NEHA Conference
It has been an interesting few days, attending the annual conference for the National Environmental Health Association. My work along the Gulf Coast has translated into my becoming something of an expert on assessing and remediating mold, particularly for non-profit groups and people with limited resources. I haven't given the mold training talk since February and it felt great to be teaching again. The talk was well received and I was invited to Houston to talk with an environmental group about fighting mold.
In my work with Coming Alongside, I have been supporting the research of Dr. Denise Wilson in the fields of formaldehyde in temporary homes, and arsenic in soil and how it impacts people, especially children. We are talking this afternoon about the research we have done on soils around Gentilly and the Ninth Ward in Louisiana. Arsenic is the number 1 health contaminant in the world. It is a cancer accelerator, in that it makes cancer cells multiply more rapidly.
I'm nervous and excited because I believe that the scientific research that Coming Alongside is conducting with the support of the University of Washington will help to reduce the cost of remediating contaminated soil and raise awareness of the hazards of arsenic.
Tuesday
Sunday
There are whitecaps on the Mississippi Sound. Unusual because it's usually flat as a glass slide, but the wind is whipping today. Four souls have braved the water with parasurfboards. Many more people are on the beach today than I recall seeing out there last spring. It's a good sign that people have the time and desire to spend the afternoon on the beach. Because it IS relaxing to be out here with the sun on my face and the wind twisting my hair in loopdeloops against my cheek.
This is my first weekend back on the Gulf Coast after what feels like a year away (yet in actuality was less than 60 days). I'm catching up on the state of the recovery. I've seen friends who range from hip deep in the non-profit world to merely casually connected; they are painting a picture of normalcy punctuated by pockets of pain.
Many people are home again or in houses that are livable if not finished. For that, I'm grateful and happy to celebrate.
But for those folks who are living out of a FEMA trailer – still – not only are they dealing with the stress of the impending removal of that trailer (May 1) but they are also handling the frustration and depression that stems from not being able to rebuild a normal life, or a reasonable facsimile of a normal life, in the almost four years that have passed since Hurricane Katrina wrecked their world.
The folks who need your help still need your help. Your options for helping are dwindling, as evidenced by the fact that next week I will be helping another camp prepare to close. I had dinner with a group from Nashville that has been coming down since a few weeks after the storm. They told me that this is going to be their last trip here. During the conversation, it became clear that they thought that since this camp is closing, the work in Mississippi is done. I gave a few examples of people who are still struggling to get home again; they were excited that there might still be the possibility for them to volunteer here. They want to help, but their contact is closing up camp so they don't know how to organize a weekend work trip without “boots on the ground” to make the connection to a family in need. That is definitely a challenge. Please...don't forget about Mississippi.
This is my first weekend back on the Gulf Coast after what feels like a year away (yet in actuality was less than 60 days). I'm catching up on the state of the recovery. I've seen friends who range from hip deep in the non-profit world to merely casually connected; they are painting a picture of normalcy punctuated by pockets of pain.
Many people are home again or in houses that are livable if not finished. For that, I'm grateful and happy to celebrate.
But for those folks who are living out of a FEMA trailer – still – not only are they dealing with the stress of the impending removal of that trailer (May 1) but they are also handling the frustration and depression that stems from not being able to rebuild a normal life, or a reasonable facsimile of a normal life, in the almost four years that have passed since Hurricane Katrina wrecked their world.
The folks who need your help still need your help. Your options for helping are dwindling, as evidenced by the fact that next week I will be helping another camp prepare to close. I had dinner with a group from Nashville that has been coming down since a few weeks after the storm. They told me that this is going to be their last trip here. During the conversation, it became clear that they thought that since this camp is closing, the work in Mississippi is done. I gave a few examples of people who are still struggling to get home again; they were excited that there might still be the possibility for them to volunteer here. They want to help, but their contact is closing up camp so they don't know how to organize a weekend work trip without “boots on the ground” to make the connection to a family in need. That is definitely a challenge. Please...don't forget about Mississippi.
Monday
Very few of us ever have that opportunity to make a critical difference for someone else.
To stand in the gap,
to be the little boy at the dike with our hand in the wall
and know that,
for that week,
we held the dam back.
That for that week,
we were the wall of hope.
~ Dr. Irene McIntosh
It's as good a summary as I've found of what brings volunteers back again and again to help others.
To stand in the gap,
to be the little boy at the dike with our hand in the wall
and know that,
for that week,
we held the dam back.
That for that week,
we were the wall of hope.
~ Dr. Irene McIntosh
It's as good a summary as I've found of what brings volunteers back again and again to help others.
Thursday
The Quandary of Stewardship
I've noticed that when there is a huge stack of pallets of hundreds of bottles of water available, people take one, drink some and leave it on a table or outside, causing some of the water to be thrown away or poured out undrunk. When there are just six bottles of water left, someone will pour some into a cup to share, write his or her name on the bottle, carry it around and use all of it.
Why do you suppose that is?
I've noticed that when there is a huge stack of pallets of hundreds of bottles of water available, people take one, drink some and leave it on a table or outside, causing some of the water to be thrown away or poured out undrunk. When there are just six bottles of water left, someone will pour some into a cup to share, write his or her name on the bottle, carry it around and use all of it.
Why do you suppose that is?
Tuesday
Sewing Superheroes
I met three women last week who have truly inspired me. They came from Crossroads United Methodist Church in Oakdale, PA for a week of service through Camp Gospel. They created an entire set of window treatments in less than a week for a very grateful homeowner and her family.
I met three women last week who have truly inspired me. They came from Crossroads United Methodist Church in Oakdale, PA for a week of service through Camp Gospel. They created an entire set of window treatments in less than a week for a very grateful homeowner and her family.
Sally was here for the first time while her energetic partners, Eleanor and Darlene were boomerangs – returning for their second and third trips of volunteering on the Gulf Coast. Sally had been recruited by an enthusiastic volunteer: her husband, Pat, who returned to MS for his fifth service trip, leading a group of 49 Steelers fans.
“We have relatives in Pass Christian. After my husband came down on his first trip, he became the volunteer coordinator for our church. He’s led groups before and this trip we’ve come here together.”
They arrived with donated and discounted fabric and materials, sat down with the homeowner, Miss Mabel and discussed options. They started measuring Monday, and had bedroom curtains, cafe curtains for the kitchen and valances ready to hang by Friday. They would like to continue to work on window treatments from home. There are certainly a lot of naked windows on the Gulf Coast that could use their good works! They have heard about other groups doing this type of work, like the Moravian Church in Raleigh, NC and would like to join forces. They are my Sewing Superheroes and I hope they inspire others to create a little beauty to enhance the new homes of residents who have been home-less for three and a half years.
“We have relatives in Pass Christian. After my husband came down on his first trip, he became the volunteer coordinator for our church. He’s led groups before and this trip we’ve come here together.”
They arrived with donated and discounted fabric and materials, sat down with the homeowner, Miss Mabel and discussed options. They started measuring Monday, and had bedroom curtains, cafe curtains for the kitchen and valances ready to hang by Friday. They would like to continue to work on window treatments from home. There are certainly a lot of naked windows on the Gulf Coast that could use their good works! They have heard about other groups doing this type of work, like the Moravian Church in Raleigh, NC and would like to join forces. They are my Sewing Superheroes and I hope they inspire others to create a little beauty to enhance the new homes of residents who have been home-less for three and a half years.
(In the interest of full disclosure, Sally not only fixed the buttons on my blue blazer but pressed it in time for me to look snazzy at my presentation to the Gautier Rotary Club last week. Thanks again! But the curtains, well, those are really amazing!)
Friday
Ten Books
Had an interesting conversation the other night at the Mockingbird Cafe. A woman was telling me some of the kindnesses she had received after the storm. She said the greatest gift that she received was books. All of her books were destroyed by Katrina. They had been treasured touchpoints in her life and they were all gone. A friend asked her which books she couldn't live without and then sent her the top ten. Made me start thinking about what would be on my top ten list.
So many things are taken for granted until they are gone. The folks here appreciate every thoughtful gift given. Thank you for continuing to keep giving to bring back the luxury of taking things for granted.
Had an interesting conversation the other night at the Mockingbird Cafe. A woman was telling me some of the kindnesses she had received after the storm. She said the greatest gift that she received was books. All of her books were destroyed by Katrina. They had been treasured touchpoints in her life and they were all gone. A friend asked her which books she couldn't live without and then sent her the top ten. Made me start thinking about what would be on my top ten list.
So many things are taken for granted until they are gone. The folks here appreciate every thoughtful gift given. Thank you for continuing to keep giving to bring back the luxury of taking things for granted.
I wrote this post in the winter of 2006. Unfortunately, it still rings true today.
"The pressure on people is inconceivable. After 18 months, people who had resources are running out of money, businesses have not reopened in the numbers expected because insurance rates have risen drastically, and those who did not have financial resources with which to recover are waiting on waiting lists. In one town, there is an organization with 915 current clients who need homes. At the ambitious pace of three new homes per week, with virtually all volunteer labor, it is going to take more than 6 years to get all of the current clients home again. And new clients show up at the offices every day. The most recent figure for Hancock County is 5,000 families still in FEMA trailers."
There are some differences between then and now, in that the number of FEMA trailers left on the Mississippi Gulf Coast has dropped, although some of those families are living in motel rooms rather than homes because there is still not enough housing for all of the people who call the Gulf Coast home. For those people for whom Katrina is not yet a distant memory, it is now nearly 40 months since their worlds were turned upside down.
If you haven't been here, been through this, it may be inconceivable to you that in more than three years people couldn't "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and get back to "normal". The ironic joke down here is "Katrina took everything, including my bootstraps!" Now, with the economy worsening and more recent disasters capturing people's attention, the folks who are not making it in Mississippi and Louisiana are falling further into hopelessness. For just a moment, please suspend judgment and consider the mother, or the grandfather, who has not been able to reclaim a normal life since Hurricane Katrina. More than 1200 days in a trailer or some other temporary housing. More than 1200 days of working to gather resources to rebuild a home in a community.
If you can't come here to help, please send a kind thought toward someone who survived the worst thing imaginable and is still struggling to make it back home again. For those of you who have come to volunteer on the Gulf Coast, your work here made a difference. Thank you.
"The pressure on people is inconceivable. After 18 months, people who had resources are running out of money, businesses have not reopened in the numbers expected because insurance rates have risen drastically, and those who did not have financial resources with which to recover are waiting on waiting lists. In one town, there is an organization with 915 current clients who need homes. At the ambitious pace of three new homes per week, with virtually all volunteer labor, it is going to take more than 6 years to get all of the current clients home again. And new clients show up at the offices every day. The most recent figure for Hancock County is 5,000 families still in FEMA trailers."
There are some differences between then and now, in that the number of FEMA trailers left on the Mississippi Gulf Coast has dropped, although some of those families are living in motel rooms rather than homes because there is still not enough housing for all of the people who call the Gulf Coast home. For those people for whom Katrina is not yet a distant memory, it is now nearly 40 months since their worlds were turned upside down.
If you haven't been here, been through this, it may be inconceivable to you that in more than three years people couldn't "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and get back to "normal". The ironic joke down here is "Katrina took everything, including my bootstraps!" Now, with the economy worsening and more recent disasters capturing people's attention, the folks who are not making it in Mississippi and Louisiana are falling further into hopelessness. For just a moment, please suspend judgment and consider the mother, or the grandfather, who has not been able to reclaim a normal life since Hurricane Katrina. More than 1200 days in a trailer or some other temporary housing. More than 1200 days of working to gather resources to rebuild a home in a community.
If you can't come here to help, please send a kind thought toward someone who survived the worst thing imaginable and is still struggling to make it back home again. For those of you who have come to volunteer on the Gulf Coast, your work here made a difference. Thank you.
Wednesday
Continuing to help makes all the difference in the world
As you know, one of my jobs is mold remediation. There was a house that Kendall and I assessed in August for mold. It needed a lot of work. The roof had to be repaired before Hands On could get to work on the mold issue. That finally happened in October. We should finish the mold removal work this Saturday, appropriately on Make A Difference Day. I was talking with the homeowner the other day. She has changed a lot since August. She said, with tears in her eyes, "Y'all have changed my life. I feel like getting up in the morning now. Before you started, I couldn't see the difference, one day to the next, so some days I just didn't get out of bed. Now, I can see myself getting home again. I just don't know how to thank you for what you've done."
It's still going to take many months before her gutted house is a home again. But the progress that we have made this month has made all the difference in the world to her.
As you know, one of my jobs is mold remediation. There was a house that Kendall and I assessed in August for mold. It needed a lot of work. The roof had to be repaired before Hands On could get to work on the mold issue. That finally happened in October. We should finish the mold removal work this Saturday, appropriately on Make A Difference Day. I was talking with the homeowner the other day. She has changed a lot since August. She said, with tears in her eyes, "Y'all have changed my life. I feel like getting up in the morning now. Before you started, I couldn't see the difference, one day to the next, so some days I just didn't get out of bed. Now, I can see myself getting home again. I just don't know how to thank you for what you've done."
It's still going to take many months before her gutted house is a home again. But the progress that we have made this month has made all the difference in the world to her.
Tuesday
Remember: 'The first 72 are on you!'
Don't let a few cooler nights fool you. Hurricane season is far from over. It does not officially end until the end of November.
There's a lot of weather between now and then. So stay prepared.
As the cover of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency's hurricane preparedness guide proclaims in large, red letters: "The first 72 are on you!"
What that means - and what every coastal resident in America must be made to understand - is that anyone who chooses not to evacuate from the path of an approaching hurricane should have enough supplies to sustain themselves for at least three days after a storm makes landfall.
This is not because government officials and disaster relief agencies are heartless or lazy.
As South Mississippians learned in the days and weeks after Katrina, it takes time to respond to an emergency. It takes time to locate those in need. It takes time to restore electricity and phone service. It take time to resupply stores and gas stations and for those who did evacuate to return to their jobs.
All the sympathy in the world will not make life less miserable after a disaster.
That's why being prepared is far better than being pitied.
Summer has now turned to autumn, but it is still hurricane season.
Allen Roark
Individual Assistance Specialist
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
Reprinted from the Sun Herald, September 23, 2008
Don't let a few cooler nights fool you. Hurricane season is far from over. It does not officially end until the end of November.
There's a lot of weather between now and then. So stay prepared.
As the cover of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency's hurricane preparedness guide proclaims in large, red letters: "The first 72 are on you!"
What that means - and what every coastal resident in America must be made to understand - is that anyone who chooses not to evacuate from the path of an approaching hurricane should have enough supplies to sustain themselves for at least three days after a storm makes landfall.
This is not because government officials and disaster relief agencies are heartless or lazy.
As South Mississippians learned in the days and weeks after Katrina, it takes time to respond to an emergency. It takes time to locate those in need. It takes time to restore electricity and phone service. It take time to resupply stores and gas stations and for those who did evacuate to return to their jobs.
All the sympathy in the world will not make life less miserable after a disaster.
That's why being prepared is far better than being pitied.
Summer has now turned to autumn, but it is still hurricane season.
Allen Roark
Individual Assistance Specialist
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
Reprinted from the Sun Herald, September 23, 2008
Gustav and Katrina
I visited a woman today who lives in a rural area outside of New Orleans, on Route 90 midway between Pearlington and St Bernard Parish. She has been living there for 42 years and her stilt house, which is half finished, came through the storm fine. She and her husband, a commercial fisherman, paid for Grade A pilings, the largest possible. She wanted a sturdy home. Those pilings easily withst
ood Gustav's winds.If the contractors had finished building her home in December as the contract originally stated, she would not have had a problem with Gustav. However, they have only brought her house to the plywood sheathing stage. She has been living in a trailer for two years as a result of Katrina, waiting for the contractors she paid to finish building her home. Her trailer was rolled by the winds of Gustav.
She lost everything for the second time.
Saturday
Hurricane Ike is on its way
Just heard from some friends in Key West. They are packing and planning to evacuate. Still too early too tell how strong it will be when it passes Florida, but people are preparing. I hope that everyone is safe and that there is little damage. Currently, the storm is poised to hit the Gulf Coast at the end of next week. Much can happen between now and then to affect the trajectory, but people here are hoping for the best and planning for the worst.
As you know, I have been working with independent volunteer organizations for the past two years. If you want your donations to get to the residents with the least amount of muss and fuss, I would recommend donating to small, local groups. They are the ones on the ground assessing damage, supporting people through the stress and they are best poised to help quickly and efficiently. My links section has groups which I can vouch for personally as being excellent stewards of donations.
Just heard from some friends in Key West. They are packing and planning to evacuate. Still too early too tell how strong it will be when it passes Florida, but people are preparing. I hope that everyone is safe and that there is little damage. Currently, the storm is poised to hit the Gulf Coast at the end of next week. Much can happen between now and then to affect the trajectory, but people here are hoping for the best and planning for the worst.
As you know, I have been working with independent volunteer organizations for the past two years. If you want your donations to get to the residents with the least amount of muss and fuss, I would recommend donating to small, local groups. They are the ones on the ground assessing damage, supporting people through the stress and they are best poised to help quickly and efficiently. My links section has groups which I can vouch for personally as being excellent stewards of donations.
Thursday
Hurricane Gustav
Thank you to everyone who called and wrote to me and other residents of the Gulf Coast during the run up to the storm. Your support provided immeasurable strength to so many people. I am sorry that I have not yet responded to everyone but as you can imagine, there is a lot to do here.
It's still too early to tell the long-range effects of Hurricane Gustav. Of course, we are all grateful that we were spared the widespread destruction of Katrina. However, the stress leading up to it was intense. The mental health issues were magnified by the possibility of a complete wipeout. I worry that the lack of destruction and the challenges people faced with evacuation may create a Boy Who Cried Wolf scenario here. When I talk with people who stayed during Katrina, at least a third of them told me that part of the reason was that they had already evacuated twice that summer during storms that did not pack the promised punch. Each storm must be evaluated on its own merits. I hope that the storms that are brewing right now diminish before making landfall. And I hope that people do not become lulled into a false sense of security that could prove extremely dangerous.
Thank you to everyone who called and wrote to me and other residents of the Gulf Coast during the run up to the storm. Your support provided immeasurable strength to so many people. I am sorry that I have not yet responded to everyone but as you can imagine, there is a lot to do here.
It's still too early to tell the long-range effects of Hurricane Gustav. Of course, we are all grateful that we were spared the widespread destruction of Katrina. However, the stress leading up to it was intense. The mental health issues were magnified by the possibility of a complete wipeout. I worry that the lack of destruction and the challenges people faced with evacuation may create a Boy Who Cried Wolf scenario here. When I talk with people who stayed during Katrina, at least a third of them told me that part of the reason was that they had already evacuated twice that summer during storms that did not pack the promised punch. Each storm must be evaluated on its own merits. I hope that the storms that are brewing right now diminish before making landfall. And I hope that people do not become lulled into a false sense of security that could prove extremely dangerous.
Friday
Tag Team and High Fives
Tonight, a group of Nonprofiteers went to Just Us for Karaoke Night. It was a blast. There were about 9 of us from Hands On Gulf Coast, some folks from the East Biloxi Coordination Center, El Pueblo, Turkey Creek, Red Cross...the list goes on. One of the locals knew there were a bunch of volunteers/AmeriCorps people there and before she sang, she thanked us for coming to help. She was talking about the stream of volunteers and created a great image of us "high fiving each other as volunteers tag-teamed their way in and out of town." That's a bit more of a coordinated idea than what actually happens on the ground, but has a great deal of value.
The more I think about it, the more I like the image. We are creating an organic network of people who pick up where others left off in the Recovery work. To imagine us actually handing off the baton, high - fiving each other as our paths cross, is energizing. We could use a few more people heading into town to run with the ball just about now as our energy flags in the heat and with the upcoming third anniversary of Katrina's destruction.
Remember, high fives are free!
Tonight, a group of Nonprofiteers went to Just Us for Karaoke Night. It was a blast. There were about 9 of us from Hands On Gulf Coast, some folks from the East Biloxi Coordination Center, El Pueblo, Turkey Creek, Red Cross...the list goes on. One of the locals knew there were a bunch of volunteers/AmeriCorps people there and before she sang, she thanked us for coming to help. She was talking about the stream of volunteers and created a great image of us "high fiving each other as volunteers tag-teamed their way in and out of town." That's a bit more of a coordinated idea than what actually happens on the ground, but has a great deal of value.
The more I think about it, the more I like the image. We are creating an organic network of people who pick up where others left off in the Recovery work. To imagine us actually handing off the baton, high - fiving each other as our paths cross, is energizing. We could use a few more people heading into town to run with the ball just about now as our energy flags in the heat and with the upcoming third anniversary of Katrina's destruction.
Remember, high fives are free!
Thursday
The Kindness of Strangers: Katrina Connections moves another step closer to widespread availability
I just received a preview of the music video for the closing credits song, "Hold On To Love" performed by Angie Ewing. She will be performing this inspirational song on several local stations and there is a potential appearance on a major morning show (Shhhh - it's still in the works! You heard it here first!)
People frequently ask me, "Is it done?" It is moving towards being available on DVD and a national distribution deal. I will keep you posted as to when and where you can see this Labor of Love. Thank you to everyone who has been patient with the production of this documentary.
I just received a preview of the music video for the closing credits song, "Hold On To Love" performed by Angie Ewing. She will be performing this inspirational song on several local stations and there is a potential appearance on a major morning show (Shhhh - it's still in the works! You heard it here first!)
People frequently ask me, "Is it done?" It is moving towards being available on DVD and a national distribution deal. I will keep you posted as to when and where you can see this Labor of Love. Thank you to everyone who has been patient with the production of this documentary.
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