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.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Caitlen Beahn
This is my second service trip to New Orleans and it definitely will not be my last. There is something magical about this city that keeps me coming back. What motivates me the most is the people. The people in this community have more grit than anyone I have encountered in my life and it is truly an inspiration. Everyone that I have had the opportunity to meet is so thankful for our work. While we were working in the Lower 9th Ward Village, I had the chance to talk one-on-one with Mack. He told me that Hurricane Katrina was the greatest thing to ever happen to him because it changed his life. He was able to face the disaster and grow from it. Mack has so much determination to get this Village up and running for the children in the community and I know that if we continue providing our work we will be able to make his dream come true. I am thankful for being able to come to the Village with such a wonderful, hardworking WPI Habitat for Humanity team and hope that everyone had a great experience!
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.
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.
Mallory Howard
Wow, what a week it’s been here in New Orleans! From long days of manual service work at the Lower 9th Ward Village, to whirlwind trips to Bourbon Street, and Mr. Johnston’s Horse Farm, our group has truly had a taste of New Orleans, Louisiana culture. I am so happy to have had this opportunity to lead this Habitat for Humanity trip. I came down to New Orleans last year to volunteer, so I was excited to be able to come back. Although I was the leader of the group, I did not have to step up much. Leadership is a quality that many of these students posses and demonstrated during our trip. Each day, everyone on this trip truly showed motivation, hard work, positive energy, and a lot of heart. Together we have created memories that we will never forget and friendships that will last a lifetime.
When we first walked into the Lower 9th Ward Village, I felt overwhelmed with my surroundings. I knew there was much to get done, but the group I walked in the doors with was intelligent and creative and I knew that ideas would come together. While I was thinking of how I was stressed and overwhelmed, I tried to put myself in the position of Mack and the community around the Lower 9th Ward. “I am too blessed to be stressed” is something Mack expressed early into our stay. Mack was and is a great inspiration. His high level of energy and positivity helped us all put all our effort into helping the community down here.
After seeing Mack smile and call us his heroes throughout the trip, I knew all of our hard work paid off. Although there was not much structure for our workdays, everyone came together to plan and make ideas happen. I am very impressed with all the work that was completed in a short amount of time. There is still much work that needs to be done at the Lower 9th Ward Village, but we are leaving it today more organized, serviceable and colorful. Lives were truly changed throughout the trip, and I hope all the participants remember this once in a lifetime experience as fondly as I will in the years to come.
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.
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.
Ashton Kim
I first joined the cause of Habitat for Humanity because I believed that there was nothing more important than providing people with the basic elements of life; food, clothing, and shelter. Habitat represented the third, and I have dedicated myself to its cause for the last two years.
I had attended trips to communities where I built houses from scratch. The last places I visited were remote areas of Brazil where our groups completed brick houses for people who could not afford such shelter. After mixing concrete, carrying tons of cement and bricks, shoveling rubble and sand, digging into solid ground, and setting foundations and stack up walls, our building team learnt the value of manual labor and the impact it had on less fortunate people who needed places to stay. The people we helped had the worst working conditions in the middle of the barren plains of Northeastern Brazil, and we were glad to give them a proper place to live. We were working as part of a team, where professionals supervised our process and taught us methods for bricking and mixing the concrete with our hands, and we completed multiple foundations, alongside infrastructure for the neighborhood.
Once we arrived in the Lower Ninth Ward, I immediately realized that it was going to be a different kind of assistance that we would be providing. Our group was not going to be part of a build site, but an active force that would help the community sustain itself. Although managing with donations, the community center and the community itself did not have all the resources it needed to go on. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina had left homeowners unable to return, and stripped from their rights to their houses due to technical and legal issues. Meanwhile, there was only one school left of the seven before the disaster, and the crime rate was highest in the country. Mack, the manager of this place, repeated the importance of the community, how a hub will need to be created for the community to have a voice, and how he wished he could bring more kids and education back here, starting with safe infrastructure around the center and more volunteers and sponsorships to sustain development in the area. His concern was that a place of disaster is easily forgotten, even if it hasn’t been taken care of. After six years, that was what happened here.
We started with simple work, and I must admit that some of us were disappointed with the lack of organization here. Even I was used to and expected there to be organized shifts and tasks. All there was were piles of junk to sort out and a center to clean out and reconstruct. Still, our group managed to organize the scrap from what we could use, clear out entire areas of the center and refurnish them. Putting up walls and painting them, rearranging the library, etc. As our leaders mentioned, we had to be proactive, rather than reactive, and initiate everything we could think of to make this place more sustainable and then leave it to following groups to continue the job. We cleared out a new library, painted walls, added more aesthetic elements to the center, and got through sorting a lot of trash.
Truth be told, it wasn’t work that I was used to doing or even expected at this trip, but it gave new meaning to the work I am doing for Habitat. I was used to raising individual houses, this place, once brought back on its feet, could provide a starting point for the entire village. Our work here could be the beginning of something far greater, which could build momentum with more volunteers and help. Even now four other schools were staying here and working alongside us. I hope students could spread the word back in their own communities, and also use their own expertise that they learn from each school to help rebuild this place. Mack said that his driving force was we who were volunteering, and we should be for more people.
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.
I had attended trips to communities where I built houses from scratch. The last places I visited were remote areas of Brazil where our groups completed brick houses for people who could not afford such shelter. After mixing concrete, carrying tons of cement and bricks, shoveling rubble and sand, digging into solid ground, and setting foundations and stack up walls, our building team learnt the value of manual labor and the impact it had on less fortunate people who needed places to stay. The people we helped had the worst working conditions in the middle of the barren plains of Northeastern Brazil, and we were glad to give them a proper place to live. We were working as part of a team, where professionals supervised our process and taught us methods for bricking and mixing the concrete with our hands, and we completed multiple foundations, alongside infrastructure for the neighborhood.
Once we arrived in the Lower Ninth Ward, I immediately realized that it was going to be a different kind of assistance that we would be providing. Our group was not going to be part of a build site, but an active force that would help the community sustain itself. Although managing with donations, the community center and the community itself did not have all the resources it needed to go on. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina had left homeowners unable to return, and stripped from their rights to their houses due to technical and legal issues. Meanwhile, there was only one school left of the seven before the disaster, and the crime rate was highest in the country. Mack, the manager of this place, repeated the importance of the community, how a hub will need to be created for the community to have a voice, and how he wished he could bring more kids and education back here, starting with safe infrastructure around the center and more volunteers and sponsorships to sustain development in the area. His concern was that a place of disaster is easily forgotten, even if it hasn’t been taken care of. After six years, that was what happened here.
We started with simple work, and I must admit that some of us were disappointed with the lack of organization here. Even I was used to and expected there to be organized shifts and tasks. All there was were piles of junk to sort out and a center to clean out and reconstruct. Still, our group managed to organize the scrap from what we could use, clear out entire areas of the center and refurnish them. Putting up walls and painting them, rearranging the library, etc. As our leaders mentioned, we had to be proactive, rather than reactive, and initiate everything we could think of to make this place more sustainable and then leave it to following groups to continue the job. We cleared out a new library, painted walls, added more aesthetic elements to the center, and got through sorting a lot of trash.
Truth be told, it wasn’t work that I was used to doing or even expected at this trip, but it gave new meaning to the work I am doing for Habitat. I was used to raising individual houses, this place, once brought back on its feet, could provide a starting point for the entire village. Our work here could be the beginning of something far greater, which could build momentum with more volunteers and help. Even now four other schools were staying here and working alongside us. I hope students could spread the word back in their own communities, and also use their own expertise that they learn from each school to help rebuild this place. Mack said that his driving force was we who were volunteering, and we should be for more people.
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.
Danielle Antonellis
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.
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.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Michael Day
So first, a quick overview of everything: I’m Mike Day, WPI Class of 2015. I heard about this trip during the first meeting of WPI Habitat for Humanity, and was immediately interested. We’re here helping in the lower 9th ward, at a place called The Village.
The Village is run by Mack.
This is The Village
So that’s the trip so far. But I’d like to take a little time here and take a step back to look at the larger picture.
We live in a world that is rocked by natural disasters on the scale of Hurricane Katrina every few years. In the 6 years since Katrina we have experienced the Indonesian Tsunami, Haitian Earthquake, and Japanese Earthquake, all of which have caused devastation on scales that defy human comprehension. As Stalin so succinctly put it, “The death of one man is a tragedy: the death of a million men is a statistic”. How can we as a people better ourselves if we forget the plight of millions after mere months?
Survivors deal with a variety of problems, even from those who try to help. Professional companies who work exclusively in providing services to disaster areas make profits off the people, technically providing aid while statistically hurting the populace by not involving them and getting them to stand back up on their own.
Millions of people donate to not profits that claim to be using the money in direct aid. What we forget is that ‘Non-Profit’ is a classification of companies the government deems worthy of corporate tax exemptions, and their motives and actions can be far from sincere. It is widely accepted that under half of the money donated to relief efforts for disasters actually ends up helping in any way at all.
So what does this leave for those who help? The truly selfless souls who donate time, money, and effort (no matter how big or small their contribution); are they all bound like King Sisyphus to an endless struggle. Must we provide aid to each disaster until the next one sends our efforts hurtling downwards to the bottom of the hill?
Survivors deal with a variety of problems, even from those who try to help. Professional companies who work exclusively in providing services to disaster areas make profits off the people, technically providing aid while statistically hurting the populace by not involving them and getting them to stand back up on their own.
Millions of people donate to not profits that claim to be using the money in direct aid. What we forget is that ‘Non-Profit’ is a classification of companies the government deems worthy of corporate tax exemptions, and their motives and actions can be far from sincere. It is widely accepted that under half of the money donated to relief efforts for disasters actually ends up helping in any way at all.
So what does this leave for those who help? The truly selfless souls who donate time, money, and effort (no matter how big or small their contribution); are they all bound like King Sisyphus to an endless struggle. Must we provide aid to each disaster until the next one sends our efforts hurtling downwards to the bottom of the hill?
Shaine Grogan
New Orleans is truly a remarkable place. My first trip to New Orleans last year for Habitat for Humanity I realized how unique the people are down here. Everyone no matter color or wealth seems to have a smile on their faces and love making others smile. The food and spirit in New Orleans is unlike anything I have ever seen . That is why I wanted to come back again this year and help these people out. It’s a shame that the city has so much crime, when it is one of the happiest cities I have ever been to and I feel that with a little outside help the crime can be limited
So far on this trip I have spent time cleaning the Village, which is the Lower Ninth Ward Community Center. The center has many hazards for children and needs many renovations. It could be a great place for the kids of the Lower Ninth Ward Community. Today we finished building a roof for the shed. Yesterday we went to a Ranch and it was a great experience. I rode a horse for the first time. We helped to clean up the ranch and make it more suitable for children.
Coming to New Orleans is an awesome experience! It makes you feel good to help the people that have faced a disaster. Seeing those people is what keeps you motivated. I also got to have some fun and see the city of New Orleans. I’m excited for the BCS National Championship on Monday night. I plan to root for LSU as they are New Orlean’s team. New Orleans is a great place.
So far on this trip I have spent time cleaning the Village, which is the Lower Ninth Ward Community Center. The center has many hazards for children and needs many renovations. It could be a great place for the kids of the Lower Ninth Ward Community. Today we finished building a roof for the shed. Yesterday we went to a Ranch and it was a great experience. I rode a horse for the first time. We helped to clean up the ranch and make it more suitable for children.
Coming to New Orleans is an awesome experience! It makes you feel good to help the people that have faced a disaster. Seeing those people is what keeps you motivated. I also got to have some fun and see the city of New Orleans. I’m excited for the BCS National Championship on Monday night. I plan to root for LSU as they are New Orlean’s team. New Orleans is a great place.
Kyle Bonaccorso
It is depressing to think that in August of 2005, an entire community was destroyed. The Lower Ninth Ward was under up to 32 feet of water. Everyone was forced out of their homes, and those who didn’t get out were killed as a result of the storm. This disaster was very tragic, but what is even more tragic is the way we, as a nation, handled it. We did not give the people affected the proper support network in order to help them through the adverse time. People were bussed out all across the country and many are just waiting for a chance to come back. Sadly though, the Lower Ninth Ward doesn’t look that much better than it did six years ago. There are still houses with holes in the roof where people had tunneled out of their attic to escape the water. The schools were destroyed and only one is currently functioning. The kids need a place to get an education and one school is not sufficient. Building more schools and educating the kids is important to potentially bringing down the crime rate. In order for anything to actually happen, there needs to be organization.
Having been to the Lower Ninth Ward Village two years in a row, I have witnessed the start of a vision becoming reality. Mack wants to see his village become a community center which will help bring people back to their homes. His goal is to change the way that people embrace disaster. The work that has been done over the last couple days has made a huge impact and has turned the Village into a comfortable and fun place for people of all ages. We cleared out a lot of space that was only being used for storage and turned it into a small library and game room. We also cleaned up the backyard and removed the broken windows. We have set up a framework for other volunteer organizations to pick up where we left off. It is great to know that when we leave this place, we will have made a big difference. This disaster was embraced completely wrong. But it serves as a good lesson. We can learn from this and make sure that if we ever encounter another disaster, we will embrace it correctly.
Having been to the Lower Ninth Ward Village two years in a row, I have witnessed the start of a vision becoming reality. Mack wants to see his village become a community center which will help bring people back to their homes. His goal is to change the way that people embrace disaster. The work that has been done over the last couple days has made a huge impact and has turned the Village into a comfortable and fun place for people of all ages. We cleared out a lot of space that was only being used for storage and turned it into a small library and game room. We also cleaned up the backyard and removed the broken windows. We have set up a framework for other volunteer organizations to pick up where we left off. It is great to know that when we leave this place, we will have made a big difference. This disaster was embraced completely wrong. But it serves as a good lesson. We can learn from this and make sure that if we ever encounter another disaster, we will embrace it correctly.
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