Teams “New to Seattle" and "Friends you haven't met yet" gathered at a Hot Project to help EarthCorps seek and destroy the EVIL IVY. We learned a lot about invasive species in the Pacific Northwest, which includes ivy among many other plants. It was a long day of hard work that left us all proud and exhausted. This was my easiest day as Team Captain because EarthCorps was so organized.
An article published in the Seattle PI on April 22 highlighted the role "younger" voters are having on the presidential election by underscoring the impact of social networking sites and related technology. It continues to fascinate me that this kind of participation in the political process is called a "revolution." The idea that other generations marched in the streets and had sit-ins while the current 18-30-year olds blog or rally on Facebook is a comparison that doesn't ring true to me. However, identifying that "taking action" means something entirely additional for people under 30 resonates. To me, this kind of participation obviously has influence while also placing unusual suspects (an entire generation, perhaps?) in positions of leadership. I hope the energy created in online communities and communication translates to the ballot box. It must, if we don't want our values to continue to be ignored by the elected establishment.
Social Networking Alters Terrain of the Campaign Trail by Chris McGann, Seattle PI: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/360036_obamaorg22.html
As a self confessed political junkie, I've been tracking the presidential race very closely. I love that this election is about change--and really I believe all three candidates want to represent a big vision of America's possibilities.
In watching the race for superdelegates on the democratic side, I've been struck by how many superdelegates have given credit to their kids for influencing their decision.
This weekend on "This Week with George Stephanopolous" President Jimmy Carter (who has not endorsed either candidate) said his children and grandchildren are all supporting Obama and one could surmise his support based on the politicking of his family.
Last week, an article in the New York time discussed this very trend, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/us/politics/08kids.html?ex=1208318400&en=b9601c284cd9e852&ei=5070&emc=eta1.
Tell us, do you chat with your parents about the election? Are they listening?
Think you'd like to switch from the corporate sector to the nonprofit sector? Check out an article published this week -
"Your True Calling Could Suit a Nonprofit": http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/jobs/06career.html
As someone who's been in the nonprofit field the entirety of my 10 years since college, I thought they pretty much hit the nail on the head in terms of pros, cons and how to go about it. Good stuff!
My only push-back on the article is that their thoughts on how to find nonprofits was pretty weak. Looking at who United Way funds is helpful sure, but that's just orgs affecting the specific issue areas United Way focuses on. It's also worth looking at other funders that address different issue areas - Seattle Foundation, Gates Foundation, Allen Foundation, Social Venture Partners, Washington Women's Foundation, EarthShare of Washington, ArtsFund, Pride Foundation, etc. I also thought the idea of contacting the Chamber was totally random. Maybe that plays in other cities but it didn't make any sense to me here.
And really, your best bet in getting a nonprofit job when you're doing a sector shift ties directly into networking. Seattle is an extremely community-minded town. Talk with people you know and respect about where they volunteer and where they give their money. Ask them questions about the organizations they're affiliated with and why they chose them. See if they can connect you with people at those orgs. And if there's an org you already know of, look at their website, find the person whose job is closest to the work you want to do, contact them and ask them for an informational interview (30 minutes). In those interviews, learn about those orgs and also ask them what orgs you should be looking at/who you should be talking to given your interests. Be respectful of their time, come having done your homework, and you'll walk away with new information and a person who is excited you're interested in the field. Nonprofit employees are generally very friendly people. Connections aren't everything but they're certainly helpful, and you really only have to do some easy, basic outreach to get connected.
The rest of the article was spot-on. It won't be less stress or less hours (maybe more!), you'll get paid less and that becomes more apparent the higher up the chain you go, and when you're working in a realm with multiple stakeholders and goals that are harder to measure than market-share or profits you do get faced with (occasionally annoying!) ambiguity. All that behind said, you just might totally love it. It's a pretty good gig getting paid to do something you believe in with your whole heart.
-- Tara
In the realm of "top cities" lists, Seattle tends to do pretty well. We're a "livable" city, we're a "fit" city, etc.
I saw a listing today of the "The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now" and as soon as I saw the headline I thought - VIADUCT!
Wouldn't you know it, we're now in a class of top 10 lists with New Orleans:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/transportation/4257814.html?series=53
-- Tara
I spent the majority of today on a boat in Lake Washington with officials from the City of Renton reviewing their Shoreline Master plan. Although the weather was bad this morning being on the lake and looking at the shorelines and the habitat was amazing. We could see a huge difference between what newer developments were able to do with their property according to the state Shoreline's Act and what older properties were able to do with their land when the state didn't have any regulations.
More than anything what I learned today is that we still have a lot of habitat that we need to protect along the shoreline and the respective cities have to work hard to enforce the rules. The biggest surprise to me was seeing the difference between what Seattle does with their shorelines, what Bellevue does and what the city of Renton does. I think about the environment often but never about the shoreline this trip opened my eyes.
~Ed
I am recently back from maternity leave and have to admit I haven't been tracking local politics. Truth be told, I've been obsessed with the national presidential race and I am missing my afternoon dose of Hard Ball.
I was excited to see the Mayor continuing his quest to make Seattle a green city. The Mayor's plan to "ban" plastic bags or at least hit your wallet if you use one seems like a step in the right direction to change our behaviors.
I'm not sure how I feel about it being mandated versus incentivized. And I worry a bit about small businesses and family's on a tight budget--but maybe this awareness will remind us all to bring our own bags. Plus what's up loading the plastic bags with only two items, I think that IS wasteful and annoying.
I'm trying to be more green. I have a very cute bag I take to the grocery store (it says "I'm not a plastic bag") and I try to walk to the store as often as possible. What are you doing? It's the little things, right?
- Alison
As you’ve hopefully heard, there’s talk of a major upgrade at Seattle Center, including a plan on the table for a $676 million dollar make-over that remodels the Center House, replaces Memorial Stadium and adds 10 acres of open space to the campus.
Right now, the Century 21 Community is seeking community input on the plan and are getting some suggestions from a very savvy group of Seattle Center stakeholders – elementary school children.
For a smile, and some innovative ideas, check out: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004308754_centerkids27m.html
-- Tara
I don’t have the stats on this one, but seems to me that lack of health insurance plagues are demographic more than some. With all the job-changing, interest in entrepreneurship and contract work, and don’t-have-the-stability-of-a-spouse-with-health-insurance-to-rely-on, it seems like everyone knows at least a few people who don’t have health insurance or are struggling to figure things out.
Useful article in the NY Times on concerns of the self-employed and health insurance. They pointed out a few online resources for finding coverage as an individual or self-employed person:
http://healthinsuranceinfo.net/
http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/
Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/business/smallbusiness/27sbiz.html
-- Tara
Our last project was helping an elderly lady (Sophia) with
yard work and a little cleaning.
Top Ten Things I learned with Volunteer Chore Services...
1. Volunteering is just as much about connecting with people as it is about
producing something tangible. For Sophia, having people around to talk to
was just as significant a contribution as all of the cleaning and yard work we
did.
2. If Eric ever wants a career change, he could become a landscape architect;
he did an amazing job rejuvenating Sophia's herb garden. Or he could try
electrician.
3. Courtesy of Sophia: a certain sulphur spray that you can only find in a
certain Mountlake Terrace nursery is the only all natural way to keep your
grape leaves healthy, but the stuff smells awful.
4. Volunteering is way more fun than sleeping in until noon...plus you feel
better about yourself because you've already had such a productive day and its
only 2 pm on a Saturday.
5. Akshat and I are an unstoppable force feared by ivy all over the Beacon Hill
region. We removed three large trash bags full of the stuff, and got to
the 'root of all ivy,' which was the size of a small tree trunk. Well, at
least 3" in diameter.
6. Kris and Rob are pruning machines. Kathleen already covered that one
but their speed and artistic skill with the clippers was impressive.
7. Removing a blackberry root ball is equivalent in difficulty to summiting
Everest.
8. Don't start a top ten list if you only have seven things and can only get to
eight by saying how you don't have enough points to fill up your list.
Prabhu Adie
New to Seattle Team
On my way to Cooper
Elementary School I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I thought maybe I'd
be doing monotonous manual labor in an empty school, but it ended up
being so much more. We worked directly with the teachers, helping them
with small tasks and large jobs alike. The whole day ended up being a
trip down memory lane. Elementary school all came rushing back to me as I
walked into the first classroom and the smell of Crayons hit my nose.
The first job of the day was emptying a supply closet which was to be converted
into a changing room/rain gear closet for the kids before and after
recess. While emptying the closet I saw a book that looked
familiar. It was the same math book that I used in fourth grade! I
don't remember much of the math, but I recognized the green cover with pictures
of kids on a jungle gym.....pretty random. After the closet was emptied
we cut out hearts for Valentine's Day and stapled cloud shaped pockets of paper
together for the kids to stuff and hang. The four hours whizzed by and I
had a blast. The idea that something I had fun doing could improve the
students quality of life is wonderful. The entire staff was appreciative of
our efforts and thanked us profusely. I left with a sense of
accomplishment and I'm definitely looking forward to our next event.
- Kris McKelvey
I want to thank Seattle Works
for the experience I had on Saturday, February 9th. My fellow “New
To Seattle” teammates and I descended upon Cooper Elementary school in a frenzy
of good intentions. We committed random acts of taping (children’s book boxes),
ruthlessly shoveled mounds of soil (planting), and organized one class room
library with no conscience what’s so ever. One squad of our do-gooder legion
covered a wall with joyful propaganda while another viciously smothered out
dated furniture with brightly jubilant contact paper. We left ground zero
(a.k.a. Cooper Elementary) carrying a heavy burden of pride and
community. Yet we know in our hearts, that in four weeks, we have no
choice but to once more let go our altruistic inhibitions and give in to the
good deeds of Seattle Works.
Thanks,
Rob Schreiber
P.S…New to Seattle rocks!!
I had always heard teachers
had it tough, but I realized the full importance of that in our Team Works
project at Cooper Elementary.
At the outset, we were
greeted by the Vice Principal and other staff and soon found ourselves engulfed
in projects. There was just so much to
do – yard work to make the ground more usable for the kids, putting together
excel schedules for teaching staff, laying out display boards, taping up boxes
so that they would not fall apart (I did this), the list was endless. The moment we finished one task, we found ourselves
embroiled in another. Some of us got
involved in cleaning out the storage while others were involved with putting
together games/ folders for children’s educational games. I even managed to fit in photocopying a book
for a teacher. It was all behind the scenes work that must happen for a school
to keep functioning effectively, work that teachers stay on to do after hours
or that parents volunteer to complete.
Time flew, as it does when
one is busy and having fun, and before we knew it was time to bid adieu. We had accomplished a lot and all the staff
was extremely appreciative of our efforts/ help. Famished, we headed over to Cactus on Alki
Beach, where amidst a lot of banter I polished off a Green Chimichanga. I headed home that day with a warm feeling in
my heart knowing that my efforts made some teacher’s life a little easier and
some child’s learning experience a lot more enjoyable.
Thanks.
Akshat
New to Seattle team member
Intersting news for Washington State voters! Ever since our "blanket" primary (where voters could select from both parties when they were voting - i.e. pick a Dem for Governor, Republican for Mayor, etc.) was declared unconstitional, Washington State has been in debate over what an appropriate structure is. And the battle has gone all the way to the Supreme Court.
According to The Seattle Times:
"The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld Washington's top-two primary system, delivering a huge defeat for the state's political parties.
The decision means the state will dump its unpopular "pick-a-party" primary that's been in place while the top-two system was being challenged in court.
The new system will be used for the state primary on Aug. 19.
Under the top-two primary, the two candidates with the most votes
would move on to the general election, regardless of political
affiliation."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004289949_webprimary18m.html
p.s. in case you haven't been following this issue along the way, the article also has a timeline of our primary system and how the issue has unfolded over the past few years.
-- Tara
Daniel is Provail’s newest Volunteer Award Recipient. Turns out if you show up, work hard and have a good attitude while doing it, people will take notice!
Last Saturday the "New to Seattle" team lent a
hand with Volunteer Chore Services. On a drizzly morning we showed up at home
in Beacon Hill ready to dust, weed and rake. Besides just the yard work...we
met a piece or work! The resident was filled with stories!
- Kathleen D'Amato
Seattle Works is focusing on "Healthy Spaces" this month, which means that Team Works volunteers spent this past Saturday at organizations that focus on issues like health care, adequate food, shelter, safety, civil rights and animal welfare.
Sixteen teams rolled up their sleeves at Camp Fire, Compass Center, Eastside Baby Corner, Food Lifeline, Lettuce Link, Neighborhood House, Ronald McDonald House, ROOTS Young Adult Shelter, The Wintonia, Transitional Resources, University District Youth Center and Volunteer Chore Services. Nice work!
Teams "Friends You Haven't Met Yet", "Twenties and Early Thirties", "Single Folks in their Twenties" and "Thirties Global Coolers" sort donations at Food Lifeline.
Who doesn't love a hairnet?
Team "Boeing LDE A" brightens things up at Transitional Resources.
There has been a lot of talk in the last couple of weeks about the future of the Seattle Center. What's going to happen to the Fun Forest? Memorial Stadium? Key Arena? The Seattle Times is allowing readers to create their own vision for the Center. What would you do with it? Follow the link and design a center and let us know in the comments how you envision the future of the Center.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/local/seattlecenter.html
#Ed
Reading the Seattle Times this morning and,
tempting as it was to post the story of the Vancouver man who might get a DUI for a tipsy incident on his
riding lawnmower, I was even more interested in this brief article
on some findings by a recent performance audit of the Seattle School
District.
According to the auditors, the key problem
facing the district is “a lack of central decision-making that has led to a
‘fragmented’ system with ‘diluted accountability’”. Chief Academic Officer
Carla Santorno (who, incidentally, was at our MLK Day service project at West
Seattle Elementary) shared "The information we're getting from McKinsey is
focus, focus, focus, and be narrow in what you want to do".
It’s somewhat ironic that I was posting this
article this morning, as when I went to our blog to post this, I saw the two
enthusiastic posts from Team Works volunteers who had recently completed a
project at a local elementary school (go Team New to Seattle!!). We spent some
time polling you all on the issues that were the most important to you last
year – and the clear winner was education. We also found that the community
issues most important to you really weren’t different from the community at
large. Everyone thinks education is important, and when people get a chance to
go into our schools they walk about totally fired up. Contrast that with the
struggles in our school district. How do we make a
connection between the problems that need solving and all the people who want
to help our schools succeed?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2004247836_curriculum28m.html
Tara
Hey guys,
Treehouse Learning Center Coordinator
"On Philanthropy", a site that tracts nonprofit and philanthropic trends, public trends, published a short article today on the next generation of nonprofit leaders - ie it's not looking so promising.
Highlights include:
"A 2004 survey of some 2,200 nonprofit organizations by the Annie E.
Casey Foundation found that roughly 65% anticipated a change in top
leadership by 2009. At the time of the survey, more than half of
executive directors were 50 or older.
The Casey report, which focuses on social-change nonprofits, is informed by detailed nationwide interviews with young nonprofit leaders (aged 25-40) who are often frustrated by their marginalized role in their own organizations. The report’s recommendations include expanded intergenerational dialogue on leadership, increased investment in younger leaders—especially those of color—and more viable retirement paths for the current generation of leaders."
Full article at:
http://www.onphilanthropy.com
-- Tara
If you did we would love to hear what you thought of the process. If you didn't we would love to hear what kept you away.
~Ed
Posted by a volunteer
who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
I've been through this before. The re-entry phase, when everything feels all wrong, when you can't stop thinking about what you've just experienced, when you email the people you traveled with just to reassure yourself that this was real, this actually happened, the attempt to put into words for others something that you can't describe to yourself yet. Only, I have to tell you, I've never experienced that after traveling to another American city. Because here's the thing-- I'm not sure that New Orleans is part of this country. Sure, there's the whole historical melange, the glorious cacophony of cultures, but mostly it's because surely our country wouldn't let this happen. Wouldn't let a city drown (thanks, Army Corps of Engineers!) and then, two and a half years later, cede the recovery effort to the persistent dedication of volunteers. Wouldn't give flood victims poisoned trailers to live in. Wouldn't kick people living in tents out of the park in front of city hall and remove them to a highway overpass. Wouldn't allow the agency charged with emergency management to so badly bollix the whole situation. Wouldn't allow people to live in such desperate straits to begin with that recovery after a set back like a double-barreled hurricane / levee collapse is next to impossible. Our country wouldn't do that, right?
What I've learned: the situation in New Orleans has everything to do with economics and power. We weren't cleaning up damage from Hurricane Katrina so much as attempting to bolster children and senior citizens against grinding poverty and post traumatic stress disorder.
I didn't notice the hollow looks in residents' eyes but I definitely saw it in the faces of the Hands On New Orleans coordinators and project leaders. Life in the Big Easy is pretty hard for those who are taking on the rebuilding efforts. I think idealism must fade pretty quickly.
I'm 32. My own idealism was tempered by reality long ago, in a different conflict (because yes, New Orleans is a conflict zone). What I have now is anger on a low simmer and a determination to do what I can where I am, to look for the places where people are weary and find a way to help make the load easier to bear. I've started looking for tutoring opportunities and our group is already talking about coordinating a project with Seattle Public Schools like the one we worked on at Carver Elementary (in addition to watching "When the Levees Broke" and going to Mardi Gras in Fremont on Saturday night-- it's not ALL work!). And, yes, I know what it means to miss New Orleans. There is much more to do there. But the work that needs to be done includes the work of justice and equity and that is an issue no matter where you are. Even here in Seattle. Let's just not wait until we have a disaster of epic proportions to see the fault lines in our systems and safety nets before we take action to make our community stronger. Don't sit there, sipping your microbrew, planning your ski trip or complaining about your commute to the Eastside. Do something. Volunteer.
Susanna
So tonight is President Bush's last State of the Union address. What would you like to hear from the President? Last year on this blog people said they were interested in hearing what he had to say about Katrina. In light of what you've been reading here for the last week or so is that an issue you would like him to address? With the Presidential campaign in full swing do you feel like the President is still relevant? Many in the media have been discussing that along with his economic stimulus package. What do you want to hear? What's important to you?
~Ed
Posted by a volunteer who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
I’ve been down in New Orleans this past week with 15 other Seattle Works folks (Patrick, Noelle, Susanna, Megan, Chris, Blake, Nora, Erin, Beth, Trisha, Kelsey, Michelle, Kristin, Laura and Gillian – with all of whom I feel I now share a special bond), and have joked several times “I just volunteer for the t-shirts.” While this has usually been my attempt at levity to try and keep the group loose and in good spirits, I now feel there is actual meaning to my statement.
I’m not one that always boasts about my volunteer activities; those close to me know I volunteer with Seattle Works regularly, that I am happy to discuss what we do, and I have even recruited some people to come join Team Works. However, I typically only wear my Seattle Works t-shirts on project days, or as lounge-around-the-house-wear; somewhat intentionally, as I have viewed my volunteerism as the very personal relationship between helping people in need and the feeling of satisfaction that I garner by helping to build a better community.
I guess what I didn’t expect from my New Orleans trip was the profound spiritual and emotional impact it would have on me. For all the city has been through, I am amazed at how resilient and friendly the local population has been: waiters and bar tenders, the principal of the elementary school in which we were working, the residents of the damaged homes still living in FEMA trailers, the congregation of a neighboring gospel church, and just passers-by on the street. Southern hospitality is not a myth, at least not in New Orleans.
Perhaps the most enlightening experience was when Shelton “Shakes” Alexander, a national poet who lived through Katrina (and is interviewed in When the Levies Broke) came to the volunteer house, shared his experience, recited several of his poems, and answered questions about the city’s recovery. Erin asked him pointedly “what more can we do to help?” Shelton answered simply “exactly what you are doing, being here.” Shelton then said it wasn’t so much the tasks we were performing; painting in schools, helping rebuilding homes, caring for animals in a shelter, etc., but rather the spirit that volunteers bring, that someone cares and is willing to help. Erin then asked “what can we do when we get back home?” Shelton responded, “Tell people about your experiences here, the destruction that is still evident, and how much more needs to be done. Hopefully, more volunteers will keep coming.”
The next day, I ventured off on my only solo excursion of the entire trip to the National World War II (D-Day) Museum. New Orleans was the production center of the Higgins boats, the beach landing craft like those seen in the movie Saving Private Ryan; of the 14,000 vessels in the U.S. Navy during the war, 8,800 were built in New Orleans, thus a good site for the museum. After viewing the exhibits, which were amazing, I ventured into the gift shop to buy, ironically, a t-shirt. The shop keeper asked “what is Seattle Works?” and I realized I was wearing my Team Works shirt, probably since it was the only thing clean on our last day! After explaining it was a volunteer community involvement organization, I mentioned that 16 of us were down here doing work to help with the Katrina recovery, and the shop keeper was really impressed and thankful for our group.
As my new friend Blake has mentioned several times during the trip, “I like interesting t-shirts, they are great conversation starters.” I couldn’t agree more. I plan on wearing my new purple Hands On New Orleans t-shirt with pride, and on collecting more volunteer t-shirts in hopes that they will all be great conversation starters and I can better pass along the kind of work being done by volunteers and how much more work is out there to be done for ours and other communities.
I really did do it all for a t-shirt.
Bryan Fiedor
Posted by a volunteer who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
So I'm down here at HONO and getting ready to leave (actually I'm all ready but we leave in about 3.5 hours so I'm working on not getting any sleep it seems) and I'm looking back. At transformation. I just read through everything everyone has posted up until now and it's great. It helps me remember all the good work we've been doing down here. You know, that stuff we do in between having a lot of fun and checking out the city.
Wait.
Strike that.
The good work we're doing down here IS a LOT OF FUN and it's a great way to CHECK OUT THE CITY. Better than standing around on some cold street corner all day waiting for a parade and yelling for throws (down here they have made that a verb for the parades) that I don't really want anyway.
Still, transformations. I'm talking about the people. We got off to a rough start as a group, a moved meeting and no Spike Lee documentary. No follow-up meeting. Lots and lots of emails about going to see "The Breach" and finally someone saying "I'm going on this day, if you want to come great." Still, nobody knew everyone so it was a lot of an unknown quantity coming down here.
Its strange, because it feels like if you have dinner with someone, as we did before the play, then maybe you know them some, but now that we've spent a week together, I realize I had no idea who these "people" were. I remember getting to the airport, seeing everyone and, after getting some names, heading over for a nice morning beverage. I spent a great time being delayed on the runway talking to Gillian and after we landed in LAX for the layover we moved out as a pack to look for food. I'd forgotten about that. Entirely. Then I remembered tonight and I realized that the people at the time didn't have distinct enough personalities for me to particularly remember who I ate with. Now everyone stands out so distinctly.
I was really proud of myself when I could name everyone on the first day, but that's so basic, such a surface item. Now I'm looking back, at the people, and I realize that everyone I'm here with is a really great, dynamic, interesting person. Its different than the "usual world" I live in though because even when I know someone for a long while, I don't really know them in a lot of way. I've never shared a bathroom with them, I haven't listened to them snore (p.s. of the 4 guys, 3 of us snore, with the 23 total people in our room for the men, I count that there were 6 people snoring), I haven't brushed my teeth
alongside them, I haven't seen the way they pour milk on their breakfast. So many little details but things that you really start to see, and appreciate, when living with folks in tight quarters for a week. Which, at the end of the week, is still just a week. Not much time at all.
Transformation though, that's the theme. Even though I know everyone now and I can speak to something about them and we have approximately 168 hours of shared experiences (that's how many hours are in a week), I know we're different people than when we came here. Its easy to put yourself at a distance from what's going on outside your immediate work and, taking a leap, even one that only last a week, is an intense way to make things more real. As a group, and individuals, we've grown, we've transformed, we've tried to walk in someone else's shoes, and that's important to who we are. When you realize how many specific moments you can remember who make you who you are, there are precious few. As time goes on, I'll be able to pull on this to point out some of them.
Now, I'm going to get personal, because I do appreciate everyone here, and I want to be able to spell that out, so it's a personal thing, and not a general thing.
Noelle - Wow, it's crazy that I was your team captain so long ago. Now you're here, gung ho as always, and providing a really good focus and insight on the trip because of your experiences in the area, doing the work. Now a leader, I really appreciate that.
Patrick - The thing that sticks out in my mind, is that when I talked to you about taking a train to DC, you expressed that you thought it sounded like a great time, instead of the "that'll be fun for you" track everyone else gives me. Also, you've taught English abroad before, like I'm headed to soon, and it's good to know that it was good for you, it helps me stay excited the more I talk to people who share the notion.
Laura - Unfortunately I haven't been able to interact with you an awful lot but I've seen you take charge. I know that you got the first stud award for our group when you stepped up and helped everyone, including the organizers of the project, find their way to Sarah Reed for the children carnival. Now I was able to check out a bunch of pictures because you looked out there and found a good site for us to post photos on, and, I suspect, you posted most of the ones there right now. Also, since you let me use your sleeping bag its been much softer sleeping in my bunk. Better than the sheet under me before.
Michelle - I know that the other night we were talking and the bar got too loud so it was strange but I really appreciate the conversation. The way that I absorb and incorporate other viewpoints is by asking questions and trying to get your perspective and making that work with mine. I was able to do that and I really appreciate it. Plus, you stayed around with me while I finished my beer, which is really great, a nice thing to do.
Chris - For a few days, I wasn't sure if I was just getting on your nerves or what but I gradually got the vibe that you were cool with me, despite that fact that I was one of the snoring folk in your room. I also recall you mentioning, at Tully's, that your job had agreed to postpone a project that you are key in, while you came down here. It's great to see that and it's good to know that good people are willing to do that for others, its really self-less. In a trip with 12 girls and 4 guys I've appreciated that you're around to talk with while we walk to the streetcar or while eating dinner at Jack-eh-moz.
Beth - "I'm in science." Well I was able to listen in on your explaining what you do to someone else and "it's really important work." It was cool though because I remember reading about it and it sounds like very fascinating work. Also, you have an easy laugh and a bit of a laid back manner that's really pleasant to be around. Plus, your family is from Montana even if you aren't really, and we talked about Butte (I think we did?).
Nora - Well you let me sleep on your couch so we could share a cab (with Kelsey!) and save some cash. I feel like I still owe one of you for my part of the cab fare, is that right?!? Aside from Noelle you were the one I knew before coming down here and it's been nice having you around. It was very reassuring to come with people I knew and it's been great you have around to give me a hug and ask how I am. Plus, when you headed to the dirty coast store you picked up the shirt I asked you for which is great because I think it's a hilarious shirt.
Trish - Hey! We live near each other! I'm actually hoping it works out we both ride the bus from the airport tomorrow because I really like riding the bus and I haven't had a chance to talk with you due to different projects and night plans. Even though I haven't felt like I've interacted with you much, a really nice smile goes a long way when you're sore and tired. Plus, you live near me! I don't actually know anyone else that lives near me these days. Thanks.
Kristin - Well I missed my last chance at a night cap playing mad libs and drinking "grape juice." Sorry about that. However, you were able to share your experiences about when you were down here before, right after, and every little insight helps. Plus, we bowled together at Ms. May's, and you beat me, but it was a lot of fun. Thanks for being ready and enthusiastic to head out and hang out.
Gillian - Apart from the people I knew before the trip you were the one that I met the first. I really appreciated chatting with you on the plane. Because of that I was also more ready to head out in the cab with you and I'm really glad because the first parade, Crewe de Viewe, was a lot of fun and now I'm safer than before (I think you know what I'm talking about)! You went into the work with a lot of good energy and it was good to have that around.
Megan - No, no, I'm over here! Yeah, thanks to your coaching on the "wrong shoulder tap" technique I feel like I'm much better equipped now than ever before! I remember practicing it then trying to find a good situation to test my new skills on you before finding the right moment and making you look the other way. Now that I write about it, pretty silly, but I had fun. Plus, I feel like we were able to share some little exchanges that were really pleasant. Finally, wear that new jacket.
Kelsey - Well you shared a cab with me. That's pretty awesome. For some reason I feel like we didn't work on any projects together, which makes me sad. Still, you're the last part of what I've been referring to as the "trio" lately to help me keep track of folks. Some kind of a comedy trio and I hear that working on a project with you was hilarious, maybe on the next trip eh?
Susanna - High Five! Chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga, choo CHOOO! Yeah, that's us, what some (Bryan) might call too much team bonding, I think it was great! Plus, now I know what gregarious means! You went to the museum early and had some great details to contribute about the parades and things. That was really nice because its the random stuff that keeps it interesting and entertaining.
Bryan - Conversations we wouldn't have. Plenty of them and heading out with you to the French Quarter was the first time I wasn't with a girl or alone. It was really cool to hang out with you, get your perspective on things, share some random opinions and observations about the group and enjoy some food. Even if the mac and cheese was underwhelming. Plus, you do a lot of great work with Seattle Works and share that "let's see how much we can do and how fast we can do it" attitude when moving things like huge piles of gravel or bags on concrete in a wheelbarrow.
Erin - UPTOWN GIRL! Yeah, you're my uptown girl and even though everyone seems to know more of the song than we did, that's ok, because we still kick ass. There's that something about your personality that made it a lot of fun when you were around. Plus you totally took charge in the kitchen last (Friday) night and made some great food. Thanks for singing with me even if you didn't work on your lyrics. We'll do the other 35 verses some other time.
Every time I heard about someone's day, I felt like it sounded like I wish I was there. Sharing the experience with you, from Church, to Heading to the High School, to the initial Streetcar Adventures, to everything in between. Unfortunately I couldn't be everywhere doing everything but down here was where I wanted to be.
My summary is, I think we all know about ourselves, and we've had a great time learning it, even the times when we've wanted to, or have cried, it's been good. Character is an amazing thing and you all have a ton of it.
Plus the days went like this -
Monday - wow, it's only Monday, seems like it's been longer.
Tuesday - ugh, this is way harder work than I normally do, can I take a whole week of this? Is it really only Tuesday?
Wednesday - What? It's already Wednesday? What do you mean we only have two more days left, there's still so much to do!
Thursday - rain? No, no, no, we're from Seattle and we're not ready to let rain stop us! Oh...you mean painting in the rain means the rain runs? Dang, I wish we were able to get some work done (and a bunch of us said "we'll paint indoors! we're still going to do something!).
Friday - wow, we got the color around here up, the flowers planted, it looks a lot nicer, are we really done though? It's already been a week of projects? No, we don't want to go home yet!
Thanks.
- Blake Statham
Posted by a volunteer who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
Tonight is our last night in New Orleans, and most of the team has gone to bed in preparation of our 3 AM wake-up call for our airport run. We wrapped up our trip with a Mardi Gras parade that started right in front of our bunk site, and dinner on Magazine Street. All in all, it's been a good experience. We've been a little frustrated at times, but I guess you couldn't expect anything else with a trip like this.
I still haven't been able to gauge why all 16 of us came down. I'm guessing that you'd get similar responses from each of us, something along the lines of "I wanted to come down previously" or "I wanted to see how things are for myself" or "I felt like I could do something to help others"...I actually came down for a couple of reasons: first, because I'd been to Biloxi last year with the original group from Seattle Works and I wanted to help a new group of volunteers share in a similar experience. Second, I wanted to see how New Orleans was coming along. If you manage to even hear something related to Katrina or Rita these days (2.5 years later), it's usually about New Orleans. I'd visited the Lower 9th Ward on the Biloxi trip, but I wanted to get in there and do something. The fact that it took me 12 months to come back is a little frustrating, but as someone said to me last night, "you came back."
Today, I got to go back to Biloxi to visit some of the places I'd helped with a year earlier. It was like going home again. I remembered exactly how to get to the base site from the airport, and how to get to the project sites where we de-molded a house on the first day. I remembered where we stopped for breakfast that first morning, and drove by the bar that we all would go to after work each day. I got to drive across the bridge into Pascagoula (a bridge that was intraversable 12 months ago) and see a playground that another one of my teammates had helped build. We were both surprised how easily we remembered where things were. We agreed it was an indication of just how powerful our previous trips down to the Gulf Coast had been for us.
As for this particular trip, there were a lot of things happening for each of us individually and as a group. I've been encouraging others to post on the blog, and several have. And I know that many just want to take the time to reflect on what they've experienced prior to telling the rest of the Seattle Works world about it. Those folks will 'speak out' in their own time. I've tried to post each day if there was something I wanted to say. Now, just a few hours before we leave, I thought I'd go ahead and talk a little bit about how grateful I am for this opportunity. I'm glad I got the chance to travel and volunteer with these 15 people. I tried to move myself around on different projects, especially if we were split up, just so I could at least work alongside most of them. I didn't get to know them all as well as I would have liked, but the fact is that they all sacrificed something to come here. And that makes each of them special in my mind.
I'm also glad I got to meet some great people from other places and other companies. Groups from Kaiser Permanente and Shell Oil. Places like Hawaii, Maine, Boston (HARVARD!), Wellesley College, Los Angeles, Sacramento, New York, and yes, even a few random people from Seattle and Washington. Again, all made sacrifices to be here, and have earned a special place in the hearts of people here in New Orleans.
But I think what I'm most thankful for is the opportunity to be here, and see this city up close and personal. I got to experience my first Mardi Gras parade. I spoke with a gentleman who wants to turn a vacant lot he recently purchased into a community garden, in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city. The "Human Jukebox", now in his 49th year of performing, honored me with a rendition of 'Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay'. I had one of the tastiest hot dogs I've ever had, purchased from a street vendor outside the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street, even when I was warned not to do so. Actually, I ignored that warning twice on the same night, and I've lived to tell about it.
And I got to meet Shelton Alexander, aka the African-American Shakespear, one of the people interviewed in Spike Lee's movie "When the Levees Broke." He came and spoke to the group on Friday night at our base site, and it was overwhelming to hear him. He had been in the SuperDome after Katrina hit. He saw a lot of things that he himself is still trying to come to terms with. He talked about his work in the schools here in New Orleans, and his message was tinged with fear for the youth here, with hope that they can indeed overcome the burdens placed in front of them, and anger towards those who are responsible for those burdens. He performed a few of his poems for us, and stayed as long as we had questions. When it was done, we gave him a standing ovation. Then he stayed longer to talk with us one-on-one. He sacrificed things to get to us through the Mardi Gras madness, and spent more time with us than I'm sure he bargained for. But in the end, as he put it, it all happens for a reason. So I am also grateful to him, for taking that time with us and with me.
He talked a little about pain. There's an awful lot of pain here. I learned on this trip that it's not all related to Katrina. There are buildings or homes in just about every neighborhood south of Lake Pontchartrain that look burned out or bombed out, and not all of it's because of the hurricane. Many of those places stood abandoned before Katrina. The poverty in this city is striking, more so than any other major city I've ever visited in North America. I think what strikes me most about it is that it doesn't exist just in one area or neighborhood. It exists right next to the hotels on the waterfront, or the bars on Bourbon Street, or the fancy restaurants littered throughout the west end of the city. It co-exists. And these people, these beautiful people, will smile at you. Look at you, and bless you, and sing a song to you, and heap praise on you for coming to help them. They will tell you their story, and even if it sounds like so many other stories you've heard, you will still listen. You will bear witness to their pain--a pain that may have been epitomized by the destruction of their homes by nature and the failure of their government to act in the face of that destruction, but that also existed long before that. You will bear witness because it's all you can do. I personally have never found religion, but there's definitely something spiritual about this place.
It's been a whirlwind week, and I can't believe we'll be on a plane in a few hours. Signing off from the Big Easy!
"I don't know how I feel. But He told me I do."--Shelton "Shakespear" Alexander
Patrick
Posted by a volunteer who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
Well, here's really my first blog ever. Yet another experience from this trip.
These last six days haven't been exactly what I was expecting from this trip. I don't know now what it was I anticipated when I signed up for this excursion, but it has been so much more than anything I could have imagined. It all started with a VERY early morning in Seattle that threw me in the mix with a lot of people I didn't know and is now a bit more than halfway done and I am sitting here in the volunteer housing wondering if I am even capable of writing out the things that I have seen and thought and experienced. Whether or not I can write that down... let me restate: wondering if I can really even reflect on everything that I have witnessed and produced.
In the first day of our volunteering adventure, we went to an elementary school that consisted of about 10 trailers on a plot of land surrounded by a 12 foot gate. All I could see when I walked onto that campus was white and gray. Everywhere. White buildings, gray cement, silver chain link. Not at all what looked like an elementary school where children go to learn. Next to the elementary was the high school that looked just the same and between the two lied the abandoned and dilapidated high school that these kids used to attend. We created art for the walls of the schools, planters, benches on which the kids could sit, sidewalk paintings, hopscotch. Let me be honest here: I thought when I came here to New Orleans, I would be building houses and recreating homes for those without them and so when at first I heard that we would be making art for schools, I was slightly taken aback worrying that I wasn't really going to get my hands dirty while I was here - hard physical labor with building building building and more building. Now, I did the building work the next day in the lower ninth ward (which I 'll get to...), but I realized when I walked onto campus two days later and saw the green and orange sign welcoming us to Carver High and saw the bright and festive hand-painted murals (by some very talented and some just very eager volunteers) on the walls of the trailers and all over the sidewalks and saw the planters filled with flowers and trees that what I was doing was exactly building a home for those without one; and when I heard the high school kids honestly thanking us for our time and for making their school a more beautiful place, that I was indeed building building and building a community and an educational center. And all that I can think about, the motto and fact and idea that constantly comes into my mind is that this all happened almost three years ago.
Almost three years ago. There is devastation everywhere. There are broken down homes with people living in trailers next to them and in them because they have nowhere else to go with no money to repair their destroyed homes. There are people living in trailers because they are recreating their old homes. There are no schools repaired. We drive around and see school after school shut down, all the children getting their education in trailers, with different teachers every year and not a splash of color or even a welcome sign to let anyone know that this is school.
Three years after this massive storm ripped through here and still - devastation. And yet, hope and gratitude and love and inspiration. Every single person I have met in this town from the kids at school to the guys outside their trashed homes to the homeless guy on the corner to the waiters at the restaurants have shown all of us unimaginable strength and gratitude. Honest and real gratitude for the help that we try to bring, for at least thinking about them.
So many wonderful things have happened here, and no joke the most amazing food I have ever experienced; and I say experienced consciously because that is the definition of Jacomo's (I do not know how to spell that) food and service. And I have met some amazing and abundantly strong people here that give up their own time and money to give something to our society, and more amazing and abundantly strong people who fight hard to keep their community one of joy and hope. I heard a 14 year old boy give a speech about freedom and unity and remembrance for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream that gave me chills for days and that I will take with me, pretty much, forever.
This experience is one I cannot define and all this that I have written here is just scratching the surface of the experiences and the people that I have seen here and I am exhausted now. Physically and emotionally and I wouldn't replace it for the world.
As they all have said to me here. Be safe. Thank you.
Posted by a volunteer
who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
So, unfortunately, I've been remiss and this is my first
blog post. However, it's a great city down here where we're doing lots
of good work and there is plenty to do so I've been trying to stay busy
while I'm here. Unfortunately most of the projects today were canceled
because of the rain. Who knew that paint doesn't dry in the rain
anyway? So instead we get to relax a little, which is actually really
sad because I want to be out getting work done.
However, it can be frustrating at times because things don't always run well. The door is locked. There aren't enough cars. It rains and there aren't back-up projects. We ran out of primer. We don't know where the hammers are, the project sign up for tomorrow won't be up until later and I'm going out to dinner and on and on. You know, details, sort of easy to get lost in it. However, the people, all of them, are still inspiring. They're here, they're giving up other opportunities because they want to matter. At the end of the day, they've taken a leap into the non-profit world that I haven't yet. I admire that. I admire them.
Its good to be down here though. I know I can't explain it in words but there's something about it. Monday night I wandered down Magazine street and stopped into an empty bar and ended up talking with the owner for an hour or so about the things we're doing, her experiences, the place. She's from here; she left the city for the hurricane. Everyone sort of just expected it to be a long weekend, some repair work, but not so bad. Then it changed, so fast, things were gone. Even the people that left weren't ready because they often had beach clothes and no real clothes. If it was just the hurricane it wouldn't have been so bad. People say thanks. A lot. Even people that don't know what I'm doing are just glad.
The principal of G.W. Carver Elementary was there and gave a really nice appreciation speech after the project on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day on, not a day off, and it was really really powerful even though it was really simple and short. One of the guys we were with took a picture of the hop scotch area because he played it with his sisters as a kid and it was a nice memory for him. Little things, they're the most powerful of all. Another commented that the kids would be playing on it the next day. Its those things, the people that appreciate it. We're all kind of in it together here, because we think its a place that matters. I feel like its very important to go places, to see things, to have experiences that makes the world feel real so I'm very appreciative that I was able to come down here.
So at the end of the day, I'm tired, but everyone means well, some people happen to be better at it than others but its really great that we're here, working on it, helping out, getting away.
- Blake Statham
Posted by a volunteer who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
Ok, I am a bit remiss in blogging, but wanted to add a few thoughts about my perspective of the trip so far:
Day 1 (Sat 1/18):
As we neared the airport, the song "Born on the Bayou" immediately started running through my mind, as I viewed the vast wetlands... and then even more strikingly how so many back yards were waterlogged; we learned later this was from a typical rain shower earlier in the day. This was my first indication of how signicant the water level is in this city.
After a brief erroneous stop at the Hands on New Orleans headquarters, we finally arrived at the volunteer center (much to the delight of the shuttle driver, who we tipped well for our extra tour of NOLA). We later went out as a big group and did the typical touristy stuff, hitting bars along Bourbon Street in the French Quarter and dining on the local cuisine, which is amazing!!! Highlights include drinking Hurricanes at the Absenthe Bar and the jambalaya and pecan pie at the Gumbo Shop. Apparently we were so entertaining at one bar, dancing around, laughing and having fun, that another patron bought us all a round. Good times!
Day 2 (Sunday):
This is an "off-day" at the Volunteers of America (VOA) house, so we all discussed things we wanted to do, see and experience. After adjusting to the co-ed bathroom, and showers (sort of, they rotate each half hour), a group of us headed out around 10 am, focused on getting an excellent breakfast, getting some beignets, and letting Louisiana experience a group of fun-loving Seattlites. We walked about 4 blocks to the street car station... the street car system is pretty cool, the cars are old-fashioned and historic-looking types (I later saw a sign in a restaurant indicating the line has been in operation since the 1830s). As we waited, 3 of us (Beth, Erin and I) were drawn to the gospel church on the corner, and the music eminating from within. We hurried up the stairs as we saw other patrons entering the doors. I was kind of thinking "ok, I'll go in watch a bit from the back, and just experience this." However, the usher immediately seated Beth and I decided to follow her into the pew; I later saw Erin sitting at a pew in front of us on the other side of the church. The service was a mix of emotions for me; very amazing at the obvious passion of the local community, touching in how the spiritual messages were similar to beliefs and values I hold dear, and shocking at what some of the key issues of the church patrons. I don't ever remember a priest delivering a sermon, in which he said "so you didn't lose weight this year, so you didn't stop doing drugs this year, so your son is in jail, so your electicity is turned off and you are running a power cord to your neighbor's house, God still loves you." We also witnessed patrons passionately singing, shouting "Amen", and running around in the aisles (to the chorus "I've gotta run"). The service was also incredibly long, we didn't get out until about 2:30, so while part of me was thinking, wow I am so hungry and I really didn't want to stay here this long, it was an amazing experience and one of the highlights of my trip. The other thing that was really heart-felt, is that though we were 3 of only about 6 or 7 white people in attendance and woefully underdressed, we were welcomed with open arms and hugged or embraced by numerous other church goers.
After church, we were starved!!! We headed to the street car, but wound up having to take a bus as a car never showed up (we later learned from Patrick that the street car had an minor accident, but the line was shut down... we blamed Patrick since he was riding on it at the time). We went down to the French Corridor and enjoyed some muffuletta and beignets and strolled along Decatur Street and the Mississippi River. Though it was pretty chilly, we decided to walk all the way back to the VOA house down Magazine Street (a 4 mile or so trek) and went through the Garden District, which has really interesting historical houses and buildings.
In general, I have been blown away by the architecture... I expected it would be amazing, but just the scale of how many interesting houses and buildings there are, block after block, and how unique they are is mind blowing.
Day 3 (Monday)
Most of us went over to a school, G.W. Carver Elementary School, which has been hard by the storm, and about which Patrick has made some pretty shocking observations in previous blogs. I guess what strikes me so much, is how bleak the temporary "portable" structures the school is currently using, until the permanent building is repaired or rebuilt (which is likely to be 2 or 3 years away). The compound is fenced by chain link, and everything lacks color: white buildings, concrete sideway, black rocks... no plants, no signage, nothing. You wouldn't even know it was a school-related facility, if it wasn't for the bus graveyard (much of which were flooded during Katrina) you pass by while driving into the parking lot.
The goal was simple... add color and character. Give the students something to be proud about in their temporary home. We made some benches, trash can boxes, and planters, all in the team colors of orange and green. We also worked on large murals (4' x 8' plywood sheets), showing various themes (a school girl playing with a hula hoop, a steamboat, an angel) and of course the school mascot, the Rams. Some of our team created some amazing sidewalk art, such as a hop-scotch grid and a cool arrow with the word "knowledge" pointing towards the classroom.
Day 4 (Rebuilding Together)
Wow, what an experience... this entailed working in the 9th ward (an area hit very by the storm) and helping to directly repair and rebuild people's homes. Even two years later, it is a sobering experience driving past all of the destruction on the way to the site... some buildings are shifted, or missing windows, others are just piles of debris.
At the site, we helped caulk and primer several houses... apparently an NBA team will be coming in to do the actual painting in the near future. At one house, we cleared out and knocked down and old shed, and cleaned up a backyard. As we did this, the resident and his neighbor (who currently live in trailers in the alley), took us into their homes and showed how they had been remodeled and rebuilt, and were finally starting to anticipate their completion. These guys were amazing, two local old-timers, who both grew up in these houses. One indicated his home had been in his family for 150 years, since it was built. They both stayed with their homes during the storm, and had to be evacuated from their attic windows. The roof eaves are about 10 feet above the ground, and the water nearly reached that height due to the flooding.
Days 5-6
Much of this week, I've been taxing my limited graphic-design background, to design some of what I hope are quality signage and visual art for G.W. Elementary School. Our group has been an amazing team, and I've been impressed with the way we've all jumped in to get the projects done and also at people's artistic talent (even if they think they have none). In addition to the murals created on Day 3, we have made two large street signs to show that there is actually a school back there somewhere and help give it its identity. Now when students or visitors arrive, they will see "G.W. Carver Elementary School, Home of the Rams" and the school logo as they approach. They'll also see the murals on the outside walls... smaller placards with different orange and green themes, such as art, music, textbooks, or more abstract patterns. The Hands on New Orleans coordinator, Matt, has been awesome to work with. He's had a great attitude and really wants the volunteers to just go for it on projects. Matt was so amped up seeing things come together, at the end of today, he and a helper hung up some signs on 4 of the buildings, and the visual change is impressive. I can't wait to get back tomorrow and finish up the last touch ups, getting the remainder of the signs hung, and hopefully the plants placed in their new colorful planters.
Throughout the week, students have popped in to see what we are doing, and a few have helped us (we are not sure if they have official permission or not, but hey, art is an important skill too). Most of the students are really excited and oooh and aaah a bit. The syncial side of me wonders if all of this work will be tagged or vandalized within a few days of it being placed.... I hope not. You can tell some of these students have had a tough life, probably even before Katrina, and many seem much more grown up than they should be as pre-kindergarten through 8th grade students; but in a way that's what makes this project more important to me. The "harder" some of these kids are, the more I think they need to be exposed to art, or beautification projects, or people volunteering to help make their "compound" an actual school space. I am hoping enough kids or other volunteers will take pride in the new surroundings, that they will continue to repaint, or repair, or redo any of our work that may get damaged.
Bryan Fiedor
Posted by a volunteer who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
Anybody remember the scene in Bull Durham where Kevin Costner's character organizes a rain-out by turning on the sprinklers at the field the night before? That's what we had today in New Orleans. We awoke to a pretty steady downpour, which meant many of the projects planned for outside were cancelled. A little ironic, when you think about the fact that all of them came about because of water in the first place. Anyway, today became a day off for many of us, so we decided to spend it doing our own things. Some of us went museum-hopping, while others revisited Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, while a few of our team members ventured deeper into the Lower 9th Ward to take a long, slow look around the most damaged area in the city.
I wrote about the 9th Ward in my blogs for our Biloxi trip last January, so you can check out my thoughts on that (just add the phrase "I can't believe it's been a year since then, and it's still looks like the hurricane went through here last week..."
I took advantage of the day to rest up a little, head downtown and search out some local "dives" in search of sustenance with one of my teammates. I also thought this would be a good opportunity for me to tell you about some of the lighter moments of our week. I gave a glimpse of some of them in an earlier message, but here are some other highlights and details.
All in all, it's been an interesting trip. Lots to think about, and lots to see and learn. I still think I could have done more. We'll see how tomorrow, our last volunteer project day, goes. If there's one thing I learned in Biloxi last year, it's that we can't do it all, no matter how hard it is to realize that. You want every family to back in their homes. You want every child to be back in their classrooms. You want every pet to be reunited with their owner. But we do what we can while we're here, and hope hat there are others to continue. It is not up to us to finish the work, and yet, we are not allowed to avoid it.
Patrick
Posted by a volunteer who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
I went to ARNO today (Animal Rescue New Orleans). A NO KILL SHELTER!!!! There are about 150+ cats and 50 dogs that are homeless and are being housed at this site, as of today. A few puppies fought so much that they needed to be separated. It wasn't fun to watch. There are so many cute kittens that need to be adopted. The staff is all volunteer's and are amazing!!!! They clean every cat and dog cage each day and do so much more. One volunteer says she sometimes needs to stay until 10:00 at night to make sure all the animals are taken care of. When extra volunteers help that allows everyone to actually give the animals some petting and love that they deserve!! I cried many times today and I am going back tomorrow. They really need the help and I am looking forward to seeing all the animals again! :)
Kristin
Posted by a volunteer
who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
I think I mentioned in my first posting that some people refer to the schools here in New Orleans as 'prisons' instead of schools. While this past Monday (MLK Day) was more about getting work done at the schools while the kids and teachers were away, today we had an opportunity to go back and finish many of the projects we had started...only this time, students, teachers and security guards were all present.
Now, I realize that these kids are there every day, and the teachers and security guards are there every day, and I simply DO NOT know what the real situation might be for any of these people. All I know, is what I saw. Here's what I saw:
I saw a student being pulled out of one of the trailers/classrooms, with his hands zip-tied behind his back, while two security guards screamed profanities at him. I saw a teacher (I'm guessing she was a teacher because she didn't have a badge) yell across approximately 40 feet of open space at a small group of students to "sit the hell down on the bench!", while grasping a baseball bat. I saw small groups of students being "let out" of the front gate at certain points for what I'm guessing was lunch or recess, or maybe gym class. The gate I refer to is part of the 10-foot high chainlink fence that surrounds the campus. I saw a group of high school girls get stopped by a female security guard with a not-so-friendly 'where do you think you're all going?' I saw young people being exactly that, young people trying to establish an identity for themselves by being, for lack of a better word, punk-ish...maybe even crude. Many behaved in ways that I wouldn't necessarily call appropriate, and I am not afraid to admit that I would probably steer clear of them if I came across them on a Seattle street. But today, I said hello to these kids as they passed within inches of me on the sidewalk. I got a smile back from a few of them, even a "thanks for making this place a little brighter" from others. And I saw a young girl stop what she was doing and help one of our team members plant flowers in the potting box we'd built near that stupid gate. As I saw these things throughout the day today, I started to wonder if the fence was there to keep people out, or to keep the students in. And that word, "prison", crept back into my mind. I worry about every single one of those kids I saw today. The dark side of my brain wonders if they even have a future, if their world (already a turbulent place before the hurricane) depends so much on outsiders to provide a little brightness and color to this environment. This was a SCHOOL (really take a moment to consider what that word means), but it did really feel like a prison...
Patrick
Last Wednesday evening, the Seattle Works “men’s group” gathered at Treehouse for what promised to be an interesting evening of cooking and career discussion with the “boys group.” This was our third formal activity with the boys, or “dudes” as we prefer to call them, and was probably the most interactive yet (we previously went to a baseball game and visited the UW planetarium, and a smaller group of us had the chance to go shopping for holiday presents with Deion Branch of the Seahawks).
The men outnumbered the boys almost two-to-one, so there was plenty of quality time with each of the boys. We spent the early part of the evening preparing a Mexican feast of tacos and nachos. We split the boys into two groups – one for cooking duty in the Treehouse kitchen (cooking the taco meat, warming the tortillas, melting cheese over the nachos, etc.) and the rest of us chopped lettuce, grated cheese, and made guacamole. The kitchen crew emerged with a large skillet full of browned and seasoned taco meat. Meanwhile, several of us “mentored” the boys with our gourmet chopping and grating skills. There were no knife accidents while chopping lettuce and tomatoes or bloody knuckles while grating the cheese, so the preparations were a success. While all of this was happening, we all had the chance to talk casually with the boys about school, sports, etc.
After sitting down to a hearty feast of tacos, nachos, chips and guacamole, we had a lively conversation about careers. The men each wrote down on cards what their current occupation is and we asked the boys to each draw a card and guess which of the men that card represented. It was fun watching the kids guess which one of us was a banker, a political staffer, business consultant, etc. Next, we asked each of the boys what kinds of careers they are interested in pursuing after high school. The answers were fascinating! The answers included an artist/animator, architect, carpenter, scientist, and even an anesthesiologist!! Who knew that boys ranging in age from12-17 had such cool and creative career ambitions??
We are all having fun getting to know these boys and it is very rewarding to know that we are providing them with positive adult male role models, all in a fun and casual atmosphere. Originally we were only getting together with the boys every two months, but there seems to be consensus among us that we would all be willing to plan monthly activities for the rest of the school year. In February, we may try to do something fun like take them bowling. Stay tuned for our further adventures!
- John Hoey
The Seattle Times is reporting that metro bus ridership has made its biggests gains in 10 years. High Gas prices, steady employment, and concern for the environment are stated to be responsible for these gains. If you made a New Years resolution to ride the bus. Way to go! You have made metro really happy.
If you want to read the rest of the story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004140671_webmetro23m.html
*Ed
Posted by a volunteer who participated in our January volunteer trip in New Orleans.
Yesterday, most of us spent the day in the Lower 9th working on 3 houses with Rebuilding New Orleans. Apparently, the NBA will be doing some huge Day of Service when they are here for All-Star weekend in February, and they needed the houses prepped. That meant priming the exterior--for those who've never