2008 Service Trip to New Orleans

Yesterday, our New Orleans experience came to a close. When I arrived back on campus, I had time to reflect on all that I had seen and experienced over the past week, and I realized that there is a lot that needs to be shared. The people I had the chance to meet over these seven days all had incredible stories, both uplifting and heart-wrenching. Yet, every single person was glad to share their story, and wanted to get the word out about their beloved New Orleans. The amount of pride that New Orleaneans have for their city is incredible – and yet, the amount of anger they have towards their government is also staggering. So much progress has been made towards rebuilding “Nawlins” and yet, certain areas still need an immense amount of recovery. It appears that much of the recovery progress is based on socio-economic standing, and for that reason, areas such as St. Bernard (which was 100% destroyed by Katrina) are still very much in the beginning stages of recovery. When driving through St. Bernard and the lower ninth ward, most of the houses are abandoned and almost all of them are marked with a spray-painted X indicating how many dead were found after the flood waters had gone down. The image of the number 8 spray-painted in the bottom section of the X on a completely devastated house will remain with me for the rest of my life.

However, this post was not supposed to be a depressing recount of the tragedy that occurred, but rather a commentary on the wonderful people I met, and what they wanted me to bring back to the Wake Forest community. I think the main message that residents such as Sandy (a woman whose house we helped to rebuild) wanted us to bring back with us is that New Orleans and its people are alive and kickin’. Their houses may have been destroyed but their spirits are still there, and they have the drive to get this city back to pre-Katrina standards. Even though Sandy’s house was completely destroyed by 10 feet of water, she would recount with a huge smile her anecdote that when she walked into her house after the water was drained, she encountered a 12 foot alligator. Apparently, it took 7 full-grown men to move that alligator from her house, to a van. It is stories like these that reflect the positive attitude and, quite frankly, the awesome culture that is alive and well in New Orleans. And really, you will not understand the uniqueness of this city until you visit. So please, VISIT, because tourism is one of New Orlean’s main areas of revenue and the more tourists they get, the more money that can be allocated to rebuilding people’s houses, such as Sandy’s.

And so, it is through volunteers and donations and tourism that these areas, which house some incredible people that deserve to be able to start their lives over, can be rebuilt. The praise and thanks that we received from the residents of New Orleans was overwhelming. Every person I met was so thankful for the time we were spending, and one woman even told us that we were “her inspiration.” Yet, to me, it is the people of this incredible city that are my inspiration. The amount of hope and pride that these residents possess after such a tragedy is inspiring, and I only hope that I can take with me their spirit and appreciation for what they have and apply it in my life. New Orleans and its people have a special place in my heart.

It is 12:45 pm on the day before our group leaves for New Orleans. This week has been incredibly hectic, what with midterms and papers taking over every bit of spare time. Yet, through all of the paper-writing, studying, and sleep-deprivation, there has been one thing keeping me going— the anticipation and excitement of going to New Orleans! I have been looking forward to this trip since the day I found out about it and decided to apply. As an active member in Amnesty International, H.O.P.E., and Swim Club, I am fairly involved on campus and in the Wake Forest community. Yet, I wanted to do more and serve other areas of the country.

When Katrina hit in August 2005, I remember the news being inundated with pictures and stories of the destruction brought to New Orleans, of people having to leave their now demolished homes and move to foreign areas of the country. The images were powerful, and they drove me to want to help. I knew that I wanted to go down to New Orleans and be a part of the relief effort, but until now I had not had the opportunity. I think Amy said it perfectly: even though it has been three years since Katrina hit and the relief efforts are no longer on the news, this does not mean that all is well. Yes, much progress has been made, but there is still plenty of relief needed in New Orleans.

I cannot begin to describe how excited and anxious I am to get down there. I really do not know what to expect, but I hope that whatever I encounter will give me a new perspective and that I will gain SOMETHING out of the experience. Sometimes I feel that college students forget that there is a world outside of their campus (I call this the college “bubble”) and I really hope that our group can bring back our experiences from New Orleans and share them with the Wake Forest community and this blog is a great start!

Tonight, we are going out to dinner as a group in order to get to know each other a little bit better before the 12 hour car ride tomorrow. It seems like an amazing group, and I can’t wait to meet them in a more casual setting than our debriefing meetings! I anticipate this upcoming week as being one of the most unforgettable, life-changing experiences that I will ever have.