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30 December, 2006
by Liam Thompson (Woodside Priory School, California)
I came to New Orleans without really knowing why I came. I suppose I wanted to see first hand what had happened to the city, and to be able to say that I had come to help out. I think the real reason why I came is to find a sense of purpose. When I'm out at the building site, pushing wheelbarrows around, wielding a shovel or sealing gaps with a can of spray foam, I can take pride in my work and feel as if I am making a difference in the world. I think that this is a relatively rare feeling but also a very important one. Having a mission and a purpose in this world is very important.
The first day at the work site, we were assigned to moving dirt to make lawns for some of the new houses, as well as to clear some debris and remove them. While the work in itself may not have seemed all that constructive, at the very least we could free up other volunteers to work on the framing of some of the other houses. Our efforts also helped bring the houses closer to completion. Nobody can move into the houses if the last details are not completed and as the Habitat for Humanity people said, the last ten percent of the work takes ninety percent of the time. At the end of the day, we went to the Lower Ninth Ward. The destruction, although I had prepared myself for it before going on the trip, was still quite amazing. Up until that point the image of New Orleans had been fairly refreshing. Even though many houses still could not be occupied, there were visible signs of the restoration of infrastructure and the return to some degree of normalcy. The Lower Ninth Ward displayed none of this. Houses and cars were strewn all over the area; foundations were still left from where the houses had stood. I saw one lot where that was occupied only by a few remnants of what had been a home... and a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Perhaps a sign of hope in this place of desolation.
I hope that one day, New Orleans can be rebuilt. It will take a long time and many more is left to be accomplished. However, in this very gradual process every little bit can help. The relatively small amount of work that we have contributed to this effort does indeed make a difference. I hope that I can return to this challenging yet inspirational place and I hope that many others can come to contribute and to understand.
Posted by ChiaChee Chiu on 12/30/06; 10:34:50 AM
from the dept.
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