Since I just posted the old news, I thought maybe it was time to update on some new news. ;o)
We have now been in New Orleans for about a week, and I think all of us are quite pleased with the area so far. :o)
Our house is located in a good area of town. We aren't far from the streetcar line and major streets. We have 3 bedrooms in the house, a kitchen, dining room, sitting room (complete with a coat of armor) and a front and back porch. Basically, we've got some good digs. ;o) The rooming situation is working out pretty well. Some people (not myself) are lucky enough to be on beds. Some of us have cots, kind of like the good ole days back in Boise (but far less squeaky). All in all, it seems to be going well!
Our work with Green Light New Orleans has gone really well over the last week. We really enjoy working with the other people in the office, and going into people's homes has been really interesting. Our typical work day in the field looks a little bit like this:
- 7:30am Team muster and get ready to go to office
- 8:00am Arrive at office. Load up the van with CFLs and get assignments for where to go for the day.
- 9:00am On the road! Off to the first house. We usually drive. The houses are all in the same zip code so we aren't driving all over the city every day. Each house tends to have around 30 light bulbs to be replaced.
- 12:00pm After doing 3-4 houses in the morning, we find a nice park to stop for our sack lunches.
- 1:00pm Back on the road! Usually finishing with 4-5 houses in the afternoon.
- 4:00pm Arrive back at the office. Drop off and sort out our recycling from the day and dispose of the old incandescent light bulbs. Assist the people in the office as needed. Make sure that all the CFLs for the next day are separated out into groups.
- 5:00pm Back to the house! Time for PT, dinner, and various other meetings and fun Blue 4 lovin'. :o)
We've had 1-2 team members stay back in the office to do the calling for the next day. For that, we pull up all the applicants in a particular area and call them to see if they are available for CFL installation the next day. There are other volunteer groups with Green Light New Orleans, so we set appointments for those groups in addition to our own AmeriCorps NCCC set of appointments. It works pretty well, because we rotate the people who work in the office. That way, the people who are calling on the phone are also the people who work in the field the next day, and are able to install the bulbs for the people they called. It's working really well, and everyone seems to be happy.
It seems like we aren't often going into areas that are still outwardly showing the effect of the recent hurricanes. There are some areas that are most noticeable than others. This is my first time to NOLA, so I have no conception of what the area was before the hurricane, nor right after it. This will be the New Orleans I remember, and this is a strong New Orleans. The people are friendly, and it's not that I see signs of devastation, but rather signs of improvement. This appears to be a strong community, one that is growing and rebuilding and making itself better. I am excited to get to spend two more weeks here, and I hope to continue to learn about the area.
Peace,
Emily
1 comment:
Blue Four
Thanks for posting this blog that keeps us parents up to date with what you are doing. If you have time and opportunity, we'd love to see more photos, at least I would since Josh doesn't seem to be particularly enthusiastic about taking pics of what's going on. You (Emily)mentioned that this was your first trip to NOLA and that this will be your memory of the Crescent City. As one who was there just following the storm and then again in Fall of 2006, I am glad to hear your impressions of the place I have come to love. Of course, when I was there helping folks out in 2005, relatively little of the city was operable. The lower 9th ward was still restricted and patrolled by NG from all over. Josh can tell you about the photos and powerpoint I put together showing houses in the middle of the street, cars stacked on top of each other, miles of rubble and the famous barge that rode the waves into the neighborhood where the industrial canal breached the levee. But by early October (I was in the Bayou from 9/19 to 10/14 then in NOLA until 10/24.) the restaurants in the French Quarter were beginning to serve meals on paper plates and platic forks, and the beer was served out of coolers. But the music flowed even more than the beer as those left in the city came out to herald the spirit of renewal, rebirt and fortitude that the cajun people are known for. But, as one waiter told me, this was "New Orleans in disguise." While the tourist sections were being restored to lure back tourist dollars (logically, a good tactic) the poor of this city, those who create the soul and are the soundtrack behind the beating heart of this unique and mysterious place; they had not come back. Their houses were largely gone and they had relocated for good. So another NOLA is being born, and with any luck, it will contnue to be America's least American city, a place where well-dressed grown men will still be called "baby," the smell of chickory coffee will greet you in the morning, and the sweet sounds of trumpets and saxophones will sing you to sleep.
Enjoy your next spike. Do well and do good.
Josh's Dad.
My Financial Assistance detail had its own "escorts" from the NG of Ohio. Not one of them was any older than you folks, and it was a little eerie to have the Humvee following us to and from our site.
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