Raising Spirits

In reflecting on the past week I recall the Club 52 verse from the Saturday we left for Slidell.

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Act 20:35.

No truer words express our week. Each day as we drove home we were covered in dirt, sweat, sawdust, or insulation. Our muscles cried out in protest, our bodies yearned for rest, yet in our hearts we knew we had done a good thing. That feeling of accomplishment would carry us through the next morning to be motivated to do it again.

We helped to build houses, we helped to organize for those there for the long haul but more than any of this I believe we helped to build spirits. After four years much of the US and the world look at New Orleans believing the effects of Katrina are long gone. I've seen first hand that it is not. I heard that 60% of the residents have returned but certainly not 60% of the damage has been repaired. The houses, buildings, trees, and property that suffered due to water and wind are barely a portion of the loss. Companies who provided income suffered damages and simply left. This means their employees not only have no home or damaged homes but no income to make repairs or even put food on the table. Children whose friends were displaced and no school to attend either drop out or must travel to the few schools available. The teen suicide rate has more than doubled since Katrina. These are the broken spirits and utter dispair the people of New Orleans have lived in for four years.

We first met those at Catholic Charities who operate Operation Helping Hands - one of 14 such centers around New Orleans. They operate out of the former St. Raymond Elementary School. School classrooms now function as a paint room, a garden shed, a wood shop, or storage areas. The church sanctuary no longer houses pews or hymnals. Those have been replaced with stacks of plumbing supplies, pre-hung doors, pallets of tile or flooring. The stain glass windows high above still allow the red, blue, and yellow light to shine on those below and the crucifix still hangs with the image of Jesus looking with approving eyes on all those who enter.

They have changed from demolition and cleaning to construction and work with various volunteer groups week after week to build homes for those displaced near St Raymond. They spend countless hours trying to get as many people placed as they can. Our job was simple, make what they do easier. We cleaned, sorted, took inventory, and even discarded broken or unusable material. Hopefully our efforts will allow them to continue their work more efficiently without spending time looking for what they need to continue construction.

Tuesday through Friday was spent working with East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity. Each morning we stood in morning circle listening to "Miss Debbie" share stories of success, stories of hope, and stories of how far they are from their goal. With 87 homes under their belt, they feel they've barely scratch the surface of the need. We worked with AmeriCorps volunteers who would organize, teach, and keep us on task. We met people like Ralph and Rich who already had their Habitat home and continued to help others attain the same dream. We met Kiwana as we worked on the home that was to be hers. She showed up each day to talk to us, thank us, work on her house but mostly to watch her dreams come true. We also met Brigett and Gigi, two hopeful homeowners working on their hours to be able to select their home.

From the workers at Catholic Charities, those at Habitat, Ralph, Kiwana, Gigi, or the countless cars that drove by as we worked to honk and wave, our presence sparked new hope in them to know they are not alone. Helped them to know others in the country care. Helped them believe they will see things get better.

As I prepared to leave on Saturday, I read the Club 52 reading for that day and I came to realize God had used me for his will. Yes I had provided physical signs of progress during my week but more importantly I think I was able to share not only hope that things will improve but shared God's love so they can believe.

"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe." 1Thess 2:13

Jerry Kern