

My favorite thing about the house though (apart from the antique furniture) are the super high ceilings. I didn't measure, but I imagine that they are at least 15 feel ceilings. Great for making you feel big and powerful. 

The conversation in the back yard has been great. Some of us are helping the cooks, (the smells are great) others are telling jokes of wearing women's clothing late at night. Its been great to meet some other EFers and the folks that we will be working with. Tomorrow is a day for adventure and more bonding.

Until tomorrow,

Ernesto