Aug 29, 2008

Volunteer helps rebuild a county

St. Bernard Parish still feels the toll of Hurricane Katrina

By Kail Lubarsky / Special to the Daily News

Today marks the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

As a resident of the Bay Area writing for a local paper, it's practically pointless to ask you to recall where you were when "She" ravaged the Gulf Coast. However, it's worth asking, if out of curiosity alone, "Whatever happened to all those people the media referenced as refugees? Does anyone actually still live in a FEMA trailer? Has everything returned to normal?

I would like to share answers to such questions based upon my experiences as a relief work volunteer in St. Bernard Parish, La. Don't be surprised if you're unfamiliar with this place. Much of the media coverage focused on New Orleans and eclipsed attention to St. Bernard - the only county in United States history to be declared 100 percent destroyed.

I have no familial roots to the area, and no, I am not from the South and quite frankly never desired to visit prior to August 2005. However, those initial broadcast images of the elderly draped in soiled bed linen - left to decompose in the sweltering sun - babies suffering from dehydration and families rendered homeless, outraged me in such a capacity that it was a choice-less choice for me. I knew I had to join the cause and be part of the operation to rebuild the Gulf Coast.

My first trip to New Orleans in May 2007 placed me front and center with images far worse than I saw on television and print. Almost two years after the storm, riding in the cab from the MSY airport into St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana was extremely surreal.

My eyes were seared with sights of residents perched upon dilapidated porches and seeing the ominous "X" appearing like a poorly done tattoo on all homes, apartment complexes and buildings. No longer the innocuous letter of the alphabet, but rather a stark symbol indicating and marking the Inspecting Agency, date of inspection and the number of dead people and pets located inside.

We drove past an area where a hospital once was. All that remained were a few block letters suspended from wires on the building, reminding me of the childhood game Hang Man. There were no street signs, rather cardboards placed on stakes naming the location. A distinctive stench of sewage was yet another apparent signature of Katrina. I couldn't believe I was in the United States, for the unequivocal lack of basic infrastructure made me feel I was in an underdeveloped country.

When I arrived to Camp Hope, the largest entity in the country housing volunteers, I was reluctant to get out of the cab. I felt that I was in over my head and questioned exactly what it was I thought I could do to make a difference. However, such trepidations subsided after my first couple days of work.

I was assigned to rebuild a home for John and Dagmar Booth. Both were well in their 60s and still living in a FEMA trailer. However, you would've never known that was the case. They were not solemn or depressed but rather grateful to be alive and appreciative that they had not been forgotten. Volunteers, not governmental agencies or entities, are the sole support for rebuilding homes post-Katrina.

John and I made an immediate connection based on the similarity I bore to his admittedly favorite daughter - Colette. Practically immediately thereafter, he shared his account of surviving the storm. John was displaced from his wife for days and feared she had been killed. He pointed to the house down the street where his dear friend was found floating in the attic. John is one of two unofficial historians of St. Bernard Parish and has the most amazing facts and figures pertaining to the area pre- and post-Katrina.

Both John and Dagmar came to their house as often as their health and circumstances would permit. They repeatedly expressed their gratitude for the volunteers. John went so far as to erect a camping stove in his backyard to cook lunch for us. On Mondays, John made the traditional red beans and rice, and we ate crawfish on Fridays.

I also met Steve Gonzales, another resident well into his 60s and the second unofficial historian of the parish. He lost his beloved wife Joann of 40 years to a Katrina-related illness. He too lives in a trailer - and you would never know from his outgoing and gregarious personality that such was the case.

Both Steve and John take interested volunteers around the parish, showing them the devastation of the storm. For Steve, these tours sustain him and give his life meaning. He volunteers with the community center and, like John, prepares food on the weekend for the volunteers at Camp Hope.

Steve made me promise that I would never forget what I saw and experienced while living in the South. He asked that I not forget St. Bernard Parish and let others know the truth of what remains.

The truth of the matter is simple. St. Bernard Parish needs help to rebuild, even and especially so three years after the storm. There are more than 1,800 families still living in FEMA trailers as of date. The most vulnerable residents inclusive of the elderly, disabled and single families, remain in untenable housing. St. Bernard Parish bears no resemblance to its sister New Orleans, in that there is no resurgence of businesses and basic amenities of life. In fact, the skeletal clinics and medical facilities are still operating out of trailers. The retail stores have not returned and only a handful of restaurants have. The public library was opened in January 2008 and is also operating from a trailer.

The so-called refugees, a term that I vehemently reject, are scattered in nearby states of Florida, Texas and Mississippi. Too many people are still relegated to living in FEMA trailers, and hence life has not returned to normal.

Thankfully, a nonprofit organization called the St. Bernard Project is working diligently to rebuild St. Bernard Parish.

Their formula is remarkably simple: 12 weeks of volunteer labor + $12,000 for building supplies = 1 rebuilt home.

This organization provides critical support for those in dire need. I'll rejoin this organization today to participate in a commemorative 24-Hour Build, wherein 150 volunteers from across the country will rebuild five homes. This will be an amazing opportunity to be part of as we'll literally rescue five deserving families from their FEMA trailers.

One person absolutely can make a difference. If you're interested in joining the cause to rebuild the Gulf Coast, please contact the St. Bernard Project and they'll happily assure you that you made the right choice and put you to work. I promise the rewards of doing so will exceed even your wildest expectations.



ON THE WEB

www.stbernardproject.org