And I'm stuck, I don't know the word to explain it.
I was on a high I guess you could say...
I worked harder today than I'll ever even begin to explain.
The funny thing is, it was a long, exhausting day, but it felt like 15 minutes.
I was focused.
I had a goal, and I was going to achieve it.
No matter what hurdle stood in the way.
That's when time isn't on one's side.
My body was numb.
Numb to the way I was challenging it.
To the physical demands I was pusing it to.
My mind was held captive.
By a feeling I can not explain.
I was the bus on "Speed."
I couldn't slow down or I'd blow up.
My tears were being held back by my work pace.
My blood, sweat, and tears were literally poured into my work today.
I walked out of The Briere House today with raw & bloody shins...
Covered head-to-toe in dust, caked on by my sweat.
I got the, "Are you dying?" look, because of the tears swelling up in my eyes.
And all driven by...
What?
Something I can not explain with words...
20 April 2008
09 April 2008
Who's to Say What's Impossible?
Since I last wrote about my project, a lot has changed.
First of all, we almost completed Dawn's house.
However, finishers come in to do the electricity, plumbing, and cabinets.
It's nearly finished...I can't wait to help her move in.
But, in the meantime, I've moved down the street, to another house.
It is a family of 6.
The Briere Family
Alan, he's the dad.
Lynette, she's the mom.
Christopher, 21.
Shawn, 17.
Gabrielle, 15.
Shelby, 12.
I have met all of them, but Chris. They are such a cute family, and very inclusive. Lynette only works parttime nights at a bar in New Orleans. So she hangs out and helps ALL THE TIME. And Al is a cop, and stops by several times a day, and has weekdays off sometimes and comes in to help. It's so fulfilling to see how excited they all are. And to see them help out! The kids are so helpful, but that's okay. Their story is similar to Dawn's. They rented before the storm as well. But they were very fortunate because Al's parents gave them their house. They couldn't live far from a Hospital because of health conditions, so they moved away. But it's Al's childhood home. And he gets to see it rebuilt. It's adorable to see them so happy. They can honestly never stop smiling, and Lynette is so giddy, she seems nervous almost because of how giddy she is. And Al has so many stories. Because he had to stay during the storm, during the flood from the levee's breaking, and during recovery. He rescued people and helped clean up. He was seperated from the family for quite some time. And the rest of the family moved around a little. Went to a hotel that Lynette's step dad managed but got kicked out earlier than expected. And then moved in with Al's brother, who turned out to be VERY verbally abusive. And then they finally got a family sized FEMA trailer. Which STILL isn't big, and they stay in a trailer park full of cops. When they recieved they house, they were planning on rebuilding it all on their own from paycheck to paycheck. And didn't expect it to be done until 2010. Until they heard about St. Bernard Project. They'll be moved in for sure by May. We are currently mudding & sanding. Hopefully soon we'll be texturing & priming. Again, It's such a beautiful thing to watch the transformation from a gutted house, to a family's home. I can't explain the feeling, and the gratitude they have. They don't even know how to repay their volunteers. I think it's a little overwhelming for them.
In other news.
I FOUND OUT MY SECOND ROUND PROJECT!
As of the first week in May, I'll be in Camden, NJ!
Working for a project called The Children's Community Garden.
I don't know a whole lot about it yet, but here is their website...if you'd like to check it out!
http://www.camdenchildrensgarden.org/
Jack Johnson: Upside Down (great lyrics that feel like my themesong)
Who's to say
What's impossible
Well they forgot
This world keeps spinning
And with each new day
I can feel a change in everything
And as the surface breaks reflections fade
But in some ways they remain the same
And as my mind begins to spread its wings
There's no stopping curiosity
I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I'll find the things they say just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs
I don't want this feeling to go away
Who's to sayI can't do everything
Well I can try
And as I roll along I begin to find
Things aren't always just what they seem
I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I'll find the things they say just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs
This world keeps spinning and there's no time to waste
Well it all keeps spinning spinning round and round and Upside down
Who's to say what's impossible and can't be found
I don't want this feeling to go away
Please don't go away
Please don't go away
Please don't go away
Is this how it's supposed to be
Is this how it's supposed to be
Lovely, isn't it?
Miss Y'all! Hope you're all enjoying life!:)
First of all, we almost completed Dawn's house.
However, finishers come in to do the electricity, plumbing, and cabinets.
It's nearly finished...I can't wait to help her move in.
But, in the meantime, I've moved down the street, to another house.
It is a family of 6.
The Briere Family
Alan, he's the dad.
Lynette, she's the mom.
Christopher, 21.
Shawn, 17.
Gabrielle, 15.
Shelby, 12.
I have met all of them, but Chris. They are such a cute family, and very inclusive. Lynette only works parttime nights at a bar in New Orleans. So she hangs out and helps ALL THE TIME. And Al is a cop, and stops by several times a day, and has weekdays off sometimes and comes in to help. It's so fulfilling to see how excited they all are. And to see them help out! The kids are so helpful, but that's okay. Their story is similar to Dawn's. They rented before the storm as well. But they were very fortunate because Al's parents gave them their house. They couldn't live far from a Hospital because of health conditions, so they moved away. But it's Al's childhood home. And he gets to see it rebuilt. It's adorable to see them so happy. They can honestly never stop smiling, and Lynette is so giddy, she seems nervous almost because of how giddy she is. And Al has so many stories. Because he had to stay during the storm, during the flood from the levee's breaking, and during recovery. He rescued people and helped clean up. He was seperated from the family for quite some time. And the rest of the family moved around a little. Went to a hotel that Lynette's step dad managed but got kicked out earlier than expected. And then moved in with Al's brother, who turned out to be VERY verbally abusive. And then they finally got a family sized FEMA trailer. Which STILL isn't big, and they stay in a trailer park full of cops. When they recieved they house, they were planning on rebuilding it all on their own from paycheck to paycheck. And didn't expect it to be done until 2010. Until they heard about St. Bernard Project. They'll be moved in for sure by May. We are currently mudding & sanding. Hopefully soon we'll be texturing & priming. Again, It's such a beautiful thing to watch the transformation from a gutted house, to a family's home. I can't explain the feeling, and the gratitude they have. They don't even know how to repay their volunteers. I think it's a little overwhelming for them.
In other news.
I FOUND OUT MY SECOND ROUND PROJECT!
As of the first week in May, I'll be in Camden, NJ!
Working for a project called The Children's Community Garden.
I don't know a whole lot about it yet, but here is their website...if you'd like to check it out!
http://www.camdenchildrensgarden.org/
Jack Johnson: Upside Down (great lyrics that feel like my themesong)
Who's to say
What's impossible
Well they forgot
This world keeps spinning
And with each new day
I can feel a change in everything
And as the surface breaks reflections fade
But in some ways they remain the same
And as my mind begins to spread its wings
There's no stopping curiosity
I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I'll find the things they say just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs
I don't want this feeling to go away
Who's to sayI can't do everything
Well I can try
And as I roll along I begin to find
Things aren't always just what they seem
I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I'll find the things they say just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs
This world keeps spinning and there's no time to waste
Well it all keeps spinning spinning round and round and Upside down
Who's to say what's impossible and can't be found
I don't want this feeling to go away
Please don't go away
Please don't go away
Please don't go away
Is this how it's supposed to be
Is this how it's supposed to be
Lovely, isn't it?
Miss Y'all! Hope you're all enjoying life!:)
07 April 2008
What's next?
So I found myself on the night before my birthday, which turned out well by the way. Thanks to everyone who remembered. And thank you to my team for helping me celebrate. BY KIDNAPPING ME! ha... but the custard was good and I beat y'all at bowling. Ah the beauty of it all... But honestly, I've never been happier. It's nice to be reassured that people love & care about you. So many people remembered back home, and that means the world to me.
But anyways, I found myself on the night before my birthday, having to write out my first resume. Which turned out to be rather pathetic. A short page & a half. I looked at this resume and thought who is going to look at this and be impressed? NO ONE! Luckily, Summer of Service, the program I was applying for wanted some written statements to some, at first glance, rather simple questions. And so I set out to make up for my meek resume with a heart-felt passionate "paper." It really took a lot out of me. It all started to come together. What I wanted to do, what I had to do to prepare for my dreams, and what the next step was to my future. But once I started to write, it sort of poured out of me. I was shocked with the passion that I hold for such a little idea that I have, and that it could be pourn out through my fingertips. It made me realize, that even with the lack of experience, I whole-heartedly wanted this. I want this for my future, I'm dedicated, and nothing will stop me.
My paper for the Summer of Service Application:
Over the years, I have come to find myself in positions with levels of responsibilities that quite frankly were unexpected and frightened me a little. First of all at age 15 I was helping out an after care program at a private school. I slowly started to realize, not only was I there to keep an eye on these kids until their parents arrived, but that I became an integral part of their day and they looked up to me. Consequently, I took on the role model position to the best of my ability. Even though it scared me that I was making such an impact on someone I grew confident and learned to love that feeling of fulfillment.
Several years later I found myself in a similar position. I was hired last year at a rather small assisted living home. Knowing I would have no immediate supervision, but not expecting the responsibilities I was going to soon learn to take on. I was faced with many challenges on the job. My co-workers took advantage of not having immediate supervision and slacked in many areas of their job. I saw this as a problem, due to the fact that I feel the elderly deserve nothing less than the best treatment after a lifetime of hard work. So I learned how to take on the responsibility of “supervisor” without undermining my boss or my co-workers. Communication and flexibility were two huge skills I improved on in my time there. Needless to say, it worked out for everyone. My boss was pleased with having to deal with less stress, the work was accomplished efficiently, and the residents were treated with a higher standard of quality.
Which leads me to my current position on the AmeriCorps*NCCC as the Vehicle, Safety, & Tools/Assistant Team Leader. I have to admit I was secretly hoping for a role with responsibility but also very reluctant to take it. I didn't know what to expect and I am the youngest on the team. My Team Leader coaxed me into it by saying she felt that the team respected me and that she felt it would give me experience for the future goals. I had to agree, it was a fear I had to overcome. However, I have found it a role that comes naturally. I have not faced any challenges thus far. The team does seem to respect me and I feel as if I balance holding responsibility well while also being viewed as a peer. The future, however, makes me very apprehensive. My Team Leader will be absent for 4 days and that leaves me in charge. And as the youngest team member, I fear my teammates may try to take advantage of the fact that I am not an experienced Team Leader. I am counting on the respect they hold for me, and I do not have a definite course of action if this does occur. Although, I am certain that regardless of my fears if the time comes, I will have the confidence and resources to take charge.
I am also currently working for the St. Bernard Project as a site supervisor to rebuild homes for the people who lost everything in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. And anyone of my teammates and/or staff at the St. Bernard Project will tell you I was nail-biting, stop-you-dead in your tracks nervous for such a responsibility. With my fears alongside me, I took on the job. It offered many challenges, but soon enough I was learning new skills and directing new volunteers every week. When I stepped back and observed myself, I noticed I was confident. I felt adequate for the job. And I can't help but hear my sponsor, Zach, saying, “It's a good thing you're scared, that means you care enough to not screw up.” And looking back, I see a pattern. Everytime I was struck with blood-curdling fear it was because I didn't want to fail, I cared too much to take the job lightly.
And now I want to embark on a new journey, and as all the times before, thinking about it drives the butterflies within me crazy. However, I feel my participation as a crew leader will strengthen the Summer of Service Program because of the passion I have for service. Not only that but I strongly feel the need for that passion to spread like a wildfire through not only our country but specifically the youth. They are the future after all.
Summer of Service is a program I would put my heart and soul into. To spark a fire in youth about service is a dream come true for me. But as much as I would be giving, I would be receiving in return. Summer of Service would facilitate multitudes of gain in my life. Being a Crew Leader would help me conquer many fears, improve my communication and leadership skills, help me attain values upon values, and become a much more independent individual. Although most importantly, it would give me the experience of a lifetime.
My future goals include starting a Bible Camp and a non-profit to involve youth in service. My dream is driven by feeling as a teenager that I wasn't ever offered the opportunity to serve. I do realize I also wasn't searching for it, but I also know that if I would have been made aware of the opportunities out there for me I would have taken advantage of them. So I strongly feel that if I put the word out and encourage youth to be involved, more teenagers will continue a livelong commitment to service. Whether it be longterm or just dabbling in it. I've always wanted to be the world's hero, but realize I can't do that alone. So I feel if I plant the seed of service in as many people as possible, the world will slowly become a better place. And Summer of Service is a program that is screaming my name. It is a calling I've been waiting for. An opportunity to kick start my ideas and feel out the work I want to completely immerse myself in.
I went to bed that night, feeling hopeful.
But anyways, I found myself on the night before my birthday, having to write out my first resume. Which turned out to be rather pathetic. A short page & a half. I looked at this resume and thought who is going to look at this and be impressed? NO ONE! Luckily, Summer of Service, the program I was applying for wanted some written statements to some, at first glance, rather simple questions. And so I set out to make up for my meek resume with a heart-felt passionate "paper." It really took a lot out of me. It all started to come together. What I wanted to do, what I had to do to prepare for my dreams, and what the next step was to my future. But once I started to write, it sort of poured out of me. I was shocked with the passion that I hold for such a little idea that I have, and that it could be pourn out through my fingertips. It made me realize, that even with the lack of experience, I whole-heartedly wanted this. I want this for my future, I'm dedicated, and nothing will stop me.
My paper for the Summer of Service Application:
Over the years, I have come to find myself in positions with levels of responsibilities that quite frankly were unexpected and frightened me a little. First of all at age 15 I was helping out an after care program at a private school. I slowly started to realize, not only was I there to keep an eye on these kids until their parents arrived, but that I became an integral part of their day and they looked up to me. Consequently, I took on the role model position to the best of my ability. Even though it scared me that I was making such an impact on someone I grew confident and learned to love that feeling of fulfillment.
Several years later I found myself in a similar position. I was hired last year at a rather small assisted living home. Knowing I would have no immediate supervision, but not expecting the responsibilities I was going to soon learn to take on. I was faced with many challenges on the job. My co-workers took advantage of not having immediate supervision and slacked in many areas of their job. I saw this as a problem, due to the fact that I feel the elderly deserve nothing less than the best treatment after a lifetime of hard work. So I learned how to take on the responsibility of “supervisor” without undermining my boss or my co-workers. Communication and flexibility were two huge skills I improved on in my time there. Needless to say, it worked out for everyone. My boss was pleased with having to deal with less stress, the work was accomplished efficiently, and the residents were treated with a higher standard of quality.
Which leads me to my current position on the AmeriCorps*NCCC as the Vehicle, Safety, & Tools/Assistant Team Leader. I have to admit I was secretly hoping for a role with responsibility but also very reluctant to take it. I didn't know what to expect and I am the youngest on the team. My Team Leader coaxed me into it by saying she felt that the team respected me and that she felt it would give me experience for the future goals. I had to agree, it was a fear I had to overcome. However, I have found it a role that comes naturally. I have not faced any challenges thus far. The team does seem to respect me and I feel as if I balance holding responsibility well while also being viewed as a peer. The future, however, makes me very apprehensive. My Team Leader will be absent for 4 days and that leaves me in charge. And as the youngest team member, I fear my teammates may try to take advantage of the fact that I am not an experienced Team Leader. I am counting on the respect they hold for me, and I do not have a definite course of action if this does occur. Although, I am certain that regardless of my fears if the time comes, I will have the confidence and resources to take charge.
I am also currently working for the St. Bernard Project as a site supervisor to rebuild homes for the people who lost everything in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. And anyone of my teammates and/or staff at the St. Bernard Project will tell you I was nail-biting, stop-you-dead in your tracks nervous for such a responsibility. With my fears alongside me, I took on the job. It offered many challenges, but soon enough I was learning new skills and directing new volunteers every week. When I stepped back and observed myself, I noticed I was confident. I felt adequate for the job. And I can't help but hear my sponsor, Zach, saying, “It's a good thing you're scared, that means you care enough to not screw up.” And looking back, I see a pattern. Everytime I was struck with blood-curdling fear it was because I didn't want to fail, I cared too much to take the job lightly.
And now I want to embark on a new journey, and as all the times before, thinking about it drives the butterflies within me crazy. However, I feel my participation as a crew leader will strengthen the Summer of Service Program because of the passion I have for service. Not only that but I strongly feel the need for that passion to spread like a wildfire through not only our country but specifically the youth. They are the future after all.
Summer of Service is a program I would put my heart and soul into. To spark a fire in youth about service is a dream come true for me. But as much as I would be giving, I would be receiving in return. Summer of Service would facilitate multitudes of gain in my life. Being a Crew Leader would help me conquer many fears, improve my communication and leadership skills, help me attain values upon values, and become a much more independent individual. Although most importantly, it would give me the experience of a lifetime.
My future goals include starting a Bible Camp and a non-profit to involve youth in service. My dream is driven by feeling as a teenager that I wasn't ever offered the opportunity to serve. I do realize I also wasn't searching for it, but I also know that if I would have been made aware of the opportunities out there for me I would have taken advantage of them. So I strongly feel that if I put the word out and encourage youth to be involved, more teenagers will continue a livelong commitment to service. Whether it be longterm or just dabbling in it. I've always wanted to be the world's hero, but realize I can't do that alone. So I feel if I plant the seed of service in as many people as possible, the world will slowly become a better place. And Summer of Service is a program that is screaming my name. It is a calling I've been waiting for. An opportunity to kick start my ideas and feel out the work I want to completely immerse myself in.
I went to bed that night, feeling hopeful.
27 March 2008
Be the Change You Wish to See in the World
So I'm sitting in the meditation room of my "beautiful" volunteer housing, thinking about how wonderful life is, even despite all the downers I COULD be focusing on. Camp Hope is... Well, Home...I guess. And let me fill you in on my temporary home. First of all, Camp Hope is an old middle school transformed into volunteer housing. Therefore...that means they get to cram about 32 girls into one room. On bunkbeds, with no limit to the stuff they bring. Which means...Yes, You guessed it, Not Enough Space & Too Much Estrogen! It's pretty werid living in a space the size of a prison cell, and living out of a backpack. Needless to say, I spend next to no time in my room. And when I do I'm relaxing, changing, or sleeping. It's homey, after you get use to it.
My daily routine goes a little something like this:
- Wake up at 6:30, hating that I can't hit snooze and sleep in like I did through school---Oh but wait...Sometimes we get up at 5:30 and do P.T.....and that ain't no joke...it's HARDCORE!
- Get dressed into my LOVELY uniform, that I will admit I don't wash until the end of the week
- Brush my teeth, after waiting several minutes to get to sink behind the long line of volunteers who haven't perfected the art of using a bathroom with no mirror or untimed sink. (not to mention, Camp Hope holds about 1,000 volunteers at once)
- Go to breakfast, which also includes a line. LONG ONE! and eat usually eggs and bacon for breakfast.
-Pack a lunch, which is PB & J with an apple or orange (sometimes a muffin or 2) EVERYDAY!
- Put on the sexy steeltoes! (takes forever...boy do I love slip-ons after wearing those)
- Pile into the van!
- Get dropped off at MY HOUSE!
- Do Construction & Lead Volunteers at MY HOUSE!
- Clean up!
- Pile into the van...
-Maybe have a meeting.
- Get "home"
- Eat, after waiting in the long line in your filty uniform.
- Shower! in the community(when I say community, I still get my own stall) showers...with no pressure, but THANKFULLY hot water!:)
- Relax a little, and go to bed! To start the next day off with the same thing!
Ah, The beauty of all of this though. IS that...Even though I have so much to complain about that I would usually complain about before, I look past it. And I'm able to do so because of the passion I have for what I'm here for. And after learning what is and isn't important in life. It hardly crosses my mind that I have hardly any luxaries. But how could it, knowing that so many people around me have nothing! Have to rebuild their lives, starting from where they wake up in the morning. I can't complain, It would ultimately make the whole situation worse. Just a little reminder to not take for granted everything you have!
So, My job!
I work for the St. Bernard Project as a Site Supervisor. Sounds so professional! & I am assigned to a house, where I, ALONE, have to direct volunteers to rebuild a home. Mind you, it's only the interior of the house. But construction nonetheless! So I've learned tons of leadership, communication, and construction skills. I LOVE IT!
The St. Bernard Project is a non-profit. (Always in need of a donation) That rebuilds homes for around $10,000 per home for elderly, people with disabilities, and families with schoolage children. However, the house must be structurally sound. If you want to know more; their website is: http://www.stbernardproject.org/index.html YOU CAN ALWAYS VOLUNTEER OR DONATE MONEY! :)
But furthermore on what I do for them. Every week, new volunteers arrive, which is really neat. They each have different skills and personalities, and the change really makes the job exciting, however sometimes a little slower because you are teaching them everything! I can defiantely see these houses going up faster if skilled individuals were involved. But hey, I'm working on my skills daily:) What I've learned to do is, mud and sand drywall, texture drywall, put in laminate floors, cut and install baseboard, and install doors. I've also primed and painted, and laid stick-on tile, but that's nothing new. Oh I use POWER TOOLS...daily. :) Love it! It's such a fulfilling job, seein the progress you make every week, on the house and the volunteers. (Even though I get slim to no training, I feel like it's a very common sense thing, building a house) I'm so elated that I get to be a part of helping one more family get into their home and start to restore a sense of normal daily routine to their life and to see my homeowner's face light up, everytime she walks in the house and sees the progress.
Who by the way is Dawn. She has a 4 year old daughter named Hannah and works cleaning houses. She is such a sweetheart and I think doing so well for losing everything. She has really taken it well, and has an amazing attitude. She sees it as more or less, I can't change the past and I just have to pick up the pieces and move on. It's beautiful and very admirable. Here's her Katrina story. She was not a homeowner before the storm, she has always rented and when told to evacuate, did so, with only 3 days of necessities for the trip. For that is what the usual evacuation is like. You leave for 3 days til the storm is gone and come home to debris and damage, but a home nonetheless. However, this time, the levees broke. And the parish filled with water, up to 30 ft high. And so everyone's homes were destroyed. St. Bernard Parish was 100% uninhabitable. So upon coming home weeks after the storm and waiting for the water to be pumped out, Dawn salvaged what she could from her rental home. Which was hardly anything, she says she got some of Hannah's belongings but that is about all. And even though she could come home, she couldn't return, it was uninhabitable. So she lived in a FEMA trailer with 35 OTHER PEOPLE! Slept in a little room with 10 OTHERS! She also lived in a hotel for awhile after until revcieving her very own FEMA trailer, which is not glamorous or roomy. Her trailer sits to this day, almost 3 years later, on the frontlawn of her mom's house. So in the midst of moving, she bought the house on Marietta St. for cheap off of the demolish list. Which is essentially the houses that people abandoned and didn't want to deal with but were inspected by contracters and deemed structurally sound. And now we are rebuilding it for her, and are pretty close to done with it on the 5th week. And they say they take 6-8 weeks. We are apparently crusing through ours! So proud! And I just can't wait to hand her the keys back and say "Welcome Home!" Especially after our weekly Thursdays, when Dawn cooks for the volunteers and we get to learn all about her. One thing that really hit me is that she said, "I go to reach for things, that I had for years before the storm, and I use daily, I'll hunt for it and then later realize that it's not there. That it no longer exists, the storm took it, and I'll never get it back." So this is just one story of the 65,000 people who inhabited St. Bernard Parish. I just can't imagine that there are so many people left without homes. And lookin' around down here it really just reminds me what truly is important in life, it's not the materialistic things at all. Life is 10% situation and 90% attitude. And I completely agree...
My daily routine goes a little something like this:
- Wake up at 6:30, hating that I can't hit snooze and sleep in like I did through school---Oh but wait...Sometimes we get up at 5:30 and do P.T.....and that ain't no joke...it's HARDCORE!
- Get dressed into my LOVELY uniform, that I will admit I don't wash until the end of the week
- Brush my teeth, after waiting several minutes to get to sink behind the long line of volunteers who haven't perfected the art of using a bathroom with no mirror or untimed sink. (not to mention, Camp Hope holds about 1,000 volunteers at once)
- Go to breakfast, which also includes a line. LONG ONE! and eat usually eggs and bacon for breakfast.
-Pack a lunch, which is PB & J with an apple or orange (sometimes a muffin or 2) EVERYDAY!
- Put on the sexy steeltoes! (takes forever...boy do I love slip-ons after wearing those)
- Pile into the van!
- Get dropped off at MY HOUSE!
- Do Construction & Lead Volunteers at MY HOUSE!
- Clean up!
- Pile into the van...
-Maybe have a meeting.
- Get "home"
- Eat, after waiting in the long line in your filty uniform.
- Shower! in the community(when I say community, I still get my own stall) showers...with no pressure, but THANKFULLY hot water!:)
- Relax a little, and go to bed! To start the next day off with the same thing!
Ah, The beauty of all of this though. IS that...Even though I have so much to complain about that I would usually complain about before, I look past it. And I'm able to do so because of the passion I have for what I'm here for. And after learning what is and isn't important in life. It hardly crosses my mind that I have hardly any luxaries. But how could it, knowing that so many people around me have nothing! Have to rebuild their lives, starting from where they wake up in the morning. I can't complain, It would ultimately make the whole situation worse. Just a little reminder to not take for granted everything you have!
So, My job!
I work for the St. Bernard Project as a Site Supervisor. Sounds so professional! & I am assigned to a house, where I, ALONE, have to direct volunteers to rebuild a home. Mind you, it's only the interior of the house. But construction nonetheless! So I've learned tons of leadership, communication, and construction skills. I LOVE IT!
The St. Bernard Project is a non-profit. (Always in need of a donation) That rebuilds homes for around $10,000 per home for elderly, people with disabilities, and families with schoolage children. However, the house must be structurally sound. If you want to know more; their website is: http://www.stbernardproject.org/index.html YOU CAN ALWAYS VOLUNTEER OR DONATE MONEY! :)
But furthermore on what I do for them. Every week, new volunteers arrive, which is really neat. They each have different skills and personalities, and the change really makes the job exciting, however sometimes a little slower because you are teaching them everything! I can defiantely see these houses going up faster if skilled individuals were involved. But hey, I'm working on my skills daily:) What I've learned to do is, mud and sand drywall, texture drywall, put in laminate floors, cut and install baseboard, and install doors. I've also primed and painted, and laid stick-on tile, but that's nothing new. Oh I use POWER TOOLS...daily. :) Love it! It's such a fulfilling job, seein the progress you make every week, on the house and the volunteers. (Even though I get slim to no training, I feel like it's a very common sense thing, building a house) I'm so elated that I get to be a part of helping one more family get into their home and start to restore a sense of normal daily routine to their life and to see my homeowner's face light up, everytime she walks in the house and sees the progress.
Who by the way is Dawn. She has a 4 year old daughter named Hannah and works cleaning houses. She is such a sweetheart and I think doing so well for losing everything. She has really taken it well, and has an amazing attitude. She sees it as more or less, I can't change the past and I just have to pick up the pieces and move on. It's beautiful and very admirable. Here's her Katrina story. She was not a homeowner before the storm, she has always rented and when told to evacuate, did so, with only 3 days of necessities for the trip. For that is what the usual evacuation is like. You leave for 3 days til the storm is gone and come home to debris and damage, but a home nonetheless. However, this time, the levees broke. And the parish filled with water, up to 30 ft high. And so everyone's homes were destroyed. St. Bernard Parish was 100% uninhabitable. So upon coming home weeks after the storm and waiting for the water to be pumped out, Dawn salvaged what she could from her rental home. Which was hardly anything, she says she got some of Hannah's belongings but that is about all. And even though she could come home, she couldn't return, it was uninhabitable. So she lived in a FEMA trailer with 35 OTHER PEOPLE! Slept in a little room with 10 OTHERS! She also lived in a hotel for awhile after until revcieving her very own FEMA trailer, which is not glamorous or roomy. Her trailer sits to this day, almost 3 years later, on the frontlawn of her mom's house. So in the midst of moving, she bought the house on Marietta St. for cheap off of the demolish list. Which is essentially the houses that people abandoned and didn't want to deal with but were inspected by contracters and deemed structurally sound. And now we are rebuilding it for her, and are pretty close to done with it on the 5th week. And they say they take 6-8 weeks. We are apparently crusing through ours! So proud! And I just can't wait to hand her the keys back and say "Welcome Home!" Especially after our weekly Thursdays, when Dawn cooks for the volunteers and we get to learn all about her. One thing that really hit me is that she said, "I go to reach for things, that I had for years before the storm, and I use daily, I'll hunt for it and then later realize that it's not there. That it no longer exists, the storm took it, and I'll never get it back." So this is just one story of the 65,000 people who inhabited St. Bernard Parish. I just can't imagine that there are so many people left without homes. And lookin' around down here it really just reminds me what truly is important in life, it's not the materialistic things at all. Life is 10% situation and 90% attitude. And I completely agree...
10 March 2008
Feeling Every Adjective in the Book...
Honestly I don't even know where to start...
I'll update on the past week and a half first!
After induction, we sat around A LOT!
There really wasn't any training after that... HOWEVER!
I did three days of service projects.
Two days were at a place called Moveable Feast which is a non-profit that feeds the people of Maryland infected with HIV/AIDS. We moved them from their old building to their new building, which was one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. The other day we actually took part in loading up grocery bags to give to the clients. It was a good time, the paper bags cut up my arms. FUN STUFF! It's such a great feeling when the sponsors thank you and tell you how much we are appreciated! And how without our help they would have to go through so much hassle and time to get done what we did in no time. It's just WOW! amazing. It's funny how shocked people are when we get our jobs done so fast. I really am proud to be apart of the Americorps*NCCC. I can't say I'm proud of much, or nothing tangible at least. So it's such a feeling of fulfillment to be a part of something that people can benefit from.
The other project as at the American Legion in Havre De Grace. Basically, this place wasn't up to code and was about to be shut down. So we fixed up the place so they could pass their next inspections. We painted, tiled some floors, ripped out some walls, and fixed the floors. They fed us wings and fries afterward. YUMMY! lol They started out with only 3 projects for us to do...but we finished within an hour and a half...so they just kept dishin' out jobs. It was fun, the supervisors were awesome and made it such a good time.
So other than that, We had to pack up our stuff into one bag, called "the red bag" and another backpack. To live in for 8 weeks! possibly more if we don't get to return to "The Point" in between projects, which is definately a possibility. We had to say good-bye to all our friends and our housemates. People you get so close to in a short 6 weeks. So we pack up the van to head out with a group of 9 people in a 12 passenger van. With all of our bags mind you, on a trip that would last two days. 18 hours of driving and just pure chaos! lol It was a good time, lots of bonding with the people that I'm going to learn everything about in the next 8 months. We stopped at a hotel in Knoxville, TN. I'm slowing hitting up states of the U.S. that I have never ventured into before...I will finally be able to tell my brother that I've been more places than he has! and yes...i will rub it in! What are sisters for afterall?
And so then we arrive in New Orleans around 5ish. OVERWHELMED!!!! That's the only way I can really describe how I felt. Seeing everything for the first time...the devastion that everyone hears about but the majority doesn't ever see. And even when you see it on T.V. It's nothing like seeing it firsthand. Even two and a half years after the hurricanes, there is debris EVERYWHERE...boats still lying on the sides of the roads, houses still destroyed all with X's on the front of them. Here's a little background about the place I'm in. It's called St. Bernard's Parish (Parishes are like Counties here, St. Bernard is their most eastern parish, surrounded by water) Anyways, it actually wasn't the storm from the hurricane that ruined the area, it was actully the levees that broke from the force of the storm surge. Everything in the parish was under 7 feet of water I believe. So due to the flooding the Parish was 100% UNINHABITABLE!!!! Not a single soul could move in after the storm. I originally had no idea what really was the cause behind all the disaster down here, I just thought that the storm had taken everything out, but the truth is...there is much more to it than that! It's definately interesting and I encourage everything to read up on it, there are plenty of movies as well. Well anyways, the sense of community down here is amazing! The morale and motivation everyone still has after literally losing everything is incredible. And you & I look at losing everything as the tangible things, their actual material possessions. But they lost more than that, the lost their family members and their daily routines. Their jobs, their homes, their neighbors, their schools. When they say everything, they mean EVERYTHING but their own lives! Oh man I feel like I could talk about this for days...and I've only been here for 2 days, and only worked one of them. But driving through here, and seeing one rebuilt house surrounded by several others that haven't even been touched is incredibly moving. It's scary, imagining something making my home 100% uninhabitable and having to change my whole life style. You really start to feel for these people. And I've never seen any group of people so appreciative. A man named "John Wilkes Booth" talked to us the other night and couldn' emphasize enough how without us here, that none of this could of happened. And because of the lack of government response down here, they lost all faith and hope in the government and we are slowing rebuilding that for them and our young generation's reputation. Our sponsor said to us today, that once he saw American Flags going up, he asked the clients why, and they said, "Because of the volunteers, they give us hope, the flags are for them." That was so POWERFUL!!!!! I could go on forever, I have so much to share about my job, but I'll leave you with that, and catch up again another time.
I'll update on the past week and a half first!
After induction, we sat around A LOT!
There really wasn't any training after that... HOWEVER!
I did three days of service projects.
Two days were at a place called Moveable Feast which is a non-profit that feeds the people of Maryland infected with HIV/AIDS. We moved them from their old building to their new building, which was one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. The other day we actually took part in loading up grocery bags to give to the clients. It was a good time, the paper bags cut up my arms. FUN STUFF! It's such a great feeling when the sponsors thank you and tell you how much we are appreciated! And how without our help they would have to go through so much hassle and time to get done what we did in no time. It's just WOW! amazing. It's funny how shocked people are when we get our jobs done so fast. I really am proud to be apart of the Americorps*NCCC. I can't say I'm proud of much, or nothing tangible at least. So it's such a feeling of fulfillment to be a part of something that people can benefit from.
The other project as at the American Legion in Havre De Grace. Basically, this place wasn't up to code and was about to be shut down. So we fixed up the place so they could pass their next inspections. We painted, tiled some floors, ripped out some walls, and fixed the floors. They fed us wings and fries afterward. YUMMY! lol They started out with only 3 projects for us to do...but we finished within an hour and a half...so they just kept dishin' out jobs. It was fun, the supervisors were awesome and made it such a good time.
So other than that, We had to pack up our stuff into one bag, called "the red bag" and another backpack. To live in for 8 weeks! possibly more if we don't get to return to "The Point" in between projects, which is definately a possibility. We had to say good-bye to all our friends and our housemates. People you get so close to in a short 6 weeks. So we pack up the van to head out with a group of 9 people in a 12 passenger van. With all of our bags mind you, on a trip that would last two days. 18 hours of driving and just pure chaos! lol It was a good time, lots of bonding with the people that I'm going to learn everything about in the next 8 months. We stopped at a hotel in Knoxville, TN. I'm slowing hitting up states of the U.S. that I have never ventured into before...I will finally be able to tell my brother that I've been more places than he has! and yes...i will rub it in! What are sisters for afterall?
And so then we arrive in New Orleans around 5ish. OVERWHELMED!!!! That's the only way I can really describe how I felt. Seeing everything for the first time...the devastion that everyone hears about but the majority doesn't ever see. And even when you see it on T.V. It's nothing like seeing it firsthand. Even two and a half years after the hurricanes, there is debris EVERYWHERE...boats still lying on the sides of the roads, houses still destroyed all with X's on the front of them. Here's a little background about the place I'm in. It's called St. Bernard's Parish (Parishes are like Counties here, St. Bernard is their most eastern parish, surrounded by water) Anyways, it actually wasn't the storm from the hurricane that ruined the area, it was actully the levees that broke from the force of the storm surge. Everything in the parish was under 7 feet of water I believe. So due to the flooding the Parish was 100% UNINHABITABLE!!!! Not a single soul could move in after the storm. I originally had no idea what really was the cause behind all the disaster down here, I just thought that the storm had taken everything out, but the truth is...there is much more to it than that! It's definately interesting and I encourage everything to read up on it, there are plenty of movies as well. Well anyways, the sense of community down here is amazing! The morale and motivation everyone still has after literally losing everything is incredible. And you & I look at losing everything as the tangible things, their actual material possessions. But they lost more than that, the lost their family members and their daily routines. Their jobs, their homes, their neighbors, their schools. When they say everything, they mean EVERYTHING but their own lives! Oh man I feel like I could talk about this for days...and I've only been here for 2 days, and only worked one of them. But driving through here, and seeing one rebuilt house surrounded by several others that haven't even been touched is incredibly moving. It's scary, imagining something making my home 100% uninhabitable and having to change my whole life style. You really start to feel for these people. And I've never seen any group of people so appreciative. A man named "John Wilkes Booth" talked to us the other night and couldn' emphasize enough how without us here, that none of this could of happened. And because of the lack of government response down here, they lost all faith and hope in the government and we are slowing rebuilding that for them and our young generation's reputation. Our sponsor said to us today, that once he saw American Flags going up, he asked the clients why, and they said, "Because of the volunteers, they give us hope, the flags are for them." That was so POWERFUL!!!!! I could go on forever, I have so much to share about my job, but I'll leave you with that, and catch up again another time.
28 February 2008
Induction Ceremony
We were filed into rows according to team. It just felt like another meaningless ceremony, an annoucement that we were officially beginning the journey of NCCC, nothing special in my mind. I felt like the last month had been a big enough announcement, at least to myself. I had put all my time into training, how could that not have been the beginning, the commitment for the rest of the year. But as the speakers got up to speak, I found myself getting very emotional. I felt like crying several times, and quite honestly got teary eyed. They spoke about how much the people we are serving appreciate our work and gave us examples of ways they had showed their appreciation. As well as the hardwork they had put into serving with the NCCC, all the things they had gained from their service and how important our commitment is to the people of America. I realized that for the first time I am a part of something bigger. I have taken action instead of being apathetic like I have so many times before. I have seen something that needs changing and I am taking a step for change! I know this means a lot of responsibility and a lot of lost luxaries, but none of that really phases me. How can it? Knowing how many people I am going to help, and the appreciation they'll have. It also brought tears to my eyes thinking about how many people just sit back and watch. Watch their fellow neighbors suffer, and just go on with their life, as if they'd never even seen the issue. Acting like it doesn't affect them, but the truth of the matter is that we are a community. It takes the strength of everyone to change. If one aspect is weak, it brings everyone down to that level. I guess what I'm getting at here is that I am proud. Proud to be a part of the MANY in my generation making a difference, despite what people may think. WE CARE & WE WILL GET THINGS DONE!
CTI Update
I've been here for over a month now. It's been very overwhelming at times and very exciting at others. It's the most structured thing I have ever been a part of, the first "team" I've ever been a part of. It gets intimidating thinking about all the rules and regulations, the uniforms, the responsibility, and the living standards. But once you sit back and look at the bigger picture, you feel it. You see and feel the beauty of it all. The beauty of what you are going to accomplish. You feel a part of something so much bigger than yourself, something that is going to make a change! Exhilarating for me at least.
So we are divided into 4 units, and each unit is made up of 7 teams. I am a part of the Raven Unit on Team 5. We have no special name for ourselves thus far, just go by Raven 5. Our team is made up of 10 people, 1 being the team leader. It's scary to think that this 10 people thrown together are going to spend almost every waking moment together and become as close as a family. The differences between us are incredible! We are all so different, I definately forsee challenges that I'm going to have to face this year. It'll just be one more accomplishment I can chalk up on the wall for myself. I anticipate a lot of growth for all of us on the team & I'm incredibly excited to see the end results. To look back and remember what each of us were like at the beginning, and the things we've gone through together! Hmmm....WOW!
We also each have specialty roles. I am the Project Outreach Liason (POL). Which really means that I have to contact potential sponsors that would like to partner with Americorps*NCCC and get our volunteers to work with them. I also find Independent Service Projects for the team. Which are side projects that we find ourself instead of being assinged to by the staff. I have to talkt to a bunch of head guys at businesses basically. I'm nervous because I am not a good public speaker. I feel akward in situations like that. I really have to know my stuff. I'm a darn spokesperson for the NCCC. SCARY! But I'm excited to change all that, to become confident in my social skills. I definately need them for what I hope my future will bring. And I unexpectedly recieved another role on the team. I am the Assitant Team Leader(ATL). Which I was at first "honored" that my Team Leader chose me after seeing the qualitis in me that I needed to take on the part, and I was also excited, to build leadership roles and benefit myself. But I was struck with fear and anxiety at the same time. I realized that I have a ton of responsibility and I'm the youngest member of my team! I hope people take me seriously and I hope that I can do my job well.
So training like I said before is rather boring, we sit around in lectures, just being sponges and soaking in information. But we have had the oppurtunity to go on 2 service projects. Each were a day long and were trail clean ups in Baltimore. The first we pulled invasive species, not very satisfying. But we made it a good time, and got a lot done. It's such an awesome feeling to see what you've accomplished and how thankful our sponsors are for our work...haha It's free! How could they not be? The other was in the urban area of Baltimore. WOW! is how to sum that one up. We did trash pick-up. UNBELIEVABLE how much garbage is in one city and we only had a 1-2 mile trail to clean up. But we collected about 200 garbage bags full PLUS other junk, like toilets and washers and tires. All that good stuff. Teams were there the day before us and cleaned up just as much, and we still left tons of garbage there. It's insane how much garbage I picked up...the shoreline is literally covered, every inch of it with garbage! I smelt like a mixture of alcohol and pure BUTT! I looked good doing it though! LOL! Pictures are on facebook.
So on my freetime, we have a lot of fun, how could you not with 300+ people hanging around in the same spot. I went to D.C. the other weekend for the first time outside of the train station. It was unbelievable. I know I could never settle down in a city. But it's cool to see, it's cool to be on the east coast where so much history happened. But we saw tons of monuments and muesums and went out to eat at cute little restuarants! It was awesome, I had a blast, took over 300 pictures, and spent way too much money! GOOD TIME! All in all I LOVE IT HERE! Can't wait til I have some really good stories to tell you all about the places I go and the people I help!
So we are divided into 4 units, and each unit is made up of 7 teams. I am a part of the Raven Unit on Team 5. We have no special name for ourselves thus far, just go by Raven 5. Our team is made up of 10 people, 1 being the team leader. It's scary to think that this 10 people thrown together are going to spend almost every waking moment together and become as close as a family. The differences between us are incredible! We are all so different, I definately forsee challenges that I'm going to have to face this year. It'll just be one more accomplishment I can chalk up on the wall for myself. I anticipate a lot of growth for all of us on the team & I'm incredibly excited to see the end results. To look back and remember what each of us were like at the beginning, and the things we've gone through together! Hmmm....WOW!
We also each have specialty roles. I am the Project Outreach Liason (POL). Which really means that I have to contact potential sponsors that would like to partner with Americorps*NCCC and get our volunteers to work with them. I also find Independent Service Projects for the team. Which are side projects that we find ourself instead of being assinged to by the staff. I have to talkt to a bunch of head guys at businesses basically. I'm nervous because I am not a good public speaker. I feel akward in situations like that. I really have to know my stuff. I'm a darn spokesperson for the NCCC. SCARY! But I'm excited to change all that, to become confident in my social skills. I definately need them for what I hope my future will bring. And I unexpectedly recieved another role on the team. I am the Assitant Team Leader(ATL). Which I was at first "honored" that my Team Leader chose me after seeing the qualitis in me that I needed to take on the part, and I was also excited, to build leadership roles and benefit myself. But I was struck with fear and anxiety at the same time. I realized that I have a ton of responsibility and I'm the youngest member of my team! I hope people take me seriously and I hope that I can do my job well.
So training like I said before is rather boring, we sit around in lectures, just being sponges and soaking in information. But we have had the oppurtunity to go on 2 service projects. Each were a day long and were trail clean ups in Baltimore. The first we pulled invasive species, not very satisfying. But we made it a good time, and got a lot done. It's such an awesome feeling to see what you've accomplished and how thankful our sponsors are for our work...haha It's free! How could they not be? The other was in the urban area of Baltimore. WOW! is how to sum that one up. We did trash pick-up. UNBELIEVABLE how much garbage is in one city and we only had a 1-2 mile trail to clean up. But we collected about 200 garbage bags full PLUS other junk, like toilets and washers and tires. All that good stuff. Teams were there the day before us and cleaned up just as much, and we still left tons of garbage there. It's insane how much garbage I picked up...the shoreline is literally covered, every inch of it with garbage! I smelt like a mixture of alcohol and pure BUTT! I looked good doing it though! LOL! Pictures are on facebook.
So on my freetime, we have a lot of fun, how could you not with 300+ people hanging around in the same spot. I went to D.C. the other weekend for the first time outside of the train station. It was unbelievable. I know I could never settle down in a city. But it's cool to see, it's cool to be on the east coast where so much history happened. But we saw tons of monuments and muesums and went out to eat at cute little restuarants! It was awesome, I had a blast, took over 300 pictures, and spent way too much money! GOOD TIME! All in all I LOVE IT HERE! Can't wait til I have some really good stories to tell you all about the places I go and the people I help!
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