Round Four Begins

Fourth Round. I continue to ask myself where the time has gone…. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were in the mountains of Tennessee building trails or hammering away at rotted wood in the upper Ninth Ward? First, second, third, and fourth round… that’s what this year has become; defined into quarters, breaks, and natural disasters. In just one month, we’ve had a week long break, witnessed two major hurricanes, and started our last project. Reflecting back on all these experiences has made me realize that in just two short months, we’ll all be saying our goodbyes to people who have become so close to be considered family, who have shared and witnessed both good and bad times together, and who have been there every waking and sleeping moment. It’s incredible.

So what is Earth One doing for fourth round anyway? We are working with St. Bernard Project in St. Bernard, Louisiana, about 30 minutes away from downtown. We are living at Camp Hope, volunteer housing in what was previously a middle school. With St. Bernard Project, we are able to serve as site supervisors, electricians, starters, and runners. For the first time, we are working alongside another AmeriCorps NCCC team, Raven 2 from the Perry Point, Maryland, campus. I am working as a runner, which is basically the person who delivers materials and tools to the worksites, makes frequent trips to Home Depot, and gets to learn the streets in St. Bernard parish really well. As Sam mentioned in the last post, St. Bernard Project was started by two ambitious individuals, Zack and Liz. From just an idea to help families rebuild their homes, they built an organization that has rebuilt at least 70 homes in St. Bernard Parish in this past year alone. With help from over 3,500 volunteers from all over the country, families are able to move back into their flood damaged homes, finally, after over three years of living in FEMA trailers, with other family members, or even in different states.

As I was driving through these neighborhoods today, I was disturbed at the number of homes still in major disrepair. Our efforts during the next six weeks will surely help some families be closer to moving back into their homes; I just wish progress was faster and that every family could have the lives they had pre-Katrina. Sadly, as I look around as the dilapidated store fronts, piles of rubble, and abandoned homes, I’m not sure that will ever happen. Thankfully, there are individuals from all over the country who continue to volunteer to help the rebuilding efforts. Thankfully, my team and I are part of those efforts.

-Maria C.