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!

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.

Hot fun in the summertime

As you know, I am working on mold remediation for Hands On Gulf Coast in Biloxi. This work requires Tyvek suits, respirators and goggles to keep out the mold spores as we gut out the house and scrape the studs. Here is a team working in a house in Moss Point, MS. As you might imagine, it's a bit warm in all of that gear. We consider it the Mississippi Spa treatment: sweat out the toxins, a light exfoliation of your skin from removing fiberglass insulation and voila! A healthy glow!

This is an excerpt from a blog about work being done in Hancock County, MS. Being hit by Katrina and struggling for three years to get home again does not exempt you from other loss. Mean People Suck.

Tuesday July 29th, 2008
Electrical copper thieves strike Bert's house the night before he moves in!

Bert Martin went today to get the electric company to switch the power over to his main pole so he could move in - and on arrival found that copper thieves had stripped his new home of wire. Not only that they stripped the house across the street and also another home just down the street. Needless to say I am in shock over this as we worked so hard to get this home "finished".
There are no more funds for this home. This is a very frustrating situation.

http://www.reliefvolunteers.com/hancockdailyblog.html

Mold!!

I've recently been working for Hands On Gulf Coast as their Mold Outreach Coordinator. That means, I go to homes that have not been fixed since the storm and assess the mold situation. If it is a house that would benefit from the Hands On system of mold removal, we schedule the work.

This is a house in Moss Point where the roof had been damaged and the homeowner has not yet been able to fix her home. We gutted the home and are awaiting the finishing of the roof repairs before we treat it for mold. Today, I helped to dismantle a trailer that had mold but was unsavable due to its seriously deteriorated state. The work is messy and necessary. I'm enjoying the direct service to residents of the Gulf Coast.

If you know of someone who needs help with removing mold in a home, please email me: ekliger (symbol for at) handsongulfcoast.org and I will do what I can to help.

Highway 90

Today, I had the pleasure of driving from Bay St Louis to Biloxi via highway 90. I had been a bit hesitant to go that route assuming that due to construction, lane restrictions and traffic, it would take an hour. My friend, Kat, convinced me that the beauty of the bridge and the beach were worth it.

Imagine my surprise when for 19 uninterrupted minutes the ride flowed like a sweet, smooth river ride. Two lanes open, freshly paved, no orange barrels or cones...just like so many roads that I have taken for granted all of my life. Once we hit Gulfport, the construction started again but the stop-and-go-ness was worth it for those 19 minutes. The incremental improvements along the roadway are started to blend together into connectedness. The restoration is slow but it is definitely moving in the right direction.

D'Iberville Volunteers Foundation says goodbye

Last night, I hugged John Rigby goodbye. He and his daughter left early this morning. They were the last of the volunteers to leave after the Reunion/Parade of Homes on June 21. They had worked all week on Miss Maggie's house, getting it to a stage with drywall hung so that they could feel confident in turning it over to another team. That team will have to come from another camp. As Luke told me in an interview many months ago, we have to have faith that others will follow us to continue the Good Work. Because while DVF has done a Herculean job, there are still a few homes left in D'Iberville to finish.

The D'Iberville Volunteers Foundation is closed. Next month, the tents will come down. Some supplies will be stored for the next hurricane but most of the supplies will be distributed to other non-profit agencies. I will be moving over to Hands On Gulf Coast in Biloxi. It's hard saying goodbye to what has been my home base for the past 18 months. I'm looking forward to new challenges but will certainly miss my tent and the cheerful dinners that were a hallmark of this place.

Makin' Frozen Margaritas

The Sun Herald published a story yesterday that was noteworthy for two reasons: First, Representative Gene Taylor was quoted calling FEMA "buttheads". My friend, Doris, told me that and I thought she was kidding until I saw it myself. The second reason is the cause for Rep. Taylor using such colorful language: FEMA has announced that they will not provide ice after future storms and disasters. Is the reasoning behind this economical or logistical? No. It is because ice is a "luxury item".

Now, in the case of makin' frozen margaritas, I can see the argument that ice might be a luxury post-disaster. But when the electricity infrastructure is ripped to shreds, there is no running water and it is over 100 degrees, then perhaps ice is the only thing standing between you keeping your few precious food stores from a bacteria fiesta. It might be the difference between life and death.

This decision marks yet another example of how little FEMA has learned about disasters.

Endings and Beginnings

The past few weeks have been enormously busy down here on the Gulf Coast. The camp where I live, D'Iberville Volunteers Foundation, is preparing to close its tent flaps. In a few weeks, on June 21 and 22, we will be hosting an enormous celebration to showcase the nearly 1,000 homes that DVF has repaired, rehabbed and built from scratch since August 2005. I'm proud to have been a part of such a dynamic organization that has made such a profound impact on so many.

Another ending: The Red Cross just announced that it has allocated its last funds for this disaster. They have spent millions here to help, but there is so much more to do. Thankfully, more groups are starting or shifting shape to accommodate the ongoing needs facing residents here. In Waveland, three VISTA volunteers have taken initiative to start DreamFuel to focus on the challenges of engaging teenagers in volunteering and positive activities. In the 9th Ward in Louisiana, where hundreds of homes still need to be gutted, a man named Mack has started The Village with a vision to bring together community groups and residents to cut through the red tape of recovery.

One important chapter is closing this month, but there's a lot of book left to read. If you'd like to volunteer, please feel free to email me to find out how we can match you with the best opportunity.

Relationships

Doing the Right Thing often has Unintended Benefits: the new friendships and romantic relationships that have been sparked at volunteer camps across the Gulf Coast region. I know of three couples who have married since the storm as a direct result of meeting and/or getting to know each other through relief work. That makes sense since volunteers who travel to the Gulf Coast to help have already self-selected along some very positive personality traits.

So here's another good reason to volunteer: You might meet The One!

HOPE
Helping
Others
Produces
Euphoria

Hope is the melody of my work along the Gulf Coast. It is present in so many forms in the people I have met.

Hope that the beauty of the Gulf Coast will be restored.
Hope that you made the right decision to rebuild.
Hope that your children will never be that terrified again.
Hope that you will never be that terrified again.
Hope that when you tell your kids, "Everything will be ok," it will be.
Hope that you get to stay on the Gulf Coast - because it is your home, whether given or chosen.
Hope that the citizens of the United States of America who were hit by catastrophic damage will not be forgotten.
Hope that once people are aware of the magnitude of the problem, that they will care.
Hope that people will be moved to action.

Volunteers are restoring the families in the communities, one nail at a time, one brick at a time, one home at a time, one story at a time. That's what we can do. While the residents need our help, what we receive from helping is the most transformative experience we will ever have.

The difference beween two worlds

Many volunteers tell me that they feel frustrated when they can't finish a project. They may not realize the power of incremental improvements.

I interviewed a man in D'Iberville who had been under a lot of stress and was reaching the breaking point. For two years, he had been living in just two rooms in a gutted house, working hard but making little progress. He was depressed, drinking heavily, losing hope. A few months ago, the guys at work pulled him aside. They gave him Dr. Ed Cake's business card. They insisted that he call D'Iberville Volunteers Foundation to ask for help. He did and it has made all of the difference in the world. Here is an excerpt from our talk:

"I'd had Mr. Ed's number for months. They (D'Iberville Volunteers Foundation) had dropped flyers at my house. I just couldn't bring myself to call for help. Just couldn't.
When the volunteers first came, I felt uncomfortable. I didn't know them, didn't know what they would think...it was scary.
When they were doing the floors, well, it had been just concrete for so long I'd kind of forgotten what it would be like to have floors again. They put in laminate and that day...that day...when I saw the new floor...I didn't want to step on it. I didn't want to get dust on it. Stepping on that new floor...well, it was the difference between two worlds. When I stepped on that floor...

...well, for the first time I could see myself living that house again. It reminded me of what it was like when I was growing up in that house.

Now that I know the volunteers...they're friends. I hope that when my home is finished, they'll come back to visit. Now that I can see my house being a home again, I can't wait to get out there to volunteer, to help other people get back in theirs."

Opportunity sometimes knocks sooner than you'd think. 8 am on the Saturday of Easter weekend, he responded to a call from the DVF camp for help in finding a power snake for a plumbing problem for another resident. He didn't know her but he went over to her house himself to solve the situation.

She was able to enjoy her holiday because he was willing to give up part of his. He was able to share some of the goodness that he received from volunteers. A new connection was made.

Carol Lightner's new steps

A team from Washington state worked at D'Iberville Volunteers Foundation this week. One of their projects was replacing the steps at Carol Lightner's house.

This home was dramatically affected by the floodwaters - although it is on a natural bluff and sited on 12 foot high pilings, the house was lifted and shifted by the rising of the Tchoutacabouffa River ( pronounced Shoot-A-Cah-Buff ). In December of 2006, several teams worked to jack up the house and they braced the staircase. It held up very well for over a year. However, when Carol hurt her knee and a chair lift was installed, it was realized that long-term, the staircase had to be replaced.

I'm happy to report that within two days the team from Washington tore out the old steps and built a new set of stairs with an expanded deck at the top. In addition to repairing her home, in the past year she has also had to deal with numerous health problems. She recently had surgery for skin cancer. She will most likely have to travel to New Orleans for more surgery. Thank you to all of the volunteers who have helped Carol Lightner. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

**Special Thanks to Mike Engen, Dorothy Gibbs and Lee Tumelson for their photographs of this work project!

Listening

There is a mental health crisis occurring on the Gulf Coast. The stress and strain of the past 31 months is becoming entrenched for people who have not been able to recreate normalcy in the wake of Katrina. Every negative statistic has increased: suicide, divorce, domestic abuse...some Universities are studying the trends.

There are so many needs and there is one thing that we can all do to help: Listen. Actively listening to someone, being completely present to hear their stories and assure them that they have been heard, will provide a measure of healing. To that end, Dr. Irene McIntosh is sending out "Listening Teams" this week throughout D'Iberville. Yesterday, she oriented volunteers how to listen to people so that they feel supported. The teams called residents to schedule appointments starting today. They will visit with people for whom Katrina is still an every day presence. They will share banana bread, kind smiles and sit and listen for as long as the citizens want to talk.

That might sound kind of simplistic, but gauging from the level of recovery present in D'Iberville, it works. It is a human characteristic that in order to make sense of disaster we need to talk about it, process the information and feelings that arise, and then we can turn the visceral from a current event to a memory.

If you'd like to find out more about this program and how you can help, please email me.

ellakliger@gmail.com

Pearlington - a town that was "wiped off the map"

When I first came to the Gulf Coast, and talked with residents standing on slabs in Pascagoula, sitting in trailers in D'Iberville or trying to figure out whether to salvage or demolish their homes in Bay St Louis, the conversation would eventually roll around to the eye of the storm. When the name Pearlington came up in conversation, the words used were eerily similar across the coast:

"Ohhhh, Pearlington...they got hit hard." or "It was wiped off the map."

Until I visited the town, I thought it was a turn of phrase. I was wrong. In fact, in some of the new maps of Mississippi, it is no longer on the map. In a state where there are basically 11 towns along the coast, that is a notable omission. The Post Office has not been rebuilt. The water system is still in shreds. But for the hearty souls who call it home, there is hope.

University of Pennsylvania has taken on projects in Hancock County with a special focus on Pearlington. Connie Hoe and Ken Foster led a team to Pearlington this winter.

"When Hurricane Katrina crashed into the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2005, itplowed right into Pearlington, a small community nestled in thecypress-and-yellow pinewoods near the coast. The storm surge from Katrinasubmerged the town beneath 6 meters of water. When aid workers first arrived 10days later, they found hungry residents living in tents and under tarps, andevery house, building, and vehicle in the town had been destroyed."

Please read the full article excerpted above to learn more about the true nature of resiliency in a tiny town on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.