After a long 13 hour car ride back to Winston-Salem, I have finally felt like I’ve had enough time to reflect on my experiences from the past week. I have taken away with me two major conclusions that really stuck out to me during my time in New Orleans and now that I am back home at Wake Forest. First of all, I learned so much about the amazing and resilient city of New Orleans and how much more still needs to be done there, and I also learned what it truly means to be a member of the Wake Forest Community.

These days, with our busy lives and schedules it is so easy to forget about what is still going on in New Orleans; I was aware that there was still work to be done, however I was unaware of the continuing gravity of the situation. After coming home and telling people about all the still-devastated areas of New Orleans and how much work still needs to be done, it was amazing to see how many people were shocked that the city wasn’t “back to normal” now. Although there are some areas such as the French Quarter and Downtown area which have more-or-less returned to pre-Katrina status, there are many others which still have an eerie feel to them, because it is not back to normal… it’s about as far from normal as you can get. People in the St. Bernard’s Parish, Lower Ninth Ward, even Lakeview (a middle-class neighborhood) are just moving home, or are living in trailers in front of their old houses, waiting for them to be gutted and fixed-up; some, but not many, businesses are opening up in these areas, and when you drive through these neighborhoods, it looks like the storm hit just a few weeks ago, not 2.5 years ago. That’s probably the scariest part… it’s been so long, yet there is still SO much to be done. However, it was made clear to us, that as long as groups like us continue to come down and help rebuild the city, it will start to fully return to the way it was within a few years.

After speaking with various New Orleaneans, it was also made clear to us, that the message we should and will bring back with us, is that even with all of this devastation in the surrounding neighborhoods of the city, New Orleans IS up and running. The only way that this city will continue to survive is if people continue to come and visit it… whether it be for service or tourism, it is truly an amazing city and no matter why you are visiting, it is a place that you can easily fall in love with. After only spending a few days there, I vowed to return to the Big Easy to do more service and help revive it to its full potential. Most of our group shared this same sentiment, and many of us hope to return together sometime during the upcoming summer.

Finally, this week has also shown me what it means to be part of the Wake Forest Community. The outreach and support that we received from Wake Forest alumni and parents while we were in New Orleans was truly amazing. It’s not often that someone is willing to bring in and feed 18 hungry college kids in their home or take them out to dinner. It made our experience in New Orleans that much more meaningful, because we realized that not only were we helping the community of New Orleans, but we were helping those of Wake Forest. It was great to feel such Demon Deacon pride as we helped out those in need! Thank you again to the Wake Forest alumni and families who met with us in New Orleans… we couldn’t be more grateful!!

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.

Finally home after the long 14 hour drive yesterday I have found time to reflect on my experience in New Orleans this past week. Last night as I sat around with my friends I attempted to explain all that I saw and did this past week, to say the least I don’t think I did it justice. Going on two hours of sleep and lots of coffee I jumped from story to story. As other students have said this past week does seem like a blur, the days seem to run together and trying to explain everything that we did seems daunting.

What I want to do is to begin to explain the stories of last week that are not as exciting or funny, not the stories that I rattled off to my friends but the stories of the people that I met that deserve serious reflection. As many students have said, New Orleans is still hurting; nearly 3 years after the disaster people are still not yet home. The love that the people of New Orleans have for their city and culture is unlike anything I’ve experienced in any other city. The pride they have for their culture is inspiring and experiencing the city first hand I felt my self swept up in it as well. The city motto of “la joie de vivre” ( joy of living) is truly unique to New Orleans, the people there really enjoy life and I am not just talking about Mardi Gras and Bourbon St, they embrace life each day in all the neighborhoods.

This being said, to have this city and culture that they love so much, destroyed by the hurricane is a devastation greater than I feel I can comprehend. It was reiterated by countless people that I met that people do not leave New Orleans or move away, families stay for generations because its more than home it’s a way of life. My heart goes out to those who had to leave during the storm or move away and have yet to move back to their great city. I met many people who are still living in FEMA trailers waiting for their houses to be rebuilt. And this rebuilding, by the way, is not being done by the government its being done by volunteers. Yet as others have said the amount of help untrained volunteers like us can be is minimal because most houses have moved passed the gutting phase and need trained professionals to reconstruct their homes.

I think some of the saddest stories of the storm are those people who are still struggling to come home. One specific story that stands out in my mind was at the St. Bernard Community Center I met a woman as she was coming in to get information about housing. We started talking and I asked her about where she was living and she told me that before the storm she lived in an apartment in the area but had to move to Alabama in the aftermath. She is still living in Alabama. Her apartment, she told me, was one of the first things to be rebuilt in her area but the rent of her apartment literally doubled, making it so she could not afford to move back. For two and half years she has been trying to come back to New Orleans, to her home but she can’t and has received no help in this. Her story is the story of thousands of people who just do not know how to get back to their lives before the storm. The thing that touched me most about talking with her was that I think I may have been the first times in awhile at least that she had even had anyone to talk to about her story. She had a 13 year old son with her, who was extremely uninterested in any of her problems and obviously did not understand even his own situation. The children affected by the storm are another issue that will be present for years down the road because the psychological damage they have experienced is immense.

I could go on and on about different encounters with people I has last week but to conclude I will attempt to point out the hope in the area. New Orleans is on its way to being rebuilt. The French quarter almost seems as if nothing ever happened, it is as vibrant and fun as am sure it always was. The city is healing and as much as it needs volunteers to come help it rebuild, it needs tourists to come and enjoy the city. So go to New Orleans and see what is there, I promise you will not regret it.

And lastly I want to thank the trip leaders, Devin and Kapy and our amazing advisor Jen for giving us all the opportunity to see New Orleans and for working so hard through so many setbacks to make the trip an amazing experience for us all. Also a huge thanks to all the Wake Alumni and Wake families that took us in and truly made us feel welcome in their great city, thank you for your hospitality! And finally a big thanks to the organizers of this blog, Kim McGrath for creating this page for us to share about our trip, without it so many opportunities and reflection would not have been possible. And thanks to everyone on the trip, I’m glad I had such good people to share such an amazing week with!

As we were driving home today, I had the opportunity to reflect on everything that we got to do this week. Looking back, the trip seems to mesh together in a whirlwind of driving (and getting lost!), volunteering, and exploring the city. One thing that stands out, however, is the way in which the people of New Orleans talk about their experiences. Every person that I came across through both volunteer work and social interaction had a unique and different story to tell. From the Wake alumna that took us to a spectacular dinner on Saturday night to the residents of St. Bernard’s Parish, we collected so many personal memories and stories. I’ll never forget how proud those people were of their city, and how proud they were of us for helping them to rebuild it. A common thread I came across in conversations with New Orleaneans I was volunteering with was the disappointment and frustration they felt with their local, state, and national government. I really sensed a feeling of abandonment, which makes perfect sense. Instead of being bitter and angry, though, they did nothing except lavish praise on us for the small amount of work that we were able to do. With all that said, I think that the most valuable effort I was able to contribute to the city of New Orleans was to provide an ear for people to talk to. Yes we pulled weeds and hung sheet rock and cleaned yards and distributed food, but the most important work we did was to help heal the emotional wounds that linger in New Orleans. Like the beads which hung from the trees along Napoleon Avenue near our house, a deep feeling of grief and frustration still resides in the Crescent City, and I can only hope that our week there did something to alleviate that feeling for the residents we came into contact with.

So it is Sunday night and we got back into town around eight o’clock, and after unpacking and doing a couple loads of laundry, I had plenty of time to think about and reflect on what we have done the past week. The whole experience was so amazing that it is hard to say everything that needs to be said. In one way, this trip was a once in a lifetime experience, yet on the other hand, it is something I want to do all over again next year. I have learned so much, so here are a few things that all of you reading this should know:

New Orleans is a wonderful city, full of culture, pride, family, and traditions.

I learned that spray paint on the sides of houses was a form of communication. For instance, the numbers and words in the X’s represented the date the house was rescued, who rescued them, how many people in the house, and how many were dead. TFW was also a common sign, meaning Toxic Flood Waters.

Whole neighborhoods were destroyed–even middle-class communities were almost deserted, and so were whole shopping centers and parks.

The community of Saint Bernard was one of the hardest hit areas, having flood waters and damage higher than any other city in the history of the United States.

Although surfaces of some things seem put together, there is still a lot of maintenance that needs to continue in order for the smooth running of community centers and money making businesses.

Wake Forest Alumni are amazing! The Vogle, Schneider, and Currence families provided amazing meals and hospitality.

Finally, you must see the damage and talk to the people to really understand what is going on. You will not believe it until you see it.

If you would like to help, this is what you can do:

Visit New Orleans!!!: This is a fun and easy way to help NO’s economy, as they are a big tourist-based city. There are a million things to do and it’s only a matter of time before you can find something you like.

Encourage your state representatives to visit NO themselves. Send them a quick postcard telling them that although much progress has been made, there is still many pressing issues that must be addressed; a personal visit is extremely eye-opening.

Donate your time and/or money to a reputable cause: Do a little research and find reputable organizations to give to. Volunteers are essential to reconstruction.

Watch Spike Lee’s “When the Levies Broke.” Educating yourself about this tragedy is the first step in understanding what needs to be done and figuring out what you can do.