Join us!

Okay, here is my shout out for volunteers to help us shrink wrap school supplies to be delivered to NOLA in August. I was working this morning, helping Dick pick up school supplies from Downers Grove South, we had 3 vehicle loads full, over 50 boxes! It is amazing to see everything he has collected and is sorting meticulously!

So, we are still collecting school supplies until the end of July and we are loading them on semi's on July 24th, so if anyone is interested, join us! Email me or call!

Thanks!
Dawn

More on NOLA

I am currently in Milwaukee at the AAFCS convention and I am talking a lot about NOLA and what remains to be done there, and there is SO much! So I wanted to drop a quick line here, to let you know of a couple opportunities to help, this a copy of some information from my dear friend Dick Flesher, the amazing man behind Schools Count Corp. www.schoolscountcorp.org

In a few short weeks we'll be heading back to New Orleans with supplies for the students. Preparations are moving forward at an brisk pace as we get set to help the kids. The focus of our efforts this spring and summer has been directed at collecting daily supplies which will enable the students to open the school year with the tools that will enable them to get off to a positive start.

Many of you have aided our various efforts in the past as well as helping us get ready to deliver to in excess of 25 schools this coming August. On this note I would like to offer you the opportunity to load truck(s) and/or to deliver the supplies to the various schools in New Orleans on International Youth Day, August 12th. Here are the two times I need help in the upcoming weeks.

Thursday, July 24th: We will pallet, shrink wrap, and load onto the truck(s) on this day. We will need 12-15 people to do this. We'll do this in Willowbrook, Illinois. We'll load in the morning though I'm not sure of the time as the truck(s) have to first go to Walmart. I'll get back with you on the time. We will work rain or shine as the truck is on a tight schedule to get to the warehouse in NOLA by Sat., July 26th.

Sunday, Aug. 10 - Wed., Aug. 13: On Sunday we'll travel to New Orleans via air or ground (your choice). Airfare is around $300 round trip. You would be responsible for this cost. I can pick you up at the airport in New Orleans. On Monday, Aug. 11th we'll pick up smaller trucks in NOLA and load them at the warehouse. On Tuesday, Aug. 12th we'll deliver to the various schools throughout the city. Our plan is to come home on Wed., Aug. 13th. I will need around 12-16 people for this part of our initiative. I will cover you hotel cost (2-3 per room) for the three nights. If people don't want to fly down perhaps a few of us can drive down. I am certain we can work out transportation as we go forward.

Please let me know if you can help on either of these occasions. Also, let me know if you have questions or need more information. I am appreciative of your consideration of this volunteer opportunity and would be most grateful for your help. I can assure you that everyone associated with the schools in New Orleans would be grateful for your assistance.

Thanks!
Dick

So on that note, if you would like to help, please email me or if you know me, give me a call! I would love to arrange for some help! I would also love to share the New Orleans experience with you... Dawn

Saturday

This morning we finished cleaning up at the Land House and Brad, Perry and Nancy headed out to the Gulf Coast before driving home. Diane, Jon, Amanda, Danielle, and I headed to the famous historical Lafayette Cemetery. We had a tour directed by the Save Our Cemeteries group. Very interesting, we even found out how they can pretty much place an infinite number of bodies in the above ground tombs.

We then ate lunch on Magazine Street at Joey K's and stopped at my favorite Fleur de Lis stationary shop, Scriptura. We then took Diane to the airport for her flight home and we continued down to the French Quarter. We ended up walking almost 10 miles this day!

Danielle and I enjoyed Creole Fried Green Tomatoes at the Creole Tomato Festival, of course that was after I got some new ink:)

We made it to Tomatillo's for some good Mexican food and margaritas before heading back to our hotel around 10:30.

Friday

Today we split into grounds crew and 2nd floor crew. On the 2nd floor Seth, Katy (Habitat volunteer, with a tool belt I envy), Jon, Amanda, Peartini and I worked to build and erect 2nd floor walls, we got the back wall up before lunch and built the side wall in two parts after lunch and literally amidst an afternoon storm. We didn't want to stop and were hoping to get the side walls up, but didn't happen.

The ground crew, Diane, Nancy, Brad, and Danielle who worked both crews, built components and cut pieces we needed up above. We leared about King Jacks, Partitions, and Criples as we built the walls.

We finished up the work week with an after the rain shower picture in front of Ferry Place.

Once cleaned up a few of us went to see Marcell and Marva Scott, a couple we had worked with in 2 of our previous trips. They have been in their home since Christmas and it is FABULOUS! Tears came to my eyes as I saw the difference. How amazing to see them finally in their home, 2 1/2 years after Katrina tore it from them.


We ended the week with a fabulous visit to the world famous Commander's Palace restaurant in the Garden District. An amazing dining experience that I think we all enjoyed!

Thursday

Today we learned about Hurricane Straps and how to install them. We used mostly 12" ones and tapped over the ends, Danielle said it was different than what she did the last time she worked with Habitat, but we did a lot to help secure the homes against the winds. We nailed the straps to every other stud on the side walls, left 3" over top that was then bent down and nailed in as well. We got to use a new tool, a hand impact wrench, very cool!

We then worked on cutting and laying subflooring on the 2nd level, it was tongue and groove and untreated, so when we got huge rain showers, we had to stop and hide under the house! After the shower, a few of us sat on the 2nd floor and let the shoes and socks dry. Also a lot of standing water, which wasn't good, but it did steam off quickly! we nailed it in and glued it down, Peartini and I have the identical blisters to prove how much hammering we did!

Must have been a successful day, because Jon said when we come back next year, he wants muscle shirts with our names on the back and "The Mighty Midwesterners" as our team name on the front!

After cleaning up we were delighted to dine with Patricia Livingston, a SCAPC member who was a fabulous cook and hostess. She welcomed us to her home for dinner and fabulous conversation and information about the area. Thank you!

Wednesday

We, I in particular, were having trouble remembering which day it was, so Perry in an effort to help me out, wore his "It's Wednesday" shirt, thanks Perry! He became Mr. Wednesday today. Sorry, only Pic I have that shows the words!


The day began at Ferry Place, we were hauling beams up to the 2nd floor. Turns out poor Hank fell and hit his elbow on a support, he said nothing until we were done hauling the beams up, then admitted he needed to go to the hospital. He appeared to be in a lot of pain. I took him to Ochsner. Then I went back to help at the site. While on site, I worked on nailing around windows and pulling nails that went through the plywood. Hopefully some on the others will comment here on what they did while I was gone, as I left again to pick Hank up from the hospital where he was diagnosed as having a sprained and bruised elbow.


We came back to the work site, ate lunch, delivered by the refrigerated Loaves and Fishes lunch truck, not sure which church funds this, but they are amazing! Delivered cold water and sandwiches.


Kate and I drove Hank back to his place to rest, then we went back to the site. We were working on toenailing, installing nails at an angle, we were placing small boards up over the seams in the plywood, to help prevent wind from tearing through. This is not something we do here in the Midwest. It is tedious work. The boards are placed between studs at all intersections of plywood and we installed braces for kitchen cabinetry.


It finally rained later in the day and we checked out of the site a little early. Cleaned up and went to the library to check emails, then back to the church for Pork Loin and all the accompaniments courtesy of Jim's great cooking again. Habitat workers and church members joined us for dinner as well.


After we helped clean up the kitchen, I think Jon and Amanda went to Cafe Du Monde for more beignets, and the rest of us went to Magazine street for a few drinks. Which is where we learned about Perry's personal favorite the PEARTINI. Which then became his name for the rest of the trip.

Tuesday

We began at 7:45 Tuesday morning, arriving at Ferry Place, this is a block that did not flood, but was vacated many decades earlier. At one time a lively neighborhood, it had become vacant except for one house on each end of the one way street. SCAPC (www.scapc.org) working in cooperation with NOAHH (New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, http://www.habitat-nola.org/index.php)

When we arrived we met Seth (Habitat Site Manager) and Hank, an Americorps member. We were given the safety rundown and the lay of the premises. 2 houses are complete, except for sewer and water hookups ( the city cannot locate the sewer lines and thus the process has halted until they do), however, they were out there 2 days working on it. There were 3 other houses very close to completion as well, some interior finishing needed to be completed. Then there were the 2 we worked on in the framing stage.

Seth told us that homeowners must put in 350 hours of sweat equity, not necessarily on their own homes, but on those of others as well. Materials for the homes cost roughly $75,000 in '07 but are at $85,000 in '08 due to rising materials costs. NOAHH has roughly 150 homes under construction in the greater New Orleans area right now.

Once we got started, we began installing a balloon wall, it is the 2 story wall that runs along the stairs, it is the only framing that runs both stories. It took all of us to lift and fasten the wall in place. Then we worked on cutting and nailing up plywood and building a balloon wall for the 2nd house, which we messed up twice and had to redo.

Amidst all the work we consumed 10 gallons of water and enjoyed fabulous PoBoys that Jim made for us the day before! YUMMY! This was followed by a SCAPC church member who dropped off a cooler full of Popsicles, I cannot tell you how good those were in that heat! I think I had 3 of them and we all laughed at the jokes on the Popsicle sticks! We prayed for a rain shower to relieve a little but of the hear, heard thunder, but the rain never came. If you look at the pictures, the one of me in the white and black striped tank, is after this first day of work, Jon said I looked like ROADKILL! Thanks bro!

Again we headed over to the church and Jim made us another great dinner, including boiled Crawfish and gelatinous head cheese, which Perry was excited to try! He actually liked it! Then back to the Land house to relax and prepare for the next day.

Monday

I picked up Danielle at the airport and took her back to the house to rest. Then I joined the others who were working with a local Community organization to clear a lot that they hope one day will become a community center. It was in the Carrollton neighborhood, we were led by an AmeriCorps volunteer.

We got to use a really cool brush hog type mower, we also found several biting ant hills, YUCK! The weather was hot and we were glad it was only a half day.

I left around 11:30 to go pickup Diane another friend from church, I made a stop on the way at Wagner's Meats on airline, an ongoing joke from past trips:) But I highly recommend you visit!

Back at the house we all cleaned up and had lunch, Diane, Perry, Nancy, Brad, and Kate (the next director of RHINO) were taken on a 3 hour tour of the city by a volunteer church member. Jon, Amanda, Danielle and I went to Banneker Elementary to deliver several microscopes that were donated and driven down by Brad and Nancy. We have worked with Banneker several times in the past few years and are always happy to help them out.

We then made our first trip to the city, we visited New Orleans Glassworks, http://www.neworleansglassworks.org/ They let you see the workshop and were conducting summer camps for kids. Really neat items! I highly recommend you visit!

Then we went for Beignets, Jon's favorite! Amanda's first visit to Cafe Du Monde.

Back at the house, we all went over to the church were Jim Hobden is nice enough to feed us! Mondays are my favorite, Red Beans and Rice night, story is that women did the laundry on Mondays and they could put the beans on to cook all day while they were working. Either way, Jim's are awesome!

June 2008

On June 8 at 4:45AM, me, my brother Jon, and Amanda began our journey to New Orleans. For me this was my 3rd work trip and 4th trip in two years. For Jon it was his 2nd trip, the first work trip and this was Amanda's first extended visit to NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana).

We drove about 14 hours from the Chicagoland area to New Orleans. We arrived in there around 7PM. As in the past, we stay in the Land Building at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church (www.scapc.org). We work with their RHINO program (Rebuilding Hope in New Orleans). Once we arrived, we met up with Nancy, Brad, and Perry (members of my church and their son).

Sarah who is in charge of the RHINO program met up with us and gave us the rundown for the week. Danielle, my sister was supposed to fly in from Minnesota on Sunday night, but her flight was cancelled due to weather, and so she spent the night in the St. Louis airport. After orientation, we went out for dinner to a local favorite on Magazine street, Reginelli's. Then back to the Land house and our bunks for the night.