OUR || PROGRAMS Social Justice New Orleans Update
| New Orleans Update |
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Link to First Unitarian Church of New Orleans: http://www.firstuuno.org/    Final Entry: March 8, 2010
---Submitted by Rev. Kate Lore  "I sort of stumbled on to this trip coincidentally, but it was one of the best coincidences I’ve had in a long time. I am currently in the middle of a two-and-a-half month long independent study – driving across the country and studying social justice at UU churches. I was planning on spending two weeks at First Church in Portland doing interviews and observing, but then I found out that a group would be going to New Orleans during one of the weeks I would be there – and here I am.After spending the last month and a half of my trip almost completely alone, it is relieving beyond words to finally be a part of a group. Although I only met the people I am with a week ago, I already know that if I ever come back to Portland I will most definitely have people to come visit. The week itself has been amazing. A huge part of my trip has been developing an idea of how to approach social justice without approaching it from a position of power, and this week has really helped me to see how. A quote on the wall has really resounded with me: “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time; but if you have come because you have realized your liberation is bound up in mine, then we can work together.” I’ve really come to realize that my own personal liberation is so intrinsically linked with doing work for other people; that by helping other people I am really helping myself. Not because I want to feel good about myself; not because I feel like I should or have to; but because I know, inside, that the world we live in is truly flawed and I have as much of a responsibility as anyone to work on fixing it." ---Submitted by Jack Kavanaugh
March 3, 2010 March 2, 2010 It's nearly 10 pm. here in Nola land...New Orleans, Louisiana and the "who dat nation", where we now own guest passes. Day two on the job site, brought us all home tired, dirty, and jubilant. Coming from the pristine beauty of the Northwest attempting to grasping the life so many citizens of NOLA and the surrounding area accept, including our new found UU friends and family, leaves us in awe. First UU Church of New Orleans is over 150 years old and still running Sunday service without eletricity. Running extension cords for a half block would make most of us seriously mad after over five years, but patience runs thicker than gumbo here. Miss Gwen, a church member, has lived without electricity in her home since Katrina, "K" for short. Several of our top notch volunteers went to do an assessment today. Consensus is that we could not complete this project in the days we have left. As I type, I hear several of the group discussing when they can plan their next work trip to New Orleans.  Miss Shiela's project on day two showed amazing improvement. She is a NENA home project and was a victim of a fire, theft, and an unscrupulous contractor. When we walked in yesterday "overwhelmed" was an understatement. Disorganization and poor workmanship filled her unfinished vintage shotgun home. Supplies, debris, and leftover garbage was scattered everywhere. (Oops, I forgot the holes in the floor that showed the spring grass below.) There is no running water or electricity.....or plumbing. Miss Sheila's broad smile and warm hugs met us on Monday morning. She can't wait to move back home. It's been cramped living in her mother in laws home.This afternoon she came by to see what had happened in a few hours with many saws whirring, hammers pounding, rollers painting, and hands scrubbing. Her hugs and "Ohs" and "Aws" were salve to our aching kneeing and over-extended muscles. In those moments it was all worth it!  The living room, just freshly painted had clean windows and more importantly was spotlessly clean. We could have eaten our sack lunches off this shiny floor. On Monday it was a sea of dust and debris, nothing looking remotely of wood shown through the dirt. The kitchen was almost ready to install the cabinets since the floor had been lovingly scrubbed....for hours, thanks to Gary aka,"Cinderella, Cinderella" and his side kick Miss Kate. In the two back bedrooms, disaster was replaced by new patchwork design of underlayment ready for a floor tile installation on Wednesday, and the glow from soft camillia pink walls and sparkling windows.Miss Shiela's limited budget didn't cover baseboards or trim in her home. After a few frantic calls to Rev. Diva Head Organizer Kate and her faithful chauffeur Mr. Ron, a plan was hatched to buy the necessary 160 +/_ feet of MDF to finish the project properly. While Miss Shiela rode to Home Depot to select her new kitchen countertop she heard the news that this great volunteer group would be providing baseboards as well. Rev. Kate shared that she heard prayers, tears, and whimpers of joy at such generosity. The tab was under $50. Back home, this evening at our delicious dinner, Kate told Miss Shiela's Home Depot story. Every napkin in sight was soaked with tears of joy.  This is only a small example of what we have experienced. Footings have been poured with the most rudimentary tools and supplies during severe downpours and cold fronts. Crews have waited patiently braving this wintery blast while supplies finally were delivered. The luxury of a private toilet and warm water became one of life's most sought after luxuries. And what we would give for a hot cuppa joe!XXXXXXXXXXXXX Chicken with Crawfish Macque Choux, feeds our body. Yum, we want the receipe, Diva Chef Jyaphia! Hard work and sore knees feel good at the end of day. We want to come back. Who dat, Saints, and Makin' the Good Times Roll provide fellowship that fill our souls more deeply than the quality of your home or depth of your bankroll. Thank you New Orleans for an opportunity to see a world so different from our own. Thank you Portland for allowing us this opportunity. Please come join this amazing experience, there's plenty of work to share...and the food is unforgettable! Good night dear Portland friends hope to see you soon! ---Submitted by Priscilla Burns Portland and Louisiana traveler March 1, 2010 ---Submitted by Kate Lore February 28
After an afternoon surveying the remains of Katrina’s wrath around the New Orleans area we participated in a dialogue around the particular face of institutional and systemic racism in New Orleans. Facilitators, Bay Love and Essau McEleroy, led the discussion and contributed a wealth of information about the history, politics and racial strife of this place. including details about the decisions made in the aftermath of the storm that led to inequities in the funding of the recovery. Having taken in all these disturbing images and facts it was good to share the simple pleasure of a meal together prepared for us by our chef, Jayphia Roberts.
Several times since we’ve arrived I’ve had a sudden, unexpected feeling of gratitude. I’m never sure why such a state of grace descends on me, but I trust its authenticity. It seems miraculous to be here, to have seen the full moon rise over the harbor last night, to have an opportunity to put my hands on such righteous work, and to be in fellowship with the resilient and tenacious natives of this place. -----Submitted by Stephen Pearce February 27, 2010--  Everyone has arrived safely and we are now settling into our new "home" at First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans. We are staying in bunks in three large rooms in the Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal (CELSJR), attached to the church. We are currently learning to share the use of bathroom and kitchen facilities :-).
Our group has been joined by a mother and son team from Wenatchee, Washington, a UU couple from Ottawa, Canada (Rev. Frances Deverell and Ron Wilson), and Priscilla Burns, a Portland member who moved to the New Orleans area just a couple of months ago. All of us are a little surprised to see how much damage still exists here at the church. They sustained damage from two different hurricanes, Katrina and Rita, and had 3-5 feet of standing water for weeks on end.
Today we will attend services at the church, go one a tour of the city and have a facilitated dialog on the racial dynamics of New Orleans's recovery." -----Submitted by Kate Lore and Gary Obermeyer |
Thanks to the generous support of our congregation, Rev. Kate Lore is leading a group of un- or underemployed congregants to share their construction skills in New Orleans. They will be repairing Hurricane Katrina damage done in the Ninth Ward and at First Unitarian Church of New Orleans. Participants include nine church members, one Religious Studies student and Kate’s husband. They include: Bryan Olson, Tom Lackaff, Stephen Pearce, Joel Finkelstein, Elisa Morales, Helena Hessle, Len Laviolette, Debra Mikkelsen, Jack Kavenaugh, Kate Lore, Gary Obermeyer and Ann Zawaski.
Most of our work crew is now back home in Portland. Joel Finklestein has chosen to remain in New Orleans to work a few more weeks, Priscilla Burns now permanently resides there. I think it fair to say that most of us envy Joel and Priscilla. Even though our bodies ache from the physical exertion of the past week, there is still so much work left to do there in New Orleans and we want to keep helping out. But there is more to it than that. Our souls were fed in new ways on this trip.. While we had all expected to work side by side, we had no way to imagine the benefits that would come from sleeping, eating, playing and reflecting communally. Through it all we discovered the many treasures of living in community—with each other and with the people of New Orleans. And it was powerful. By the end of the week I think we all realized that our own healing and liberation is directly linked to our that of our newfound brothers and sisters in New Orleans. We shall, no doubt, return.
This disaster is of such magnitude that legions are needed to address the multitude of problems that remain-including problems that predate Katrina. We all need to dismantle the racism in our country and New Orleans would be the prime place to start. Those working here for this cause could use the help of the rest of us. The people from this city who would like to come home, face systemic barriers that take them on a bureaucractic carousel ride, and not a fun one. I will leave New Orleans, happy and grateful, yet frustrated and wanting a solution.
Yesterday we got to work on our projects. In the 9th Ward. No manner of study could have prepared us for what we encountered. The neighborhoods are still extremely decimated. There are scores of unoccupied homes on every block, each with gaping holes, broken windows, collapsing roofs and spray paint markings such as: “dead chicken under house” or “dead dog inside.” Houses marked with an "X" indicate the house was searched for human survivors. It’s hard to believe that over four years have passed since the levees first broke, and one wonders how living here with these reminders of Katrina's death toll is affecting those who remain.
Our group slept in a bit this morning and attended a service in the Sanctuary. The theme of the service was the African-American Spiritual and the sermon was laced with several opportunities to share in the singing of the some 22 examples published in the UUA hymnal. Afterwards we shared refreshment and conversation with the members of First Unitarian of New Orleans, much in the manner we are accustomed to at home in Portland. As a former trustee myself, it was interesting to speak with a couple of board members here about governance and other challenges of leadership.
This evening we met with Reese Brewster, president of the congregation here, to receive a list of things we can do to help restore their damaged building and grounds. We plan to spend a portion of Thursday and Friday making various repairs here, including building a ramp and storage closet, grouting the new tile in the sanctuary and installing exterior lights near the entrances to improve safety. But before any of that we have planned three days of work in the Ninth Ward on two current renovations of single-family homes.
Yesterday afternoon our group received an orientation from two AmeriCorps volunteers. Dakota Moe and Maggie Matlak talked about the history of this region, including the longterm patterns of cultural and institutional racism. We also heard from Quo Vadis Breaux, the Executive Director of CELSJR. She made it clear that the thousands of people who were forced out of New Orleans because of flood damage have experienced what they view as a Diaspora. There are numerous and deliberate barriers to their return. Perhaps the most egregious was HUD's destruction of 4500 housing units, including viable and historic buildings. Rents have gone up by 40%. In many parts of the city there is a shortage of basic facilities such as grocery stores and scheduled bus service - especially in the 9th Ward. 
