St. Mary Catholic Church
June 24, 2006
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July 1, 2006
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July 1, 2006
Wayne, Michigan
Daily Journal
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June 4
The Katrina Krew met for the first time for introductions and marching orders. Fr. Jack provided the eats and Sr. Pat provided necessary info for the trip.
Ouch! And, everybody who needed one received a tetanus shot.
Jeff shared his slides and experiences from his spring break mission to New Orleans. The visuals of the devastation in New Orleans motivated the Krew even more.
June 11
The Krew attended 5:00 p.m. liturgy and received a blessing, a special sending forth, from the parishioners. They were also presented with a surprise, goody bag from the Outreach Center with some necessities for the trip--deodorant, special cooling bandannas, the all-important sunscreen and more. The Krew says, "Thank you," to our guardian angels at the Outreach Center and to all parishioners, whose donations and prayers have supported this mission and made the Krew's trip possible.
June 14
Sr. Pat heard from Sr. Kathleen Pittman, the pastoral minister of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in New Orleans. Sr. Kathleen is a Sister of St. Joseph and has been working with Sr. Pat and Catholic Charities to get the Krew assigned to sites in her parish. Good news! The Krew will be working on two homes within blocks of St. Gabe's.
George and Marie are a couple in their seventies who have been living in another part of Louisiana since the hurricane. Not only was their home severely damaged by Katrina, but Marie has since lost a leg due to complications from diabetes. Their home on Press Dr. is a couple of blocks from St. Gabriel's and only a few houses down from our second work site.
The second home belongs to an older woman who is currently living in St. Louis. Not only did she lose her home, but her husband was drowned when he tried to stay behind and save the house.
Having these details about the homeowners has helped put a heartbeat into the mission and personalized the work the Krew will be doing.
Sr. Kathleen has also offered parish facilities for lunch and bathroom breaks. The Krew will be able to clean up and cool down during lunch.
June 15
More news. The Krew's orientation will be held June 25 at Loyola University. And, each morning's staging area will be at St. Raphael Parish also near the work sites.
June 24
Departed Detroit on schedule! Arrived in Memphis, boarded smoothly, then sat on the runway for over an hour due to T-storms. The flight was only 54 minutes.
On the flight to Memphis, sat among a group going to a boys' basketball tournament. They were from a St. Mary in Massachusetts and a St. Mary in New York. It's a small world for us St. Maryites
From Memphis to New Orleans, chatted with people from Nawluns. They hepled put the scope of the Katrina disaster into perspective.
Checked into the dorm at Loyola. Pretty good accommodations--they're air conditioned!
Although hot and tired, all Krew members perked up at the mention of food. Breakfast was a long way away and a long time passed. Krew member Don, who is acquainted with New Orleans, took over as tour guide and led the Krew to the French Quarter for dinner. The shrimp creole and crawfish pie were yummy. Quite a few bowls of gumbo were also consumed. Finished a walking tour by having beignets at the famous Cafe Du Monde.
Back at the dorm, lights out came quickly. The Krew will reassemble on Sunday morning for liturgy at St. Gabe's and a drive to the work sites.
P.S. Can't forget to pick up Fr. Jack from the airport Sunday afternoon!
June 25
Liturgy at St. Gabriel's was an affirmation of the Krew's desire to come to New Orleans to lend a Helping Hand. Greeted by Sr. Kathleen and Fr. Doug, it was very apparent that our efforts are going to be greatly appreciated, as was the donation presented to St. Gabe's from St. Mary parishioners.
Fr. Doug's homily stemmed from the Gospel of Jesus's calming the storm as an analogy for the people's experience during and since Hurricane Katrina. Fr. Doug pointed out that as Jesus was the face of God's love for the apostles, the Katrina Krew, as your representatives, and all of the other groups of volunteers that have traveled to New Orleans, are the face of God's love for the people so sorely affected by the hurricane.
Father introduced the Krew to the congregation and asked those parishioners who had recently returned to New Orleans to speak of their experiences. One man said he wanted those who were still waiting or in the process of reclaiming their houses to keep three things close, hope for the future, reliance on their neighbors, and God's love for them.
The parishioners of St. Gabriel Parish are faith-filled survivors. Among those the Krew spoke with, was a woman who evacuated her wheelchair-bound mother as the waters flooded their neighborhood. She pushed the wheelchair down the street while holding her mother's head above the water. This dutiful daughter was just one of the many people the Krew spoke to who were brought to tears while telling their stories and who are anxiously awaiting the time when they will be able to return to their homes and lives.
The Krew also met George and Marie whose home they will work on this week. Both expressed tearful gratitude to St. Mary Parish, and your representatives, for taking the time to care about them. They're committed to returning to New Orleans; so much so that they drove six hours to be here to meet the Krew!
Following the Krew's experience at St. Gabriel's they took a drive to the Ninth Ward. Sister Kathleen had said that as bad as the homes looked in St. Gabe's neighborhood, things were much worse there. It literally had to be seen to be believed. The devastation--as seen on TV--was much more gruesome first hand. Nearly a year later, this area still looks like a war zone. Yet, every so often a lovingly restored home blooms like a flower among the rubble.
Well, Fr. Jack is due soon and the Krew's first orientation by a Catholic Charities' staffer will take place this evening. The Krew is eager to get to work. Pray for the Krew's heat tolerance levels to rise by tomorrow!
Later Sunday ... During orientation, the Krew found out that they are among 5,000 volunteers who have worked with Catholic Charities since November. In that time, 500 homes have been gutted for rehab by these volunteers. The Krew also found out that their job was to first completely empty the home of furnishings--everything but the sinks, pull up warped floor boards, take down sheet rock, pull nails, and finally spray the remaining wood with bleach to kill mold and protect it until renovation begins. This work is estimated to save the homeowner $3,000 in demolition costs.
June 26
The Krew was up and out by 7:00 a.m. This was the first work day and it started with a trip to St. Raymond Parish to pick up tools...and some breakfast...courtesy of Catholic Charities. A site coordinator led the way to the first work site--George and Marie's home. He estimated two and a half days for gutting the house, which entails literally stripping the interior to the frame. Many Krew members weren't too sure about that time frame.
The work begins with a blessing of the house and the Krew by Fr. Jack. Then, outfitted in breathing masks, safety glasses, long sleeves, and gloves, the Krew entered the house and began hauling out furniture and trying to rescue treasured mementos. The Krew had been warned not to open any refrigerators or freezers--the smell when one refrigerator was inadvertently opened was so bad that the group had to abandon the clean up. Luckily, this fridge had opened up during the flooding. Fr. Jack and a Krewmate built up some steam and momentum and pushed it to the curb. However, there is a freezer still to be dealt with. This will require lots of duct tape to prevent a stinky meltdown on the site.
Faster than the Krew originally thought, the pile of debris at the curb grew into substantial evidence of how hard everyone was working. Krew members dealt well with the heat, drinking lots of water and taking breaks in the shade. During one of these breaks, George and Marie arrived on the scene and were grateful for the progress they saw, while also shedding some tears at the sight of their beloved home being taken apart one treasured item or room at a time. George recruited two Krew members to make a Snowball run--what Michiganders would call a slushee. He wanted to treat the Krew to something cool and refreshing. The Snowballs hit the spot; though one Krew member thought a snow storm would be nice right about then.
After a hard morning's work, the Krew spent their lunch break at St. Gabriel Parish. The break began with Mass and ended with the sack lunch Catholic Charities had provided. The Krew also met Erin, an Americorps volunteer working with Catholic Charities. She would spend the afternoon working at the site.
The afternoon heat was almost tolerable after such a good lunch break. The work had progressed to some of the damper, darker areas of the house where the Krew encountered some of the largest cockroaches they had ever seen. They were big enough to give a mouse a run for its money! Meanwhile, the sheet rock was coming down and the house was taking on a skeletal look.
By the end of the work day, the debris pile was across the width of the property and about seven feet tall in some spots. It seemed incredible that so much had been moved in so little time. The esitmate for completion now is lunchtime tomorrow. Wow!
The Krew turned in early because another busy day follows. Before today's work, none of the Krew would have believed that getting so hot, sweaty, and dirty would generate such a sense of accomplishment.
Check the Image Gallery to discover who the Krew found on vigil in the backyard.
P.S. The Krew hopes everyone at St. Mary is praying for New Orleans' temperatures to be in the fifties as Fr. Jack requested. Any degree lower helps!
June 27
Commonly heard comments on the worksite today ... "Whew that stinks," and every other synonym for smells really bad, "Do you itch?" and "Is it hotter than it was yesterday?"
The Krew had anticipated something nasty in the freezer, but the washer, dryer, bathroom light fixtures and the rest of the pantry items were all filled with remnants of the flood waters and were a lot riper than limburger cheese! The Krew had not imagined how much more odiferous the job could become. Even this evening, after showers and laundry duty, team members were having olfactory flashbacks. It was as if the smell had permeated the memory and could return at any time!
The Krew had hoped to finish by noon, but when the ceilings started coming down, so did a lot of water-logged fiberglass insulation. The wet stuff was nasty, but the dry stuff was itchy! A Krew member, unacquainted with the joys of handling insulation, had a rash to display for one break's show and tell--a trip to the first aid kit and some hydrocortisone cream helped immensely. Anyway, once the ceilings dropped, it was obvious that the two and a half day estimate was going to be more accurate than the Krew's optimistic one and a half day prediction. The site coordinator dropped in and complimented the Krew on their accomplishments and explained that Catholic Charities had actually planned for a three day job and the Krew was exceeding their expectations. Hearing that helped buoy the Krew's spirits.
There was also some hold up, off and on, when crews arrived to load the Heap into trucks--Krew members are still wondering where it's going, but were happy it was on its way. However, while loading was going on, nothing could be hauled out to the curb. The good news, though, it became a lot easier to dump when the Heap was leveled. The bad news, digging into the Heap stirred up a lot of olfactory nastiness that the Krew had finally purged from the house.
Lunch at St. Gabriel's was a welcome break. Sr. Kathleen was there, so the Krew further expressed their gratitude for the parish's hospitality. She spent time answering the Krew's questions about the cleanup operation for the church. It took from October to February to have the church ready for weekly liturgies. The high water line had been at the seven foot level! Sr. Kathleen also told us how her sisters and volunteers had worked to clean up the first floor of their provincial house, only to have the top story burn two weeks ago from a lightning strike. To add insult to injury, the first floor was water damaged again due to the water that was dropped from helicopters to put out the fire.
Back at the work site, the Krew continued to remove ceiling debris and some members began pulling nails from rafters and studs. Note--if you have a ceiling to pull down or paint, Fr. Jack is your man--no ladders required. The Krew all began to notice that water and shade breaks seemed to be coming closer together. Many began wearing as much water as they drank for cool down. It's probably just as well that it was only after work that Krew members realized the temperature had climbed to 99º, and that was probably in the shade. (By the way St. Mary, you're doing good work with those prayers, it is expected to only be 92º tomorrow.)
George and Marie dropped by for one last visit before returning to their temporary home. In spite of the Krew's concern, and much to their delight, George pitched in to do some shoveling and wheeled quite a few loads of ceiling debris to the curb. Marie mothered the Krew, expressing her concern that they keep covered up and take all necessary safety precautions. She also felt bad that the Krew had come to visit when the house was such a mess and issued an open invitation for a revisit when she could entertain in true New Orleans style. The Krew's day on the site ended in prayer, lead by Marie. She expressed so much joy, faith,and hope that the Krew felt revitalized and eager to finish the job on Wednesday morning.
After work, the drivers cranked up the AC in the vans and the Krew took another trip to the Ninth Ward. Sr. Kathleen had given directions to some of the most devastated areas. As an example of how bad it was, the Krew realized that debris on one corner was actually the house that should have been on a lot further down the block. Be sure to check back soon, the Image Gallery will contain shots that will remind everyone of the scope of this disaster. The most recent estimate is that 125,000 homes are still uninhabitable!
After showers, the Krew celebrated Mass keeping the rest of the Krew--those of you back at St. Mary--in their prayers.
June 28, 2006
Today was bittersweet for the Krew. Having said good-bye to George and Marie the previous afternoon, they were soon to leave the first worksite. The day began with some light housekeeping--pulling overlooked nails, sweeping up final scraps of sheet rock and dust--and yard work--clearing a pile of debris from in front of the garage. Then it was time for most of the Krew to vacate the house. Don and Fr. Jack crawled into Tyvek suits and went in to spray the wood with bleach. This helps prevent more mold and damage while the house is waiting for the next step in the rehab process. Unfortunately the spray applicators malfunctioned--one at a time--and the job will have to be finished tomorrow morning.
Part of the Krew decided to take a ride over to the next site for a look-see. Others remained, taking a, What they didn't know wouldn't spoil their lunch, attitude. Unfortunately, they forgot to tell the other group not to look so hang-dog when they returned. Insert here a big SIGH. The feeling is similar to the one Sr. Theresa experiences after she has completed the year with a well turned-out group of kindergarten students and starts thinking about the new group of four- and five-year-olds she will be meeting...the process starts all over again.
Miss Ramona's house is the Krew's next objective. It had had some attention--the kitchen and front room had been cleared and appliances had been removed. This was the house, however, where the refrigerator had been opened and the volunteers had to vacate because the odor was so horrific. The problem the Krew encountered was that one of the water pipes had been leaking and Slippery When Wet became the order of the day. As bravely as the Krew had met other challenges, Stacie now refers to cockroaches as friends, the thought of falling in a puddle of stagnant water was off-putting!
Surprisingly, the Krew really tore into the work and moved at a speed that was unbelieveable, considering it was Wednesday afternoon of what was already a long work week. Their motivation? Fr. Jack will be leaving Thursday at noon; they really want him to have the ceilings pulled down before he goes. So, ventilation holes were made to dry the floors, trim and paneling pulled down, sheet rock was removed, and the truly brave souls went into the bedrooms to start hauling out waterlogged bedding, mattresses and clothes. Keep in mind these things have been wet since last August. Thus was born Son of a Heap. The downside of this site, there are no trees for shade breaks. The upside is it's a much shorter walk to the curb, and the Krew learned some lessons from the last site that speeded up the process.
Early in the afternoon Miss Ramona dropped in to meet the Krew. She had made a long bus ride from her current location just to meet and thank the Krew for what they were doing for her. Like Marie, her biggest concern was for the well-being of the Krew. Doing this work is just the right thing to do, but meeting someone like Miss Ramona also makes it a very satisfying thing to do.
Great progress was made in a short period of time. The Krew left feeling confident that the job would go well the following day. This afternoon's ride--field trip--took the Krew to Lake Pontchartrain. They were amazed to see one side of a street looking virtually unaffected while the other side was ravaged. On one side the levy had held and on the other... Even Krew members who thought they knew the extent of the devastation have been shocked at what they have seen firsthand.
As has been the Krew's custom, showers were followed by Mass. The Krew will miss this intimate sense of community when Fr. Jack leaves--even more than his ability to pull down ceilings without a ladder. And, that's the truth!
June 29, 2006
Neither heat, nor smell, nor bugs--as large as Godzilla--has discouraged the Krew from tackling the day with gusto. The fact that their ceiling puller downer was leaving soon also inspired them to get an early start and a quick jump on the day. The Krew was confident that things would go well with Miss Ramona's house, but they have stopped making predictions about time of completion, having learned that there are unforseeable challenges that can disarrange the best laid plans.
And, things did go well. Ceilings came down, the sheet rock and insulation debris went to the curb and most nails were pulled by lunch. The Krew was able to relax and have one last lunch with Fr. Jack at St. Gabe's, thankful that he had been willing and able to deal with the ceilings at both job sites.
After lunch, the bulk of the Krew headed back to the work site, while Jerry drove Fr. Jack to the dorm for a much needed shower and then on to the airport. Finishing up loose ends from the morning went smoothly until...the Krew found out from the visiting site coordinator that the flooring should come up. Never daunted, Krew members strategized and had a plan of attack. Unfortunately, the floor fought back!
The end of the work day saw the Krew tired, hot, sweaty--situation normal--mostly ahead in the Great Floor Removal Campaign and in agreement that this was one evening that everyone was heading straight back to Loyola for showers and some down time.
A tube of hydrocortisone cream and several ibuprofen later, the Krew went for a quick dinner and returned to the dorm for some laundry duty and early bedtimes. This Krew has held up remarkably well and many boundaries have been crossed.
No makeup, no big ordeal.
Cockroaches, nary a squeal.
Too much girl talk, the guys are learning to deal.
P.S. The Web master would like to acknowledge the contribution of Krewmember Stacie. She has been the Krew's official photographer and is responsible for taking all of the pictures in the Image Gallery.
June 30 - July 1
Last day! The Krew had some clean up to finish at Miss Ramona's house. The Great Floor Removal Campaign was won with the help of a six foot crowbar that weighed about 80 pounds. You drop that on anything, and it will surrender.
During the final walk through, the Krew found some laminated family photos. These were washed off and left at St. Gabe's with a request for their return to Miss Ramona. The Krew also placed a bow on the house knowing what a gift she would consider their work on her behalf.
Now in hurry up and wait mode, the Krew awaited another assignment. Catholic Charities thought they had given us enough to do to keep us busy, but the Krew has been in high gear all week. And, they have learned to work smarter not harder, which saves a lot of time. Finally, the Krew was led to a third house in town. Michiganders would call the structure a duplex, but in New Orleans, it's a shotgun house. The Krew decided that since there were two side-by-side, it should be called a double barreled shotgun. Our task was to empty all of the furniture from our side of the structure. The house consisted of five rooms, one after the other in a straight shot. To speed up the removal, and stay out of each other's way, the thirteen formed a bucket brigade type line through the house to the curb. Again, however, there was some wasted time because the crew picking up the debris kept getting in the Krew's way.
Today's lunch was eaten in the vans while more debris was hauled away to make room for the rest of what was in the house. Two young, stalwart volunteers showed up and removed the fridge and the stove! Where had they been the rest of the week?
Shortly after lunch, the Krew finished up the last of the removal. After some discussion this week, it had been decided that they would donate their boots to Catholic Charities. They frequently need footwear for youth groups that come down without boots. Boots are a must when working in these homes. The young gal who had helped move the refrigerator was wearing boots with the toe of one of them taped together with duct tape. She latched onto Lisa's boots and immediately sat down in the middle of the street to put them on. The Krew left all unused equipment with Catholic Charities as a last Helping Hand gesture.
With a final hurrah, the Krew loaded into the vans and headed back to Loyola. Showers, laundry, rest, Web site update, and dinner came early today. Packing has already begun, and all are looking forward to coming home. (A special thank you to all of you who prayed for the beautiful weather the Krew will be coming home to.)
In five days, the Krew managed to strip and clean two homes and prepared a third for another group's attention. The Katrina Krew has exceeded everyone's expectations...including their own. "Thank you," from the entire Krew to those Krew members back at St. Mary who made this experience possible. Representing the people of St. Mary Parish has been an honor and a privilege, and as Fr. Jack mentioned in one of his homilies for the Krew, "It was just the right thing to do."
Tie on the yellow ribbons, St. Mary, the Katrina Krew is coming home!
The Katrina Krew met for the first time for introductions and marching orders. Fr. Jack provided the eats and Sr. Pat provided necessary info for the trip.
Ouch! And, everybody who needed one received a tetanus shot.
Jeff shared his slides and experiences from his spring break mission to New Orleans. The visuals of the devastation in New Orleans motivated the Krew even more.
June 11
The Krew attended 5:00 p.m. liturgy and received a blessing, a special sending forth, from the parishioners. They were also presented with a surprise, goody bag from the Outreach Center with some necessities for the trip--deodorant, special cooling bandannas, the all-important sunscreen and more. The Krew says, "Thank you," to our guardian angels at the Outreach Center and to all parishioners, whose donations and prayers have supported this mission and made the Krew's trip possible.
June 14
Sr. Pat heard from Sr. Kathleen Pittman, the pastoral minister of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in New Orleans. Sr. Kathleen is a Sister of St. Joseph and has been working with Sr. Pat and Catholic Charities to get the Krew assigned to sites in her parish. Good news! The Krew will be working on two homes within blocks of St. Gabe's.
George and Marie are a couple in their seventies who have been living in another part of Louisiana since the hurricane. Not only was their home severely damaged by Katrina, but Marie has since lost a leg due to complications from diabetes. Their home on Press Dr. is a couple of blocks from St. Gabriel's and only a few houses down from our second work site.
The second home belongs to an older woman who is currently living in St. Louis. Not only did she lose her home, but her husband was drowned when he tried to stay behind and save the house.
Having these details about the homeowners has helped put a heartbeat into the mission and personalized the work the Krew will be doing.
Sr. Kathleen has also offered parish facilities for lunch and bathroom breaks. The Krew will be able to clean up and cool down during lunch.
June 15
More news. The Krew's orientation will be held June 25 at Loyola University. And, each morning's staging area will be at St. Raphael Parish also near the work sites.
June 24
Departed Detroit on schedule! Arrived in Memphis, boarded smoothly, then sat on the runway for over an hour due to T-storms. The flight was only 54 minutes.
On the flight to Memphis, sat among a group going to a boys' basketball tournament. They were from a St. Mary in Massachusetts and a St. Mary in New York. It's a small world for us St. Maryites
From Memphis to New Orleans, chatted with people from Nawluns. They hepled put the scope of the Katrina disaster into perspective.
Checked into the dorm at Loyola. Pretty good accommodations--they're air conditioned!
Although hot and tired, all Krew members perked up at the mention of food. Breakfast was a long way away and a long time passed. Krew member Don, who is acquainted with New Orleans, took over as tour guide and led the Krew to the French Quarter for dinner. The shrimp creole and crawfish pie were yummy. Quite a few bowls of gumbo were also consumed. Finished a walking tour by having beignets at the famous Cafe Du Monde.
Back at the dorm, lights out came quickly. The Krew will reassemble on Sunday morning for liturgy at St. Gabe's and a drive to the work sites.
P.S. Can't forget to pick up Fr. Jack from the airport Sunday afternoon!
June 25
Liturgy at St. Gabriel's was an affirmation of the Krew's desire to come to New Orleans to lend a Helping Hand. Greeted by Sr. Kathleen and Fr. Doug, it was very apparent that our efforts are going to be greatly appreciated, as was the donation presented to St. Gabe's from St. Mary parishioners.
Fr. Doug's homily stemmed from the Gospel of Jesus's calming the storm as an analogy for the people's experience during and since Hurricane Katrina. Fr. Doug pointed out that as Jesus was the face of God's love for the apostles, the Katrina Krew, as your representatives, and all of the other groups of volunteers that have traveled to New Orleans, are the face of God's love for the people so sorely affected by the hurricane.
Father introduced the Krew to the congregation and asked those parishioners who had recently returned to New Orleans to speak of their experiences. One man said he wanted those who were still waiting or in the process of reclaiming their houses to keep three things close, hope for the future, reliance on their neighbors, and God's love for them.
The parishioners of St. Gabriel Parish are faith-filled survivors. Among those the Krew spoke with, was a woman who evacuated her wheelchair-bound mother as the waters flooded their neighborhood. She pushed the wheelchair down the street while holding her mother's head above the water. This dutiful daughter was just one of the many people the Krew spoke to who were brought to tears while telling their stories and who are anxiously awaiting the time when they will be able to return to their homes and lives.
The Krew also met George and Marie whose home they will work on this week. Both expressed tearful gratitude to St. Mary Parish, and your representatives, for taking the time to care about them. They're committed to returning to New Orleans; so much so that they drove six hours to be here to meet the Krew!
Following the Krew's experience at St. Gabriel's they took a drive to the Ninth Ward. Sister Kathleen had said that as bad as the homes looked in St. Gabe's neighborhood, things were much worse there. It literally had to be seen to be believed. The devastation--as seen on TV--was much more gruesome first hand. Nearly a year later, this area still looks like a war zone. Yet, every so often a lovingly restored home blooms like a flower among the rubble.
Well, Fr. Jack is due soon and the Krew's first orientation by a Catholic Charities' staffer will take place this evening. The Krew is eager to get to work. Pray for the Krew's heat tolerance levels to rise by tomorrow!
Later Sunday ... During orientation, the Krew found out that they are among 5,000 volunteers who have worked with Catholic Charities since November. In that time, 500 homes have been gutted for rehab by these volunteers. The Krew also found out that their job was to first completely empty the home of furnishings--everything but the sinks, pull up warped floor boards, take down sheet rock, pull nails, and finally spray the remaining wood with bleach to kill mold and protect it until renovation begins. This work is estimated to save the homeowner $3,000 in demolition costs.
June 26
The Krew was up and out by 7:00 a.m. This was the first work day and it started with a trip to St. Raymond Parish to pick up tools...and some breakfast...courtesy of Catholic Charities. A site coordinator led the way to the first work site--George and Marie's home. He estimated two and a half days for gutting the house, which entails literally stripping the interior to the frame. Many Krew members weren't too sure about that time frame.
The work begins with a blessing of the house and the Krew by Fr. Jack. Then, outfitted in breathing masks, safety glasses, long sleeves, and gloves, the Krew entered the house and began hauling out furniture and trying to rescue treasured mementos. The Krew had been warned not to open any refrigerators or freezers--the smell when one refrigerator was inadvertently opened was so bad that the group had to abandon the clean up. Luckily, this fridge had opened up during the flooding. Fr. Jack and a Krewmate built up some steam and momentum and pushed it to the curb. However, there is a freezer still to be dealt with. This will require lots of duct tape to prevent a stinky meltdown on the site.
Faster than the Krew originally thought, the pile of debris at the curb grew into substantial evidence of how hard everyone was working. Krew members dealt well with the heat, drinking lots of water and taking breaks in the shade. During one of these breaks, George and Marie arrived on the scene and were grateful for the progress they saw, while also shedding some tears at the sight of their beloved home being taken apart one treasured item or room at a time. George recruited two Krew members to make a Snowball run--what Michiganders would call a slushee. He wanted to treat the Krew to something cool and refreshing. The Snowballs hit the spot; though one Krew member thought a snow storm would be nice right about then.
After a hard morning's work, the Krew spent their lunch break at St. Gabriel Parish. The break began with Mass and ended with the sack lunch Catholic Charities had provided. The Krew also met Erin, an Americorps volunteer working with Catholic Charities. She would spend the afternoon working at the site.
The afternoon heat was almost tolerable after such a good lunch break. The work had progressed to some of the damper, darker areas of the house where the Krew encountered some of the largest cockroaches they had ever seen. They were big enough to give a mouse a run for its money! Meanwhile, the sheet rock was coming down and the house was taking on a skeletal look.
By the end of the work day, the debris pile was across the width of the property and about seven feet tall in some spots. It seemed incredible that so much had been moved in so little time. The esitmate for completion now is lunchtime tomorrow. Wow!
The Krew turned in early because another busy day follows. Before today's work, none of the Krew would have believed that getting so hot, sweaty, and dirty would generate such a sense of accomplishment.
Check the Image Gallery to discover who the Krew found on vigil in the backyard.
P.S. The Krew hopes everyone at St. Mary is praying for New Orleans' temperatures to be in the fifties as Fr. Jack requested. Any degree lower helps!
June 27
Commonly heard comments on the worksite today ... "Whew that stinks," and every other synonym for smells really bad, "Do you itch?" and "Is it hotter than it was yesterday?"
The Krew had anticipated something nasty in the freezer, but the washer, dryer, bathroom light fixtures and the rest of the pantry items were all filled with remnants of the flood waters and were a lot riper than limburger cheese! The Krew had not imagined how much more odiferous the job could become. Even this evening, after showers and laundry duty, team members were having olfactory flashbacks. It was as if the smell had permeated the memory and could return at any time!
The Krew had hoped to finish by noon, but when the ceilings started coming down, so did a lot of water-logged fiberglass insulation. The wet stuff was nasty, but the dry stuff was itchy! A Krew member, unacquainted with the joys of handling insulation, had a rash to display for one break's show and tell--a trip to the first aid kit and some hydrocortisone cream helped immensely. Anyway, once the ceilings dropped, it was obvious that the two and a half day estimate was going to be more accurate than the Krew's optimistic one and a half day prediction. The site coordinator dropped in and complimented the Krew on their accomplishments and explained that Catholic Charities had actually planned for a three day job and the Krew was exceeding their expectations. Hearing that helped buoy the Krew's spirits.
There was also some hold up, off and on, when crews arrived to load the Heap into trucks--Krew members are still wondering where it's going, but were happy it was on its way. However, while loading was going on, nothing could be hauled out to the curb. The good news, though, it became a lot easier to dump when the Heap was leveled. The bad news, digging into the Heap stirred up a lot of olfactory nastiness that the Krew had finally purged from the house.
Lunch at St. Gabriel's was a welcome break. Sr. Kathleen was there, so the Krew further expressed their gratitude for the parish's hospitality. She spent time answering the Krew's questions about the cleanup operation for the church. It took from October to February to have the church ready for weekly liturgies. The high water line had been at the seven foot level! Sr. Kathleen also told us how her sisters and volunteers had worked to clean up the first floor of their provincial house, only to have the top story burn two weeks ago from a lightning strike. To add insult to injury, the first floor was water damaged again due to the water that was dropped from helicopters to put out the fire.
Back at the work site, the Krew continued to remove ceiling debris and some members began pulling nails from rafters and studs. Note--if you have a ceiling to pull down or paint, Fr. Jack is your man--no ladders required. The Krew all began to notice that water and shade breaks seemed to be coming closer together. Many began wearing as much water as they drank for cool down. It's probably just as well that it was only after work that Krew members realized the temperature had climbed to 99º, and that was probably in the shade. (By the way St. Mary, you're doing good work with those prayers, it is expected to only be 92º tomorrow.)
George and Marie dropped by for one last visit before returning to their temporary home. In spite of the Krew's concern, and much to their delight, George pitched in to do some shoveling and wheeled quite a few loads of ceiling debris to the curb. Marie mothered the Krew, expressing her concern that they keep covered up and take all necessary safety precautions. She also felt bad that the Krew had come to visit when the house was such a mess and issued an open invitation for a revisit when she could entertain in true New Orleans style. The Krew's day on the site ended in prayer, lead by Marie. She expressed so much joy, faith,and hope that the Krew felt revitalized and eager to finish the job on Wednesday morning.
After work, the drivers cranked up the AC in the vans and the Krew took another trip to the Ninth Ward. Sr. Kathleen had given directions to some of the most devastated areas. As an example of how bad it was, the Krew realized that debris on one corner was actually the house that should have been on a lot further down the block. Be sure to check back soon, the Image Gallery will contain shots that will remind everyone of the scope of this disaster. The most recent estimate is that 125,000 homes are still uninhabitable!
After showers, the Krew celebrated Mass keeping the rest of the Krew--those of you back at St. Mary--in their prayers.
June 28, 2006
Today was bittersweet for the Krew. Having said good-bye to George and Marie the previous afternoon, they were soon to leave the first worksite. The day began with some light housekeeping--pulling overlooked nails, sweeping up final scraps of sheet rock and dust--and yard work--clearing a pile of debris from in front of the garage. Then it was time for most of the Krew to vacate the house. Don and Fr. Jack crawled into Tyvek suits and went in to spray the wood with bleach. This helps prevent more mold and damage while the house is waiting for the next step in the rehab process. Unfortunately the spray applicators malfunctioned--one at a time--and the job will have to be finished tomorrow morning.
Part of the Krew decided to take a ride over to the next site for a look-see. Others remained, taking a, What they didn't know wouldn't spoil their lunch, attitude. Unfortunately, they forgot to tell the other group not to look so hang-dog when they returned. Insert here a big SIGH. The feeling is similar to the one Sr. Theresa experiences after she has completed the year with a well turned-out group of kindergarten students and starts thinking about the new group of four- and five-year-olds she will be meeting...the process starts all over again.
Miss Ramona's house is the Krew's next objective. It had had some attention--the kitchen and front room had been cleared and appliances had been removed. This was the house, however, where the refrigerator had been opened and the volunteers had to vacate because the odor was so horrific. The problem the Krew encountered was that one of the water pipes had been leaking and Slippery When Wet became the order of the day. As bravely as the Krew had met other challenges, Stacie now refers to cockroaches as friends, the thought of falling in a puddle of stagnant water was off-putting!
Surprisingly, the Krew really tore into the work and moved at a speed that was unbelieveable, considering it was Wednesday afternoon of what was already a long work week. Their motivation? Fr. Jack will be leaving Thursday at noon; they really want him to have the ceilings pulled down before he goes. So, ventilation holes were made to dry the floors, trim and paneling pulled down, sheet rock was removed, and the truly brave souls went into the bedrooms to start hauling out waterlogged bedding, mattresses and clothes. Keep in mind these things have been wet since last August. Thus was born Son of a Heap. The downside of this site, there are no trees for shade breaks. The upside is it's a much shorter walk to the curb, and the Krew learned some lessons from the last site that speeded up the process.
Early in the afternoon Miss Ramona dropped in to meet the Krew. She had made a long bus ride from her current location just to meet and thank the Krew for what they were doing for her. Like Marie, her biggest concern was for the well-being of the Krew. Doing this work is just the right thing to do, but meeting someone like Miss Ramona also makes it a very satisfying thing to do.
Great progress was made in a short period of time. The Krew left feeling confident that the job would go well the following day. This afternoon's ride--field trip--took the Krew to Lake Pontchartrain. They were amazed to see one side of a street looking virtually unaffected while the other side was ravaged. On one side the levy had held and on the other... Even Krew members who thought they knew the extent of the devastation have been shocked at what they have seen firsthand.
As has been the Krew's custom, showers were followed by Mass. The Krew will miss this intimate sense of community when Fr. Jack leaves--even more than his ability to pull down ceilings without a ladder. And, that's the truth!
June 29, 2006
Neither heat, nor smell, nor bugs--as large as Godzilla--has discouraged the Krew from tackling the day with gusto. The fact that their ceiling puller downer was leaving soon also inspired them to get an early start and a quick jump on the day. The Krew was confident that things would go well with Miss Ramona's house, but they have stopped making predictions about time of completion, having learned that there are unforseeable challenges that can disarrange the best laid plans.
And, things did go well. Ceilings came down, the sheet rock and insulation debris went to the curb and most nails were pulled by lunch. The Krew was able to relax and have one last lunch with Fr. Jack at St. Gabe's, thankful that he had been willing and able to deal with the ceilings at both job sites.
After lunch, the bulk of the Krew headed back to the work site, while Jerry drove Fr. Jack to the dorm for a much needed shower and then on to the airport. Finishing up loose ends from the morning went smoothly until...the Krew found out from the visiting site coordinator that the flooring should come up. Never daunted, Krew members strategized and had a plan of attack. Unfortunately, the floor fought back!
The end of the work day saw the Krew tired, hot, sweaty--situation normal--mostly ahead in the Great Floor Removal Campaign and in agreement that this was one evening that everyone was heading straight back to Loyola for showers and some down time.
A tube of hydrocortisone cream and several ibuprofen later, the Krew went for a quick dinner and returned to the dorm for some laundry duty and early bedtimes. This Krew has held up remarkably well and many boundaries have been crossed.
No makeup, no big ordeal.
Cockroaches, nary a squeal.
Too much girl talk, the guys are learning to deal.
P.S. The Web master would like to acknowledge the contribution of Krewmember Stacie. She has been the Krew's official photographer and is responsible for taking all of the pictures in the Image Gallery.
June 30 - July 1
Last day! The Krew had some clean up to finish at Miss Ramona's house. The Great Floor Removal Campaign was won with the help of a six foot crowbar that weighed about 80 pounds. You drop that on anything, and it will surrender.
During the final walk through, the Krew found some laminated family photos. These were washed off and left at St. Gabe's with a request for their return to Miss Ramona. The Krew also placed a bow on the house knowing what a gift she would consider their work on her behalf.
Now in hurry up and wait mode, the Krew awaited another assignment. Catholic Charities thought they had given us enough to do to keep us busy, but the Krew has been in high gear all week. And, they have learned to work smarter not harder, which saves a lot of time. Finally, the Krew was led to a third house in town. Michiganders would call the structure a duplex, but in New Orleans, it's a shotgun house. The Krew decided that since there were two side-by-side, it should be called a double barreled shotgun. Our task was to empty all of the furniture from our side of the structure. The house consisted of five rooms, one after the other in a straight shot. To speed up the removal, and stay out of each other's way, the thirteen formed a bucket brigade type line through the house to the curb. Again, however, there was some wasted time because the crew picking up the debris kept getting in the Krew's way.
Today's lunch was eaten in the vans while more debris was hauled away to make room for the rest of what was in the house. Two young, stalwart volunteers showed up and removed the fridge and the stove! Where had they been the rest of the week?
Shortly after lunch, the Krew finished up the last of the removal. After some discussion this week, it had been decided that they would donate their boots to Catholic Charities. They frequently need footwear for youth groups that come down without boots. Boots are a must when working in these homes. The young gal who had helped move the refrigerator was wearing boots with the toe of one of them taped together with duct tape. She latched onto Lisa's boots and immediately sat down in the middle of the street to put them on. The Krew left all unused equipment with Catholic Charities as a last Helping Hand gesture.
With a final hurrah, the Krew loaded into the vans and headed back to Loyola. Showers, laundry, rest, Web site update, and dinner came early today. Packing has already begun, and all are looking forward to coming home. (A special thank you to all of you who prayed for the beautiful weather the Krew will be coming home to.)
In five days, the Krew managed to strip and clean two homes and prepared a third for another group's attention. The Katrina Krew has exceeded everyone's expectations...including their own. "Thank you," from the entire Krew to those Krew members back at St. Mary who made this experience possible. Representing the people of St. Mary Parish has been an honor and a privilege, and as Fr. Jack mentioned in one of his homilies for the Krew, "It was just the right thing to do."
Tie on the yellow ribbons, St. Mary, the Katrina Krew is coming home!
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