Katrina Corps

I was the church member that Tim referred to in his blog [earlier]. Thanks
again, Tim, for answering the call!
I found volunteering with Katrina Corps a very “doable” andincredibly moving experience. Katrina Corps formed in December 2006 with a main purpose to help open more classrooms in the crowded, post-Katrina New Orleans public schools. The guesthouse, a former Civil War infants orphanage, is across the street from a small coffeehouse with an ATM and just up the street from many little restaurants and shops. While the accommodations may seem a bit primitive, they were better than the “sleep on a church floor” or in a tent that many volunteers earlier volunteers reported in New Orleans’ relief efforts.
The actual work we did the week of July 29 was not that hard — trimming woodwork, or painting walls. It was made difficult only when we worked without air conditioning. That happened a lot at John McDonogh High School, but with enough Gatorade and water, we still could keep painting. It felt good to think about how the teachers and students would be pleased with the fresh look to the aging building. Being from Wisconsin’s Packerland, we also were pleased to paint the school’s green-and-gold color scheme.
We met with many locals after our volunteering was done for the day (usually we painted from 8 to about 3 p.m.), and were able to experience the music and magic of Bourbon Street, Preservation Hall, etc. as well. The AARP article was badly needed; one New Orleans community leader (Ms. Antoinette K-Doe, Mother-in-Law Lounge) said she has seen several elderly return to their homes only to die a few days later. Their neighborhoods are destroyed, the weeds form a jungle that is very difficult to cut through, and the corner grocery stores (and the many churches) are gone. We took the “misery tour” of the lower 9th Ward and were stunned by the losses of lovely homes and whole neighborhoods. Once in a while, you would see someone rebuilding, but the going is slow, and the tales of scams are great ($3,000 to put a cheap blue tarp over a roof of a home owned by an older person). Hand-painted signs mark the street names — evidence that no government spending was happening in that neighborhood.
Still, the heart of New Orleans is beating. We were treated to a concert at Preservation Hall on our last night. When the band began to play, “Just a Closer Walk With Thee,” the the trumpets, trombone and tuba poured out a mournful tune that resounded the sorrow of the losses the city has experienced. But behind the drummer was a large window. A young boy, maybe three or four years old, began to dance behind the glass. The New Orleans spirit, like the Mississippi River, rolls on, working its magic and mystery on its visitors.
See you in 2008!

Maggie
Woodlands School
Milwaukee, WI