When I get a chance to lend a hand to a worthy cause I am more than happy to help.  I enjoy giving back to both my community and communities that are further away.  I am involved with a number of different charity groups and am always looking for new ways to be involved in a good cause.  Below are some photos and my written reaction from a trip to Buras, LA that were all taken over a year after Katrina! 

 

  

 

     As the sun comes up in Buras, Louisiana it reveals destruction and a way of life interrupted. The residents who make up this small fishing village still have their hometown pride; however, their homes and town have been destroyed. Buras is where Katrina first made landfall. The storm hit in August 2005, however, much of the area in the Plaquemines Parish is still in ruins.
      It is now 2007 and hardly a building exists that is not severely damaged. Some are still used without walls or an adequate roof. The Buras Fire Department is operating out of a building with no walls and a portable toilet out front. Trash lies alongside many of the roads and in front of buildings. The rich estuaries of the area are full of trash and rusting automobiles.
      As we drove into the area we were taken aback by the sights. We worked with a group called Emergency Communities. They had established a community center including a full soup kitchen, resource distribution center, internet café, laundry mat, library, and children’s play area. This was all housed in the rubble of what used to be the local YMCA. Mud still caked the ceilings and only one side of the building had a wall.
     Some of the only buildings that were in decent shape were the appallingly small FEMA trailers. Families were packed into these trailers like sardines, and the frustration and anger resonated throughout the trailer park. These trailers were smaller than many of our living rooms. We would show up in the afternoons and bring food to the kids and spend some time playing with them in the rusty ruins of the court house. Plans for a playground were talked about, but there were no signs of it.
     In this area there was no escaping the tragedy and devastation. Piles of trash and rubble lay next to the foundations of many buildings, serving as a constant reminder of the tragedy and providing a rodent breeding gournd.  Unfortunatly, there was no evidence of any efforts to remedy this situation.

     In the distribution center families waited with high hopes that a pot or pan might come through the tent flaps. I personally had numerous families praise me and hug me just for carrying such items into the tent. Basic supplies such as water and food were still difficult to come by this January. However, one of the most amazing things was the people’s hope. Clearly nature dealt them a very unfortunate blow and then their government did little to help. However, the people down in the Plaquemines Parish aren’t full of hate, they are full of optimism.
     “Hard work and time,” I heard that line so many times it has now become ingrained in me too. The people were inspired by the hard working groups of volunteers that were coming to the area from all over to lend a hand in whatever way they could.
     The devastation has had impacts on the animals and environment in the area as well. Rodent poison was given out for free on Tuesdays, unfortunately finding its way into the mouths of many hungry animals. Other animals are eating out of areas polluted with chemical and physical waste. Rusting cars and old household supplies are releasing dangerous chemicals into the rich estuaries. The environmental impacts of this catastrophe will be felt for decades in the area's ecosystems.
     The entire area feels more like the third world than a small town south of New Orleans. I am glad that I was able to witness these sights and emotions, and lend a hand. It is through each of our own actions that we shape the world around us and others. Your actions and thoughts make a difference to everyone, especially those in need. 

 • Go to http://www.angelfire.com/la/dwalker/katrina.html and see what has happened through a local’s eyes.
 • Go to http://www.peopleforplaquemines.org/ for information on the group that has just taken over for emergency communities in June 07