Tumwater Teens To Return to New Orleans!

Tumwater Teens: Lindsay Swick, Garrison Stamp, Lindsey Meyer, Erin Schneider, Tanner Johnson, Tori Stamp, Mariah Kerrihard, and Adam Meyer

The Tumwater Teens will return to New Orleans for the second time to help St. Bernard Project rebuild a home post-Katrina. The teens, all Black Hills High School students, will spend their spring break (April 3-10, 2010) volunteering for SBP. Five adult volunteers will be joining the teens. The teens are part of an initiative planned by Shirts Across America to recruit high school students from the West Coast to assist in the rebuilding effort in the New Orleans area.

Please help the St. Bernard Project win $1 Million on Facebook‏

Dear friends and family -

St. Bernard Project received over $60,000 from Chase Community Giving votes on Facebook!

Thank you for your votes!

A Changing Landscape

I just finished my sixth visit to the New Orleans area. As I visited with residents, town leaders, and St. Bernard Project staff, a couple of things came up in the conversation over and over again.

First, of course, is the gratitude the residents and town leaders have for the staff of St. Bernard Project (SBP) and the volunteers who have traveled from across the globe to rebuild the community. One parish council member credits SBP with "having an outstanding role in helping people get back into housing that far surpasses the work of any other organization working in the area." SBP has built 230 homes to date.

Another common thread within each conversation is the changing culture and dynamics within each neighborhood. These good people who have struggled for so hard for so long to get home, are now dealing with the fact that St. Bernard Parish will never again be the same as it once was. People yearn for the close-knit neighborhoods they remembered before Katrina. Yet many neighbors have not returned. Many homes were bulldozed to the ground. Renters have moved in where there were once homeowners. The neighborhoods are now more diverse. The intergenerational friendships they treasured have, in many cases, been permanently dismantled by Katrina.

I have no doubt, though, that these people who endured so much to return home have the courage and generosity of spirit to rebuild the camaraderie and sense of community they so love.

Update: People of the Parish - Kenneth and Barbara

I was privileged to work on Kenneth and Barbara's home in May 2009. This was the first home rebuilt by St. Bernard Project as they expand into Orleans Parish.

Kenneth is the full-time caretaker for Barbara, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Kenneth's gratitude to St. Bernard Project is evident as he credits them being his "angels" by "putting my mind at ease because now I have a home. . .they gave me a light at the end of a long tunnel."

St. Bernard Project put Kenneth and Barbara's home on a fast track rebuild. Kenneth and Barbara had inadvertently purchased and installed Chinese drywall (see Chief Stone's story below), which causes health problems and erodes electrical wires and components. The drywall needed to come down, and a new rebuild begun. Because of St. Bernard Project, they were back in their home within just a few weeks.

Update: People of the Parish - Fire Chief Thomas Stone

April 2009: Fire Chief Stone with Tumwater Teens, a volunteer work group

Fire Chief Thomas Stone is a well-respected leader within the St. Bernard Parish community. In fact, he and his firefighters were instrumental in rescuing and caring for the St. Bernard Parish residents who were stranded by floodwaters for a week post-Katrina. If you'd like to find out more, a book has been written about this, entitled The St. Bernard Fire Department in Hurricane Katrina by Michelle Mahl Buuck.

Chief Stone took the time to meet with me on two occasions. Once, he spoke with a volunteer group of teenagers I chaperoned. The second time was a few weeks ago, when I was gathering information about the current state of recovery in the parish.

All of the fire stations were flooded during Katrina. Chief Stone is still focused on getting the fire stations and staff level back to pre-Katrina standards. The department has applied for a federal grant, and he is hoping that will come through to provide the department with much-needed funding.

Chief Stone views St. Bernard Project as a "community leader," and states the community would not have survived without them and the thousands of volunteers from all over the country.

Sadly, there is a new threat facing the homeowners of St. Bernard Parish. Many homeowners, including Chief Stone, purchased Chinese drywall - a product known to pose health hazards and erode electrical wires and equipment. Having just finished their homes, many are without the tens of thousands of dollars to tear down this toxic drywall and replace it.

Update: People of the Parish - Miss Joan

I met Miss Joan in April 2009 when I chaperoned a group of high school students who worked on the flooring in Miss Joan's house. It was rewarding to see the beautiful work the teens did when I toured her finished home!

Miss Joan misses her pre-Katrina neighborhood, where all the neighbors knew each other. Only one-half of her original neighbors are back. She also misses the local church, was has not been rebuilt.

When asked about the community's most pressing needs, Miss Joan echoes those of the other homeowners I spoke with. Number one on her list was a hospital - she has health problems and has to travel to either Slidell or Covington for care. Her personal physician has not returned to the parish. She also wishes there was a grocery store in Violet, along with a place to purchase clothes (like a Wal-Mart).

Update: People of the Parish - William and Sharon

Happy News! After more than three years in a FEMA trailer, St. Bernard project finished the home of William and Sharon last fall. Their dream came true - they were in their home in time for the holidays.

William and Sharon report that the majority of their neighbors were able to move back. Some homes were torn down, or sold. The neighborhood has become more diverse, which William and Sharon stated gave them a chance to "open up our eyes. . .and learn the world is not just one color."

They appreciate the school leadership that protected their public school system - one they believe is the best in the area.

William and Sharon are concerned about the need for a local hospital, and opportunities for jobs for local citizens. They also mentioned the high rental rates, and the high cost to insure a home - at times 5% of the home's value for a homeowner's policy.