"Do not forget us"
As our week in New Orleans draws to a close, I can't help but dwell on the reality that New Orleans has become a forgotten city. Within this city are people struggling to find the resources and the money to rebuild their lives. In unknown places such as St. Bernard Parish, citizens of this middle class neighborhood are adjusting to asking for help, not giving it. Rather than a hand out, American citizens are asking for a hand up. Hard working people are questioning where they fit in this country. As our attention turns to other parts of this world and other parts of this country, I am finding myself asking, how can we remember New Orleans?
A great example of this is the work done by Zack Rosenberg and Liz McCartney, founders of the St. Bernard Project with which we have been working this week. Prior to Hurricane Katrina Zack was working as a trial lawyer and Liz in non profit education work. Six months after the storm hit, Zack and Liz traveled to the parish to help in the rebuilding work. Expecting to be building up rather than gutting out, they were shocked to see most of the homes had not been touched and the entire parish was practically uninhabited. Upon leaving the parish they asked numerous citizens what they wanted and how they could help them in their efforts to return home. The citizens of the parish gave one simple request, do not forget us. Zack and Liz have headed this desperate plea. They returned home to raise the funds that would allow them to move to the city and start rebuilding homes. On the weekends the pair worked to gut houses in the area. With time they met a homeowner named Frank White who allowed them to fix up his old appliance store to serve as a office and warehouse for their budding project. Today, St. Bernard is a world renowned rebuilding organization that serves as a fine example on what happens when hard working, good people work together to find a solution to a solvable problem. To date they have rebuilt 200 homes in the parish and are working to expand their ingenious rebuilding system to Gentilly, Lakeview, Midcity, and New Orleans East. In January they opened a free mental health clinic adjacent to their offices where clients can come to gain the critical mental health and psychiatric services they so disparately require as they seek to rebuild their lives.
What can we take away from the work of Zack and Liz? I think it can be summed up quite simply. These problems are solvable and we have the capacity right now to do something about it.
. My hope for our group as we return back to Wake is that New Orleans isn't quickly forgotten. This trip should be the start of something in our lives, not the end. How can we empower ourselves and our friends and family to do something about the problems in the world? Daily we are surrounded by the needs of our community, and as citizens of this country and this world we must sense the great urgency to make a difference and start doing so now.
My hope is that the students on this trip spread the truth and the reality of what New Orleans looks like today. I hope each goes home to Wake Forest and become the voice of those we have met here in the parish. Rather than sit on the reality of this community so devastated by the hurricane three and a half years later, students should use the connections, the knowledge, and the relationships they have formed to encourage their peers and family to lend a hand, a heart, and a voice to the people of New Orleans.
A great example of this is the work done by Zack Rosenberg and Liz McCartney, founders of the St. Bernard Project with which we have been working this week. Prior to Hurricane Katrina Zack was working as a trial lawyer and Liz in non profit education work. Six months after the storm hit, Zack and Liz traveled to the parish to help in the rebuilding work. Expecting to be building up rather than gutting out, they were shocked to see most of the homes had not been touched and the entire parish was practically uninhabited. Upon leaving the parish they asked numerous citizens what they wanted and how they could help them in their efforts to return home. The citizens of the parish gave one simple request, do not forget us. Zack and Liz have headed this desperate plea. They returned home to raise the funds that would allow them to move to the city and start rebuilding homes. On the weekends the pair worked to gut houses in the area. With time they met a homeowner named Frank White who allowed them to fix up his old appliance store to serve as a office and warehouse for their budding project. Today, St. Bernard is a world renowned rebuilding organization that serves as a fine example on what happens when hard working, good people work together to find a solution to a solvable problem. To date they have rebuilt 200 homes in the parish and are working to expand their ingenious rebuilding system to Gentilly, Lakeview, Midcity, and New Orleans East. In January they opened a free mental health clinic adjacent to their offices where clients can come to gain the critical mental health and psychiatric services they so disparately require as they seek to rebuild their lives.
What can we take away from the work of Zack and Liz? I think it can be summed up quite simply. These problems are solvable and we have the capacity right now to do something about it.
. My hope for our group as we return back to Wake is that New Orleans isn't quickly forgotten. This trip should be the start of something in our lives, not the end. How can we empower ourselves and our friends and family to do something about the problems in the world? Daily we are surrounded by the needs of our community, and as citizens of this country and this world we must sense the great urgency to make a difference and start doing so now.
My hope is that the students on this trip spread the truth and the reality of what New Orleans looks like today. I hope each goes home to Wake Forest and become the voice of those we have met here in the parish. Rather than sit on the reality of this community so devastated by the hurricane three and a half years later, students should use the connections, the knowledge, and the relationships they have formed to encourage their peers and family to lend a hand, a heart, and a voice to the people of New Orleans.
posted by Deacon Prez at
6:10 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home