My work group this week included Chris, Alyssa, Macie, and Andrew. We were on assignment with Project Homecoming to work on restoring the home of an elderly couple in the upper 9th ward. Their home was completely gutted during Katrina. The insurance company paid them enough to buy supplies but not any money for the labor. Five years later the rehab on their home is finally underway thanks to this wonderful organization.

When we arrived on Tuesday, the interior was mostly bare studs. We could see from one end of the house to the other. It was really satisfying to see the tangible progress we had made by the end of the day on Friday, by which time most of the drywall had been hung and the now clearly defined rooms made it feel like a real house.

I am SOOOOO proud of my green team for the amazing contribution they made this week. They worked incredibly hard under difficult conditions. The heat was extreme and each day we left exhausted and drenched with sweat, yet I heard no complaints from these great young people. They had an awesome attitude and worked right alongside the other volunteers, always offering 110%.

On the way back to the church, we drove through the lower 9th Ward which was completely devastated by Katrina and the subsequent flooding. The photos you see here show one area where Brad Pitt’s organization is building what look like beach houses. They are completely “green energy” as you may have guessed from the solar panels. Some of them are even engineered to float if the water reaches the foundation.

Scattered among these beautiful new homes are the haunting ruins of the former homes. Some stand as empty battered shells. Some are merely broken concrete slabs.

This experience was so valuable. It was overwhelming to imagine everything you own and know being completely wiped away.

(posted by: Neeley)

We drove through part of St Bernard Parish, where water levels reached 12 feet in some areas. We rode a ferry back over near the church.

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