Day 68: 11/13/06
Day 1 of our volunteering landed us with a remarkably fun group of volunteers from across North America (Canadians are people too, EH?). Represented on our team (but not all pictured here) are Toronto, Boston, Denver, Cleveland, Baltimore, Detroit, St. Paul, Duluth, Seattle, Washington D.C., Texas, Los Angeles, Virginia, Arkansas, and New York. Pretty amazing. The majority of these amazing people found it within themselves to come on their own to help out. Our mission today, under the guidance of our fearless leaders, Jim (of Habitat) and Brett (of Americorps) was to finish the partially-gutted Fernandez Nursing Home (no, not THE nursing home) that will be turned into a rehab clinic. 
Ben and I were assigned the task of clearing out the home's laundry room, which was untouched since the day of the storm surge. We had to break doors down. Once inside, we discovered linen still in the washers and muddy debris everywhere. 
Ben points out the water line in the laundry room at about seven feet. The water likely got higher, but remained at seven feet for the longest, thus the line. Luckily, everyone was able to get out in time. 
Joe follows the S.O.P. for "Katrina Refrigerators": duct tape without opening and dispose of carefully. We admit we broke protocol out of curiosity...a sort of Pandora's box. Nothing good inside. (What would Habitat do, fire us?) On a more somber note, the clock on the wall shows the flood time (11:38) and the calendar shows the flood date (August 2005). A reminder of how quick and terrifying this must have been for millions of people and how much work still needs to be done.
The finished product, nothing left but studs and foundation. We hope rebuilding starts soon. We also hope to return someday.
posted by Joe & Ben Palmquist @ 10:57 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Canadians aren't just people - We're the COOLEST people!
T(dot) O(dot) Represent!
This blog is truly whicked haahhd Coooahre!
It's great that such a diverse group of people came together for a good cause. Turning the building into a rehab center is a good idea, assuming a lot of people will need it due to the recent events. I can't believe the water stayed seven feet high consistently. It said that it probably got higher, how high do you think it could have gotten? Pretty devastating, luckily everyone escaped and it can now be rebuilt to help the people affected by the disaster.
Hi! I am a student at UW-La Crosse. I learned about you guys through my management class. I really applaud everything that both of you are doing to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Looking at the pictures you have posted is horrifying because I remember being in New Orleans a few years ago before any of this happened and how beautiful it was, especially by the river. Now there is just so much devistation. Volunteering for Habitat is a great way to help. How did you decide to become involved in that? My business fraternity is interested in working for Habitat in Wisconsin. I would love to hear more about your experiences working with them because it is something that I would like to get invloved in also. Good luck with the rest of your journey! Keep up the wonderful work. I'm sure everyone who had to suffer through the hurricane appreciates what you are doing to give back.
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