Heading to Work!

It's Monday, which means that today started our wonderful work week -- our reason for being here!  Our orientation for the St. Bernard Project, the organization responsible for connecting us with homeowners in need of rebuilding and providing trained site supervisors, was scheduled for 12:30, but our morning was anything but relaxed.

We spent the morning cleaning and organizing here at "home," doing our best to pay back our hospitality by lending our many hands to make light work of all that needs to be done here. The Village is a wonderful place, but as soon as we arrived we could see that the staff had lots on their plate, and there was much we could do to help improve organization and functionality. We mopped and vaccuumed and scrubbed, rearranged furniture and replaced broken parts, all of which cost us very little, but will benefit so many.

Our large group was split into two groups for the workweek. Eighteen of us are beginning the first step in rebuilding a house for Miss Charlene and her elderly mother and teen daughter -- insulation and drywall which will transform the house from an empty shell into a functional space.  The other twenty of our crew are working on the subsequent step for the Washington family -- drywall mud and priming to prepare for painting.  While the Washington family has been plagued with medical and financial issues in the years just before and since Hurricane Katrina, they plan to do their own painting, rather than use volunteer assistance, so that they may always feel a sense of pride in completing their home together as a family.

We were thrilled to come home to a traditional New Orleans Monday night meal of Red Beans and Rice, and after dessert we partnered up team members from different job sites to share reflections on today. Despite difficult work, team members from both sites were impressed by the courage and positivity the homeowners posses, and most enjoyed their work, despite challenges they may have faced.

While still hot, the weather today was much cooler than it had been, with a soothing breeze that made being outdoors pleasant and relaxing after work, instead of uncomfortable and to-be-avoided.

Tomorrow we look forward to returning to our job sites to continue our work. We will also be able to spend the morning helping with the Village's neighborhood reading incentive program -- assisting children in selecting books, reading with them, and cultivating Pen-Pal connections.

For now, though, the 1 and 2 AM bedtimes of Sunday night have given way to 10 and 11 PM bedtimes tonight for many of us -- including myself.

We can't wait to see what tomorrow holds for us!