 Sometimes all it takes to make a difference is to start. What began as a conversation about a news story became two weeks of hard work, friendship, sweat, aching bodies, kindness, cold showers, appreciation, learning, and joy. 27 members of First U, along with some friends from other Midwest churches, drove to New Orleans and spent one week in July, one in August, doing what we could to help out with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the floods that followed.
We were fortunate to be housed in the Volunteer Center at First Unitarian Universalist Church in New Orleans. Their second floor classroom area had not been flooded (though the first floor had been under about four feet of water for several weeks), and they had, with the assistance of other volunteers, made dormitory space and a full kitchen to house anybody who came to work, as no cost to the volunteers. The UU church of Baton Rouge provided volunteer coordination and directed us to places where we could do the most good. During the two weeks our crews spent there we: gutted three houses; talked with a number of New Orleans residents to learn about how things really are for them, and how we could be of real service; moved the boards from 1st UU’s pews so they could begin to think about worshipping in their own sanctuary again; ate wonderful food prepared by the fabulous cooks who were part of our work groups; put in a garden at the front of the church; gutted one building and tore down a garage and other outbuildings so a group could create a new community center; toured the Lower Ninth Ward to see firsthand the devastation that most of us had only seen on television; ate a wonderful gumbo prepared by loving 1st UU church members; put in emergency lights on the church’s 1st floor; took apart the remains of the church organ; ENJOYED the cold showers; worshiped together; went out a few nights to help the tourist industry; were enlightened, discouraged, thanked, exhausted, inspired, grateful, and changed forever.
It is difficult to describe the experience we had, because for most of us, even those who had been in the Peace Corps or done other volunteer work in less than ideal conditions, this was all new. It began as a conversation. It ended, for most of us, as an understanding that living our faith is the most rewarding work we can ever do.
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