Tuesday morning

Fantastic trip thusfar. I want to give some impressions from Sunday and bring you up-to-date on Monday. I hope others might find a window today to share their experiences and post some photos.

The walk on Sunday, from the volunteer center/UU church where we're staying to the Earth Day service and potluck in Audubon Park was wonderful. All 11 youth and most adults enjoyed glorious weather and company. The verdant foliage, coming into bloom in many cases, and beautiful distinctive architecture gave us an image of a unique, beloved place. The streets of New Orleans, the Tulane campus, the stunning park, and side trip to last year's youth residence made it a rich experience.

The gathering at the park of three UU resident congregations and 4 UU volunteer congregations (also from Lexington, Chelmsford and Duxbury) under a massive oak tree that must be several hundred years old was impressive.

The tour was sobering. We experienced sadness, anger, and hopefulness at the sight of some progress, among many other feelings. Some of the hardest hit areas have very few remaining homes. Established neighborhoods with houses that had been in families for generations are no longer. There is a lot of community organizing to try to help residents counter the many forces against them, hold onto some of what they had and get on with their lives.

Yesterday was our first work day. Great planning and organization, assisted by more glorious weather, meant that we had a productive start to our week. Our task this week is the exterior of Ms. Ifama's house, about 75 feet long and 30 feet wide, so space for all to be contributing, and a doable project for the week. We broke into youth-led, task-focused teams of two youth and one adult for tasks such as power-washing, scrubbing and sanding, removing termite-damaged clapboards, and priming clapboards. We made great progress. Some reported at the end of the day that it was fun, not "work" as they conventionally thought of it. The power-washer and sawsall (sp?) were highlights.

After dinner and showers, we went to Bourbon Street for coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde and to take in the sights and sounds of that one-of-a-kind place. It was a great end to the day.

For many, the most meaningful encounters have been with residents, including a very welcoming man on the tour who is setting up a museum about local musical traditions adjacent to some homes that have been rebuilt for musicians with in a Habitat for Humanity project.