Sunday Part III
Rob and I also took part in two separate training sessions for Habitat. Habitat is essentially using a FEMA camp on the outskirts of town. Other non-profits utilizing the same space is Americorp and a group associated with Billy Graham. There are about 100 Habitat volunteers and they tell us they need volunteer desparately. In fact we are encouraged to bring cameras on the worksite to bring home photos to our friends and family to provide a first-hand look at what's being accomplished.
We will bring homes in this blue collar neighborhood down to the studs. No one, including the homeowner, have been allowed back into these homes since August 29, 2005. Here, water took to the ceiling and sat for months. If you can afford gutting your own home or can't do it yourself -- not many can -- your only reliance is on church groups and non-profits. It's pretty dire.
Therefore we will be the ones to dismantle the homes — setting aside personal belongings, dragging out fridges, ripping up carpet, hauling out furniture, demoing kitchen cabinets. Everything goes except the sinks and tubs. At the end the home will be down to the studs and available to be rebuilt. The homes in this area are brick which makes them good candidates for coming back to life. The homeowners are notified before Habitat shows up. For many, this is the opportunity to see their homes for the first time since taking part of, what they thought was, a temporary evacuation -- three days, tops.
Our team consists of 11 people including Rob and myself. Rob was excited as he was the one chosen to enter the home, decide if it's sound and dismantle the electric. Good luck Rob!
We were warned of many unseemly things. First, there are snakes. And spiders. Both deadly and nesting. They have been found nesting in the moist, dark hovels, perfect space for them both. Also, 97 bodies are STILL unaccountable in this neighborhood, as unbelievable as that may sound. I hope that by Friday I do not encounter either.
FEMA was going to shut this camp down in early April because it was meant for responders only. A public outcry forced them to extend it, but it will close this summer. FEMA also closed the temporary morgue it built for $17 million (you read that right!) but closed it soon after once the body count was in decline. See a pattern? The federal government seems to only understand disasters as immediate affairs. This disaster will take much longer than that. The sad thing is, it's the non-profit world that seems to understand this. So far, Habitat has recovered about 1,100 homes.
Time for bed. Have to be at the camp by 7 a.m.
We will bring homes in this blue collar neighborhood down to the studs. No one, including the homeowner, have been allowed back into these homes since August 29, 2005. Here, water took to the ceiling and sat for months. If you can afford gutting your own home or can't do it yourself -- not many can -- your only reliance is on church groups and non-profits. It's pretty dire.
Therefore we will be the ones to dismantle the homes — setting aside personal belongings, dragging out fridges, ripping up carpet, hauling out furniture, demoing kitchen cabinets. Everything goes except the sinks and tubs. At the end the home will be down to the studs and available to be rebuilt. The homes in this area are brick which makes them good candidates for coming back to life. The homeowners are notified before Habitat shows up. For many, this is the opportunity to see their homes for the first time since taking part of, what they thought was, a temporary evacuation -- three days, tops.
Our team consists of 11 people including Rob and myself. Rob was excited as he was the one chosen to enter the home, decide if it's sound and dismantle the electric. Good luck Rob!
We were warned of many unseemly things. First, there are snakes. And spiders. Both deadly and nesting. They have been found nesting in the moist, dark hovels, perfect space for them both. Also, 97 bodies are STILL unaccountable in this neighborhood, as unbelievable as that may sound. I hope that by Friday I do not encounter either.
FEMA was going to shut this camp down in early April because it was meant for responders only. A public outcry forced them to extend it, but it will close this summer. FEMA also closed the temporary morgue it built for $17 million (you read that right!) but closed it soon after once the body count was in decline. See a pattern? The federal government seems to only understand disasters as immediate affairs. This disaster will take much longer than that. The sad thing is, it's the non-profit world that seems to understand this. So far, Habitat has recovered about 1,100 homes.
Time for bed. Have to be at the camp by 7 a.m.
posted by burningsun | 1:34 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home