Rebuilding a Life - a New (Orleans) adventure

One of my most rewarding volunteer experiences was the recent week I spent with a team rebuilding a New Orleans home destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Having wanted to help with the hands-on reconstruction effort (versus just donating money) since the hurricane, I was grateful to finally have the opportunity to do so through One Brick.

During the orientation led by a staffer from One Brick’s partner, the St. Bernard Project (a nonprofit founded shortly after Katrina), my fellow volunteers and I learned the heartbreaking stories of the two owners whose homes we’d be rebuilding. We were then split into two teams and off we went. After an onsite crash-course in construction led by our young, but amazing AmeriCorps leader, Allison, my team started hanging insulation then quickly “graduated” to drywall.

The work was definitely challenging at times, but with Allison’s patient guidance and the assistance of my fellow team members, it was incredibly rewarding—especially knowing everything that the homeowner, Ms. Cassandra, and her family had endured after the hurricane. Turns out the house had to be rebuilt—twice—after thieves stole all of the electric wiring and copper plumbing. And her story was just one of many that we heard. Finally meeting Ms. Cassandra made the week’s work all the more meaningful—knowing that we weren’t just helping rebuild a house, but a life.

Visiting the Lower Ninth Ward, the area hardest hit by Katrina, provided another memorable moment of the trip. Seeing the barren marsh where a vast swamp (offering natural storm protection before the levees were constructed) once stood provided us with a better appreciation for the environmental degradation which has led to massive storms like Katrina. Down the street from the marsh, the levees have subsequently been built up, but they still seemed almost inadequate should another major storm hit. It was at least partially reassuring to hear that plans are being discussed to restore the swamp and the area’s long-term sustainability.

For those with energy left at the end of the each day, there were opportunities to explore the French Quarter and other venues—including the all-too-convenient drive-thru (this is New Orleans, after all) daiquiri shacks and the unique Rock ‘n Bowl, where some of us got our groove on listening to zydeco (the popular local music) while others decided to “strike” a pose on the bowling side.

Then there’s the fabulous N’Awlins food in which we indulged: beignets (hole-less donuts; delicious despite the powdered sugar resembling drywall dust!), monstrous po’ boy and muffuletta sandwiches, gumbo, jambalaya, and much more. And of course, the camaraderie and laughs I shared throughout with my fellow volunteers—a diverse group of all ages and backgrounds from across the country—will last with me a long time.

If you are fortunate enough to have never experienced a natural disaster, it’s hard to imagine what the residents of New Orleans have been through. Many still struggle to regain their homes and normal lives, almost eight years later. Giving just one week of your life to help rebuild someone else’s is a gift—and an adventure—you’ll never regret. 

CindyB (May 2013 trip)