2006: Watch out NOLA, here we come!
Sarah and I arrived in New Orleans on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. We stayed at Camp Hope, a volunteer camp organized by Habitat for Humanity. We were put into teams to start "gutting" homes, which consisted of debris removal, knocking down drywall, and leaving the shell of each home so that the homeowner could return and start to rebuild.
Many of the homes we gutted were under 20+ feet of water for days after Katrina hit. The majority of homeowners in St. Bernard's Parrish and the Lower 9th Ward lost everything they owned.
New Orleans & the Lower 9th Ward: 2011
Last month, I returned (this time by plane) to visit my friend Sarah who now lives in New Orleans and works for Habitat for Humanity. I was lucky enough to revisit the Lower 9th, and the progress this community has made is absolutely amazing.
Make It Right NOLA (Brad Pitt's organization) builds sustainable and affordable (not to mention beautiful) homes in the Lower 9th Ward for working families who want to return to the community.
The Lower 9th & other communities have come a long way since August of 2005, however, the foundations of destroyed homes remind us of the devastation Hurricane Katrina caused to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to volunteer in New Orleans in 2006, and to return and see the progress this amazing community has made over the past 5 years. If you are looking to volunteer in the Big Easy or want to make a donation, check out these fantastic organizations: Habitat for Humanity, Make It Right NOLA & The Zeitoun Foundation.
