New Orleans Story

New Orleans, Lousiana USA
Saturday January 28-Sunday February 5, 2006
FIVE MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA

SCROLL TO END OF STORY TO SEE MY PICTURES

PROLOGUE:
Time stopped. I was transported to a place (possibly another planet) where time did not exist, there was no news or television. I was truly in another world. A world without plumbing or privacy. A world where electricity was generated by diesel fueled machines and unreliable at best. A world where every day was the same (except for the differences). I got up in a dark tent, dressed in the dark and came back at night for the reverse experience. They tell me I was in New Orleans, Louisiana USA--5 months after Hurricane Katrina, but for me time really did stand still for this one week of my life.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: To be posted soon.

THE VOLUNTEERS: To be posted soon.

PEOPLE I MET ON THE STREET:

• S is for SOAP---Each day I had the opportunity to go to the warehouse and choose items to put on my Canteen to be given out that day. One day a team member of mine noticed a clear plastic bag with about 24 bars of unwrapped soap in it. "What can we do with this?" I recalled some small plastic bags in the truck so we wrapped each bar in a little bag and set them out on a table to be given away at the corner of Cleveland and Claiborne. Over the next couple of days the soaps were gone and forgotten. A man came for a meal, he quickly ate his food and I began chatting with him. I asked "What can we do for you today, sir?" He looked at the ground. "No really, if there was something we could do for you what would it be?" (sometimes I get myself into difficulties). He quietly responded, "I would really like a bar of soap." "I think I have a bar of soap, don't go away!" There was a box of odds and ends I had been collecting, stuff I was considering throwing out; one toothbrush in cellophane, one dental floss, one small dirty bottle of shampoo, a variety of "stuff" and you guessed it---ONE BAR OF SOAP IN A SMALL PLASTIC BAG. Isn't it great when we get just what we need! I'm sure I was more blessed to give that bar of soap to this man than he was to get it. "Thank you" and he was gone. Now perhaps he has forgotten me, or perhaps not. One thing I know for sure, God provided the bar of soap at just the right time and I will not forget that. God is so good, even in the seemingly small things.
• P is for Pudding---- coming soon
• H is for Help-----How a tragedy brings us together
• 
  MY GREATEST CHANGE:
  
  The first day or two I went out to serve hot meals to folks here in New Orleans there was plenty of food, in fact we had containers of left overs that had to be thrown out! I found this very upsetting, throwing away perfectly good eats. After all, I have been raised to believe "waste not, want not", "join the clean plate club", and the all time favorite--"there are children in China who are hungry".
  
  The last day I was in New Orleans we ran out of food to serve. My team and I were sent out with only hot dogs (no buns), pork & beans, and canned pears or peaches and bottled water. That Saturday there were no pudding cups, throat losengers, or snacks of any kind to be given out. We first ran out of hot dogs. I radioed the kitchen and asked if we could get some more food. They said to give out what we had and then come on back to the kitchen, so we served just the beans and fruit. In fairly short order we ran out of both of those.
  
  My team and I really had no choice but to pack up and drive back to the Salvation Army Service Center. However, people kept coming to eat. We gave away lunches we had brought from Camp Algiers, snacks from backpacks and purses, we even reopened the cambros (insulated containers for food) and scraped a few more servings out of them.
  
  This was a very sad situation. After all, we are all involved with this project because we want to feed hungry people. The packing up for my last day in New Orleans continued.
  
  We were almost ready to go when a man walked up to me and asked if we had any food left, he asked for anything we had "I'm really hungry" he said. I went to the cab of the truck and started digging through my tote bag; I had some trail mix (for the plane ride home), a small container of dry cereal, a couple of pieces of chocolate. The rest of my team was trying to come up with something to give this man to eat. I handed him the trail mix, that's when something surprising happened--he said "Don't give that to me, give it to the couple walking up now. They haven't eaten in a couple of days".
  
  The approaching man and woman had come by yesterday after we ran out of food. They were really hungry. I spoke with them for a few minutes, gave them the meager bag of trail mix. Someone else on my team gave them a case of water. The woman said she wanted her husband to eat whatever they could find as he had been giving all the food to her and their children. He had lost alot of weight. They had both lost their jobs after the hurricane and were living in a hotel room with their 2 children. FEMA paid for the room, but there was little other money. We made plans to have the new team bring canned food out to them the next day. "But what will we eat today?" she asked. Someone in the truck found some instant hot chocolate, but it called for milk to mix it with. "We'll mix it with the water", she said.
  
  I was now in what had to be the most heartbreaking situation I've ever encountered. I'm sure the rest of the team was feeling the same. What could we do? I did the only thing a person can do when nothing else can be done. I said, "Well, I want you to know-I will not forget you. I will be praying for you." I held my hand out to the husband for a handshake, he responded by hugging me.
  
  As I drove off in the truck, (with my team members safe in a van following me) I saw the first man sitting by the curb with a sign. I think it said "Will work for food".
  I will not forget these people. But I have learned a great lesson. I have decided that from now on if I have extra food that cannot be eaten, instead of being upset about throwing it out I will thank God that everyone in my house has had enough to eat.
  
  Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will it be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
  
  
  
  
  
  Please check back to read the rest of my story, will try to post soon.
  
  Paula

View behind Cleveland site.

This was a large tree, what you can't see is the house to the right, which was totally destroyed.

This is what we came for, helping people.

So many people are hungry and hurting. They came on foot, bicycle, car, semi-trucks, and even drove heavy equipment to our location to receive hot meals, other needed items, and prayer.

Inside Canteen; serving hot meals.

Kelly, Komal, and Jackie served food from inside the Canteen this day.

The Canteen set up

This is the Canteen I drove each day. We were busy much of the time, but tried to be sensitive to the people we served and elected not photograph them.

My Location: Claiborne & Cleveland

This is a pretty good depiction of our site. The Superdome is to the right and only a short walking distance away.

Napolean Canteen

This Canteen was set up under the overhang of a closed gas station.

Inside Oscar's Canteen

Oscar & Sandy serving food.

Corner of Claiborne & Napolean

As seen from the Canteen at this site, no traffic signals, electricity, plumbing or businesses open here. We are the only place to get food for some distance.

Dining hall and Live Oak Tree

The dining hall served 3 hot meals a day. I didn't know they served lunch until someone told me on my last day in camp--I was never there for lunch!

Part of our Michigan group.

Outside a sleeping tent at Camp Algiers. Mom, do your recognize the tote bag?

White hoses blow heat into the tents.

Camp Algiers is powered only by generators. I heard they use 14,000 gallons of diesel fuel each day.

About half the residents are military.

We felt right at home among the Army National Guard. The camp was safe to walk day or night; alone or in groups.

More sleeping tents for volunteers.

Each of these tents sleep about 200. Our tent was co-ed and nearly full most of the week.

Our "Home Sweet Home"

This was our "home". Notice the nice row of Port-O-Lets just outside the front door.

200 Person Tent--always dark.

The tent was always dark as people worked all different shifts. We came home in the dark and got up in the dark, flashlights were a necessity.

"Welcome Home" sign at the Airport

Warnings people receive when returning home; wear a face mask, don't use cell phones, etc.

Chicago Airport (same day), what a difference!

This is what we know as a typically busy airport, Chicago--but look at the photos of the New Orleans Airport!

New Orleans Airport, not too busy.

One would expect this airport to be busy, but we pretty much had the place to ourselves. There were a few eateries open, but not many.

Group photo at the NO airport.

This was only part of our group of 33 from Michigan, but the only group photo we got!

Larry & Karen

Hi Larry & Karen, we had a great time serving with you and playing cards--but not the "evil" ones.

Cruise ships docked on the Mississippi River

Cruise ships are docked on both sides of the Mississippi Bridge. They provide housing for Police Officers, Fire Fighters, and other essential workers.

Youth With A Mission (YWAM)

This was a wonderful group we served with, from Montana. Thanks for inspiring us!!!

Gary spend most of his week with the forklift.

You know, you just never forget how to operate one of these things.

Waiting was the order of the day...

It was frequently a "hurry up and wait" situation.

That was me behind the wheel.

Waiting in line to load my Canteen. It was a great experience, even though I really did not know what I was volunteering for.