Maintaining hope for the people of NOLA

Well, folks, it is harder to find free Internet service than I had anticipated. I could find it at every truck stop along the way, but when you get to the city, they want a credit card. Not going to happen from me. The downtown district is totally free wi-fi, but getting downtown is not easy. Nor have we had the time.

So, it is Thursday. WOW! The week has gone by so quickly. We have accomplished much, but I feel like I could, or should stay for a long time. Many of these volunteers do end up coming back, again and again.

The places I have seen and the people I have met are simply amazing. I haven't quite found the right word to sum it all up. And maybe there isn't one. Not just one word anyway.

The people:

The volunteers who work here, day in and day out are incredible. There are people here from all over the United States. They come and go and from very different walks of life. But they have a few things in common. At the forefront is empathy and caring. Many of the volunteers here OHH have come for a week and either returned to volunteer for several months or a year at a time, or just never left. A lot of them are young -- 18 to 27 or so. They all have different stories.

The people of New Orleans who live here are also incredible. They have such spirit that seems to come from deep inside their hearts. Everywhere I go, every person I have talked to has a different story. We all do, after all, everyone has a story. But I have never been more moved than listening to the people who lived through the storm tell their stories.

I have met so many. I don't know where to start. So, rather than try right now, I will wait.

The work we have done so far is good. I cannot say that at times, I have not been frustrated, for various reasons, but our Minnesota team has almost completed one house.

Her neighborhood was badly damaged. It is near Pontchartrain lake, actually called Pontchartrain Park, near Gentilly Woods. I met a man who lived thru it the Hurricane and the aftermath. His name is Danny. The water came quickly and had a life of its own, he said. There will be more of Danny's story sometime. But just to give you an idea of how bad the damage is right there, he told us the water was up on the roof tops and the sustained water level was about 5 to 6 feet high for months.

Several people lost there lives in that neighborhood. In the house 2 doors down, one died. Kiddy corner to that another, and down the block another. then there were 3 who lost there lives a bit further and in another, an entire family of 8.

The woman who will return to her home, is in her 80s. She lives alone. Her name is Evelyn. Apparently, she lost her husband a few months ago, not related to to Katrina, as far as I know. I wish we could meet her before we leave, but it does not appear that will happen.

Half of us went to another house today, while half stayed at Evelyn's house. I was on the crew who went to the second home.

It is a big house near the Garden district. Although the homes did not receive flood damage, the roof was blown off and sustained much water damage. We were fortunate to meet Connie, the home owner. The look on here face when she said thank you to us, touched my heart so deeply, I will never forget her.

Tomorrow is another day. It is our last day. Helping these two families is one small step to putting the city back together. But what I have found by being here is we, as volunteers from all over the United States, are doing so much more for the city by simply being here. People every where we go, not only the people whose homes we are are working on but everyone we meet, thanks us. Mostly for giving them hope. And showing them that people care and have not forgotten.

Peace.