Monday was my first day back in New Orleans after spending eight days in the Northeast visiting family and friends, and it struck me how affected I still get when I drive through certain areas or neighborhoods. Even after 5 months, I can’t shake it, the shock and frustration. The good thing is, even after a great trip, I was really happy to be back. Also, that frustration is what spurs me on to want to stay here and do more. Temporary as it may be, this is my home for now, and that’s exactly how I want it to be.I’ve actually wondered before if others feel the same, even those who come here regularly. CNN’s Anderson Cooper was back here on Monday for what one of his engineers said was the 30th time since Katrina. I think that’s great. The guy absolutely cares about what’s going on here, and while he comes to New Orleans to do a job he also comes because he’s passionate about its recovery. I was able to glean that from reading his book, but it was even better to see it up close. Myself and several other volunteers were able to meet him and talk about some general stuff for a minute or so, but when he wasn’t busy preparing for his show or answering phone calls from the home office in New York, Cooper made a point to walk around and see a few of the houses, and talk to residents. Which is exactly what he should do. They are the story and they’re the ones all of us, from volunteers like me to members of the media like Cooper, need to care about. Ironically, Cooper’s show that night did focus on, amongst other things, a couple from Washington, D.C. who are down here volunteering. They started the St. Bernard Project, which rebuilds and rehabs homes, and they’re making a major impact in this community. I’ve worked with them and see it firsthand on a regular basis. So that aspect, volunteerism and the difference it makes, needs to be called out as well. In the end, though, it still all cycles back to helping people get back on their feet, and getting some semblance of a normal life again. CNN and Cooper, unlike other media outlets, at least help to keep that in the public eye.
(photos above, from l. to r. - CNN field engineer Michael Humphrey and volunteer Dave Cheung; Anderson Cooper readies to tape a segment; Les Scharfenstein, owner of the house where Cooper was broadcasting in front of, with his son Scott; people look on as Cooper tapes a segment to be used later in the evening).
….The St. Bernard Parish Council is at it again. On July 10, the council voted by a 4-2 margin to discontinue the service of distributing donated goods to the public and to turn over any remaining items to non-profits to give away. The main argument for those voting for the ordinance is that they want to free up the gym the program uses as well as Parish employees who help with the Donation Center so that they can focus on their regular jobs. I have not heard or read this since the July 10 Council Meeting, but in a Times-Picayune piece that ran prior to it, Council Member Judy Hoffmeister made another point, saying that it’s been “22 months since the storm” and that the distribution of donated items should be left up to the non-profit charities. The first point, freeing up Parish facilities for other use, is valid, but only to a point. Yes, get the Vista Gym back to where it’s providing what it was originally intended for, an athletic facility for kids and local teams to use. But that doesn’t mean that the Parish Government can’t still help take care of its community by finding another facility where residents can come and get items that they need. With a little drive and creativity, I’m sure a spot can be found. And Hoffmeister’s comments hold absolutely zero water. In fact, if anything, it’s downright absurd when you consider that many residents are in worse shape financially and otherwise than in the months immediately following the storm. While the government and insurance companies sit on their money, people have had to exhaust savings accounts, retirements accounts and any other resources they’ve had just to survive. People are spending money to rebuild homes or find homes that are livable, and in most cases, they’re not getting that money from the government. Hence, they are worse off. At least when the storm originally hit some people still had some money. So the argument that it’s 22 months later and it’s not our job to take care of residents anymore is ludicrous, and for anyone who spouts that line off, at any level of government, local, state or federal, it just shows you how out of touch they are with reality. The bottom line: it shouldn’t matter if it’s 1 month after the storm or 10 years, a need exists, and if the need exists, do something about it. I’ve worked at this Distribution Center, and a lot of people rely on it, people who I know don’t have money, who in some cases don’t have cars, and who in some cases don’t really have the means or ability to “find out” on their own what other charities may be giving out goods. It really is scary what this Council in St. Bernard Parish thinks and does sometimes.
….I saw former Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause the other day, and I had to say something. When I said to him, “you’re either Jerry Krause or someone who looks just like him,” he came back with a really curt “well, last time I looked in the mirror, I was him”. I wasn’t annoyed at all, I actually thought it was pretty funny. He works for the New York Mets and is in town to scout their Triple-A team, the New Orleans Zephyrs. He says he really likes what he’s doing now. I meant what I said when I told him I thought he did a heck of a job with those Bulls teams in the 90s. Yes, they had one of the best ever, but come on, in that city, with those egos, including their coach, he did a great job assembling a team and giving Jordan the parts that worked. I always liked him and his gruff, somewhat miserable attitude. After the other day, I still do.
during the summer are nothing new to me. But when the clouds move in here (sometimes it’s in the morning, actually, and sometimes it’s in the afternoon), they dump a ton of rain. Some of the roads turn into rivers. (If they don’t get the sewer and drainage system fixed in St. Bernard Parish soon, I’d hate to see this place when a Tropical Storm rolls through).
