Last January a group of 40 WPI students travelled to Slidell, Louisiana for the largest build trip WPI Habitat for Humanity has ever ventured on. This trip was a huge success- we worked on five different Habitat for Humanity homes, saw the sites in New Orleans, and grew closer as a club. Perhaps the most resonating experience we had was our tour of the Lower 9th Ward, one of the communities hit hardest from Hurricane Katrina. Our tour guide, Ward “Mack” McClendon is the Executive Director of the Lower 9th Ward Village, a community center he started after Katrina. The purpose of the Village is to create a hub for the community. This includes a location for town hall meetings, a place for children to come after school for tutoring, computer access, and fun activities to keep them off the streets, among other programs. The purpose of the Village is evolutionary since the needs of the community are always changing. The Village was founded on the principal that every community should have a voice and shape their own future. Unique to other non-profits, the Village runs solely on in-kind donations and the visions of the Lower 9th Ward residents.
As we drove around the Lower 9th Ward last January, Mack told us stories about Katrina and her aftermath. It was and still is difficult to understand how such a strong community has suffered so much and is so far from full recovery. The sympathetic faces of my fellow classmates were unforgettable, yet so many of them were inspired by Mack’s work. How could someone who lost everything be so hopeful?
After we returned home, I started calling Mack and talking to him about the problems with the Lower 9th Ward and disaster recovery in general. I have learned a great deal from him and am inspired to work in disaster recovery as an engineer because of our friendship.
In October, Mack flew to WPI to educate our community about long-term disaster recovery. We had an event called “Building Dreams in New Orleans” which included authentic Cajun food (cooked by Mack), a silent auction, live jazz band, and talks from WPI President, Dennis Berkey, and Mack. With over 250 guests and the support of our generous sponsors, we were able to raise over $11,000 for the Lower 9th Ward Village. Although this donation is a great help to the Village, our work is far from done.
Another group of 40 students is currently staying at the Village to continue the recovery of the Lower 9th Ward. From building sheds to painting murals and creating game rooms, our group has made large improvements at the Village in just a few short days. Many of these projects are explained and shown in other blog posts.
I have spent most of my time organizing our volunteers- from the work they do to the meals and transportation. I have also spent a great deal of time discussing the future of the Village of Mack. There are several challenges currently facing the Village that is stopping it from being fully functional as a community center. The building is not safe for children- a large amount of work still needs to be done on the physical building. I brought Mack to a meeting with Architecture for Humanity in downtown New Orleans. We are hoping this well established organization will partner with the Village and colleges associated with the Village to redesign and renovate the Village. This space has a great deal of potential. The community is in desperate need of an open space. The Village could be repurposed for job training, afterschool programs, as a gardening center, among many other programs.
The Village is in the process of hiring fulltime employees and organizing long term volunteers to better establish the organization and its programs. I spent some time meeting with the incoming volunteers and Mack to prioritize the Village’s goals and come up with a plan of attack. We are all very excited and hopeful for the future of the Village. This project is far from done, but the countless volunteers and financial support has been astounding. This must continue for the success of the Village and I am personally looking forward to being a part of this project for the long term.
For more information about the Lower Ninth Ward Village please visit their website here and if you would like to make a donation, you can do that here.
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