Pressed for time...

I haven’t had much time to write lately. At least it feels that way. Whereas I used to easily write three and four times a week, now I feel like I’m fortunate to sit down and do it once or twice a week. But it’s for very good reason. Things have really ramped up with SBRC. The piece that ran in the St. Bernard News last week and included my phone number made for a hectic few days. The paper came out last Wednesday, and even today I must have gotten five new calls from folks looking for help. I’ve done my best to keep up with who is calling and make return calls, but I’m still behind.

I do truly believe that the News running my phone number happened for a reason, though. As stressful as it was at times not being able to keep up with the phone, it’s definitely been worth it as I’ve met some wonderful people who have called me just in the past week, people I really want to help.

…This past Saturday morning was as good a Saturday as I’ve had down here in a long time (which is saying a lot considering that it is football season). I worked with 21 volunteers, 17 of whom were students from Colorado St. University, in getting them set up to volunteer for a few hours at three different homes in St. Bernard Parish. I did so much of that kind of thing while living and working at Camp Hope, but it had been a while. Saturday reminded me why I love doing that so much.

There is nothing like getting volunteers linked up with residents, with real life examples of what is going on here. They get to see first hand the conditions and hear up close and personal the stories that move just about all of us who come here. And for the residents, it remains as a therapeutic and gratifying encounter in which they can see just how much people from other part of the country really care. I’m upset with myself for not having my camera with me that morning, but one of the students is supposed to send me pictures. I hope to get them soon as I’d love to post them. The volunteers and residents had a great time Saturday morning, and in the process, some real work got done. Everyone comes out a winner when this happens.