Greetings from the Rhino 15 to our many supporters both in First & Central and outside our church!
Today was our 4th day at Ferry Place, working with Habitat for Humanity and our fellow Presbyterians from the Rochester, New York Group. It was chilly for New Orleans today, ie, about 50 degrees with wind (we heard of the snow back home - doesn't sound like much accumulated though). Ironically, there was little to do inside the homes, so nearly all of us worked outside today. Staying active all day reduced the impact of the wind and temperature. This evening Rhino 15 had a wonderful dinner in the French Quarter - delicious food and lively conversation. Some of the group miraculously had enough energy to spend some time exploring some of the sights of the Quarter after dinner.
As I personally reflect on the opportunity to help build new homes for those greatly impacted by Hurricane Katrina, I am continually reminded of the many blessings God has provided to me. This mission trip has expanded my awareness of some of the challenges others face on a daily basis. I will take that awareness back with me to keep in my heart and to share with others.
At the end of work day today, our Rhino 15 shared personal expressions of gratitude for
God's love that each of us has experienced this week. We all are so thankful for your support of our mission trip. Truly without you we would not be here. Tomorrow is our last day to support the building of Ferry Place. We have contributed to rebuilding a very small part of New Orleans, but our efforts in combination with those of many others, are making a huge difference in the lives of the future homeowners of Ferry Place. Knowing that fills my heart with happiness.
God's peace to you,
Gary Cooper
Matthew 25:35-40
Friday, November 21, 2008
Good Morning,
our tour of New Orleans was yesterday with Calvin from St. Charles Ave Presbyterian Church. We visited the levees around the river (see picture of Calvin with your F&C-ers on top of the levee). We also toured areas of New Orleans Parish, where much still needs to be done. Many homes remain devastated by Katrina.
Signs of Hope are here though - Musicians Village and Ferry Place are building new homes and life back into New Orleans.
Please see pictures of your friends who are working hard to build Kerry's home and are grateful for your generosity and thoughts and prayers during the week - Rob Laughman
our tour of New Orleans was yesterday with Calvin from St. Charles Ave Presbyterian Church. We visited the levees around the river (see picture of Calvin with your F&C-ers on top of the levee). We also toured areas of New Orleans Parish, where much still needs to be done. Many homes remain devastated by Katrina.
Signs of Hope are here though - Musicians Village and Ferry Place are building new homes and life back into New Orleans.
Please see pictures of your friends who are working hard to build Kerry's home and are grateful for your generosity and thoughts and prayers during the week - Rob Laughman
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A Posting from Annabelle 19 Nov 2008
Hi Supporter, Family and Friends: Today is Wednesday in New Orleans. We have had two full days of work - painting, sweeping up rooms that were finished with painting, unloading a truck with all the cabinets for 2 houses, moving huge pieces of sheetrock (about 40or 50) to be picked up, putting up insulation under a house and all kinds of other things too numerous to mention. It is real work - just as I expected.
There are 27 of us all together. We meet at the worksite at 8:00 a.m. to hear what we will do that day and divide into work groups. Some are putting up siding, some painting siding, some caulking, some nailing up the roof of the porch, pulling weeds and moving junk from the site where 7 houses are in all stages of being built. Three are completed and two people settled on their homes today. Three will be in for Thanksgiving and I think all of the other 4 before Christmas.
Yesterday I had a chance to talk with one of the new owners who was working off his 70 plus hours of sweat equity his family has to do before they move in. But before this all Habitat owners have gone through a rigorous learning about debt and personal finance. They have to be debt free and be able to handle the mortgage ($75,000 in New Orleans and I think $105,000 in Wilmington.) The process that these families go through is so thorough that they are trained to be home owners and will be great citizens that will care about their community because the houses are built in clusters providing a support system for each other.
The church that is sponsoring our crew provided us with a wonderful meal last night with all typical New Orleans food. And tonight again they will feed us as well as provided us with lunch on Tuesday. Thursday night we will go to private homes of church members. They having been doing this drill for going on 3 years now. And they are so grateful for us - amazing and so humbling to see such dedicated people.But also we have run into natives here when we have been picking up things or leaving the hotel and they all have thanked us. People in New Orleans are very grateful for the work crews that come to work in their city.And we have driven through the city going to the church and have seen majestic beautiful homes that probably had little damage - but not many blocks away are empty boarded up houses up and down the streets. These are the people who had meager shotgun type houses and have not been able to come back to New Orleans.
One man I talked to today told me the street over from where we are working is all empty. I walked over there today and house after house is empty, boarded up and some with doors open and furniture piled up that can be seen through the open door. One house on the street is being gutted and worked on. The street and block where we are working has two original houses, one lived in and one empty. Habitat has several sites all over the city and over 100 houses being built per year.We will take a tour on Thursday afternoon to see where the devastation has taken its toll. Some of the volunteers have come back for 3 times from Rochester, New York and 3 of our group are back for the second time. they have seen life come back to the city.
But it has a long way to go for the poorest of its natives. Two different people shared their stories of paying between 3 and 400$ for their rent to find the place that they came back to had the rent raised to 800-900$/month.
Thank you again for your donation. Several of our participants would not be here if they had to pay for their way. I feel blessed to have your support, friendship and love.
Till next time, Annabelle
There are 27 of us all together. We meet at the worksite at 8:00 a.m. to hear what we will do that day and divide into work groups. Some are putting up siding, some painting siding, some caulking, some nailing up the roof of the porch, pulling weeds and moving junk from the site where 7 houses are in all stages of being built. Three are completed and two people settled on their homes today. Three will be in for Thanksgiving and I think all of the other 4 before Christmas.
Yesterday I had a chance to talk with one of the new owners who was working off his 70 plus hours of sweat equity his family has to do before they move in. But before this all Habitat owners have gone through a rigorous learning about debt and personal finance. They have to be debt free and be able to handle the mortgage ($75,000 in New Orleans and I think $105,000 in Wilmington.) The process that these families go through is so thorough that they are trained to be home owners and will be great citizens that will care about their community because the houses are built in clusters providing a support system for each other.
The church that is sponsoring our crew provided us with a wonderful meal last night with all typical New Orleans food. And tonight again they will feed us as well as provided us with lunch on Tuesday. Thursday night we will go to private homes of church members. They having been doing this drill for going on 3 years now. And they are so grateful for us - amazing and so humbling to see such dedicated people.But also we have run into natives here when we have been picking up things or leaving the hotel and they all have thanked us. People in New Orleans are very grateful for the work crews that come to work in their city.And we have driven through the city going to the church and have seen majestic beautiful homes that probably had little damage - but not many blocks away are empty boarded up houses up and down the streets. These are the people who had meager shotgun type houses and have not been able to come back to New Orleans.
One man I talked to today told me the street over from where we are working is all empty. I walked over there today and house after house is empty, boarded up and some with doors open and furniture piled up that can be seen through the open door. One house on the street is being gutted and worked on. The street and block where we are working has two original houses, one lived in and one empty. Habitat has several sites all over the city and over 100 houses being built per year.We will take a tour on Thursday afternoon to see where the devastation has taken its toll. Some of the volunteers have come back for 3 times from Rochester, New York and 3 of our group are back for the second time. they have seen life come back to the city.
But it has a long way to go for the poorest of its natives. Two different people shared their stories of paying between 3 and 400$ for their rent to find the place that they came back to had the rent raised to 800-900$/month.
Thank you again for your donation. Several of our participants would not be here if they had to pay for their way. I feel blessed to have your support, friendship and love.
Till next time, Annabelle
November 19, 2008
Wednesday, the second day of building at the Ferry St. site. Warmer than it was yesterday, but still unseasonably chilly in the morning. My crew now has three members, Patrick, Brian, and now Jake, all from upstate, New York. Our assignment is to complete the back porch to Kerry's house. We finished the three stringers for the lower stairs, and will put the treads and risers on tomorrow. We'll only have the morning to work because we'll be taking a tour of New Orleans tomorrow afternoon. Even though Ferry street has been cleaned up and now has seven or eight brand new houses, I'm anxious to see the streets that still show the devastation of Katrina.
After dinner this evening, we held our daily devotional session in one of the large pre-civil-war homes next to Saint Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church (SCAPC). The leader this evening asked each of us to give our description or impression of what "home" means to us. As we went around the room, each of the 15 RHINO's shared an experience or observation of their idea of "home". "It's wherever I hang my hat". "It's wherever Jim and I live". "It's a place my family lives". "It's where I grew up". "It's the place I go to feel secure". "It's where I am surrounded with love". "It's a refuge from trouble". We all agreed that "home" was more than just a building. It involves our relationships, our happiness, our security, our life.
Then we saw Act 1 of Spike Lee's film "When The Levies Broke" on DVD. Thousands of people were left without "home", without that security, without that happiness, without that feeling of belonging. This is what the folks in New Orleans lost. Not just a building.
We are so blessed to be able to say we have a "home", and, thanks to the generosity of our friends, relatives, and co-workers, are are able to engage in this wonderful task of restoring "home" to folks who have lost everything.
Mac McKay
After dinner this evening, we held our daily devotional session in one of the large pre-civil-war homes next to Saint Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church (SCAPC). The leader this evening asked each of us to give our description or impression of what "home" means to us. As we went around the room, each of the 15 RHINO's shared an experience or observation of their idea of "home". "It's wherever I hang my hat". "It's wherever Jim and I live". "It's a place my family lives". "It's where I grew up". "It's the place I go to feel secure". "It's where I am surrounded with love". "It's a refuge from trouble". We all agreed that "home" was more than just a building. It involves our relationships, our happiness, our security, our life.
Then we saw Act 1 of Spike Lee's film "When The Levies Broke" on DVD. Thousands of people were left without "home", without that security, without that happiness, without that feeling of belonging. This is what the folks in New Orleans lost. Not just a building.
We are so blessed to be able to say we have a "home", and, thanks to the generosity of our friends, relatives, and co-workers, are are able to engage in this wonderful task of restoring "home" to folks who have lost everything.
Mac McKay
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Our First Day on Site at Ferry Place
Monday was a travel day, and today we went to Ferry Place in New Orleans. Today we met Kerry, who helped us work on his home. We put up cement board siding, moved drywall, organized CONEX containers, moved drywall and off loaded kitchen cabinets and painted interior walls.
Everyone pitched in and did some amazing work today - from cutting siding, to hanging siding, to painting and organizing, to moving cabinets, to moving drywall, to helping Kerry build his home...
Having been here last year--What a Difference a Year Makes, the transformation of Ferry Place is nice to see - 5 new brightly painted homes soon to be or already being handed over to new owners, one of which will be Kerry (see his photo)! One more family, one more home, a day at a time, and made possible by the generosity of First & Central - and all of you are here with us here as we build!. The continuing generosity of St. Charles Ave Presbyterian Church, and RHINO, and countless others, that have contributed to building colorful homes (the color palette being selected by the home owners themselves) that will make 14 new home sites at Ferry Place.
We met some new friends from Rodchester (Ginger and Elise, two of 10) who help Dick Stell prepare siding for Kerry's home (see photo).
Take a look at the photos - you will recognize many of those you helped sponsor to make a difference in New Orleans. Mac McKay - decking a porch, Many of us trying to stay warm on chilly (yes we know not as chilly as home) morning meeting to set up the days events. Annabelle Kressman and Irma Jimenez painting Kerry's home's interior.
Its getting late - I've had my Ibuprofen bedtime chaser,
and my bunk mates (Gary Cooper and Mac McKay would like to get some sleep tonight) as would I.
Jeannine & Nick -thanks for letting me come, First & Central-ites - thank you for your generosity - Kerry will get a new home thanks in large part to your help.
- God Bless and Thank you for affording us this Opportunity to help others. Rob Laughman
Everyone pitched in and did some amazing work today - from cutting siding, to hanging siding, to painting and organizing, to moving cabinets, to moving drywall, to helping Kerry build his home...
Having been here last year--What a Difference a Year Makes, the transformation of Ferry Place is nice to see - 5 new brightly painted homes soon to be or already being handed over to new owners, one of which will be Kerry (see his photo)! One more family, one more home, a day at a time, and made possible by the generosity of First & Central - and all of you are here with us here as we build!. The continuing generosity of St. Charles Ave Presbyterian Church, and RHINO, and countless others, that have contributed to building colorful homes (the color palette being selected by the home owners themselves) that will make 14 new home sites at Ferry Place.
We met some new friends from Rodchester (Ginger and Elise, two of 10) who help Dick Stell prepare siding for Kerry's home (see photo).
Take a look at the photos - you will recognize many of those you helped sponsor to make a difference in New Orleans. Mac McKay - decking a porch, Many of us trying to stay warm on chilly (yes we know not as chilly as home) morning meeting to set up the days events. Annabelle Kressman and Irma Jimenez painting Kerry's home's interior.
Its getting late - I've had my Ibuprofen bedtime chaser,
and my bunk mates (Gary Cooper and Mac McKay would like to get some sleep tonight) as would I.
Jeannine & Nick -thanks for letting me come, First & Central-ites - thank you for your generosity - Kerry will get a new home thanks in large part to your help.
- God Bless and Thank you for affording us this Opportunity to help others. Rob Laughman
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Anticipation - Why do you go?
Why do I do what I do in New Orleans? Because children of God need help. Although its July and November seems like an eternity away, it will be here before we know it. I sure hope we run into Maude Renfroe again - which would be a great way of celebrating our next trip to NOLA.
I look forward to going with and FNC crew. Tolerance, love and tiredness you can only imagine mixed with unbelievable joy and knowing that what we do makes a difference and thats what makes the trip worth it. Excited? Scared? You need to risk a little to gain a little. 5 months and counting! I can hardly wait - May you find a little peace tonight - Rob Laughman
I look forward to going with and FNC crew. Tolerance, love and tiredness you can only imagine mixed with unbelievable joy and knowing that what we do makes a difference and thats what makes the trip worth it. Excited? Scared? You need to risk a little to gain a little. 5 months and counting! I can hardly wait - May you find a little peace tonight - Rob Laughman
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Time for Contemplation
Hello Again - Its been 3 days since I have returned and Life is returning to the routine. I miss the folks who spent time helping others and trying to do our little piece of re-building New Orleans.
The St Charles and Rhino staff provided us with a tour of still devastated New Orleans - from Metieare's missing homes and slow rebuilding to the total devastation of homes from the lower ninth ward. When I stood next to the van and surveyed mile upon mile of foundation with missing home while I listened to Larry, our tour guide, speak of floating homes and missing families, I could no longer speak, and could barely hold back the tears for the suffering and loss. Even today, this piece of the tour is hard to describe - just imagining block upon block of missing homes that belonged to someone who can't afford to return....and that many floated from foundations once the levy broke, with families inside.....
What hope RHINO and St Charles bring to even a small portion of New Orleans. I cannot wait to return again and help the victims of Katrina - for what more reason other than they need a hand.... Rob L.
The St Charles and Rhino staff provided us with a tour of still devastated New Orleans - from Metieare's missing homes and slow rebuilding to the total devastation of homes from the lower ninth ward. When I stood next to the van and surveyed mile upon mile of foundation with missing home while I listened to Larry, our tour guide, speak of floating homes and missing families, I could no longer speak, and could barely hold back the tears for the suffering and loss. Even today, this piece of the tour is hard to describe - just imagining block upon block of missing homes that belonged to someone who can't afford to return....and that many floated from foundations once the levy broke, with families inside.....
What hope RHINO and St Charles bring to even a small portion of New Orleans. I cannot wait to return again and help the victims of Katrina - for what more reason other than they need a hand.... Rob L.
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