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So, today was one of the most incredible, soul-wrenching, insanely important days.Just a few photos to tell part of the story; there are many photos, these are just a few of the people and places near the worksite.
The story of Ida and Carlton Roy... Carlton was a leader in his community. He's 90. Ida is a strong septugenarian woman who is battling cancer- something she was only recently diagnosed with, after their FEMA trailer came in but not before the news that their entire house had to be gutted. When I say gutted, I mean truly gutted- nothing but the studs. Several feet of standing water (for weeks) and rain that poured through a wind-ripped roof ruined everything. Their only income is from renting half of their duplex, so they have been montetarily paralyzed as well. Ida recounted for us, through a wall of tears that we all hit many times today, seeing her home during one of many visits back- how all the furniture from two families that they had kept and preserved was crushed under the metal claw of the removal crews, from a stack of memories on the street curb.After a professional sheet rocking team finished this morning with our help, we attacked the house and primed and painted (two coats of the latter) every room with colors Ida chose. Ida vailiantly saved some photos of family even though they were mostly ruined-- but I have offered to take them back to VA to have Suzie and I work on them to try and restore some memories. I also met their grandson (who they raised) Cedric, who was tearful and so thankful of the 40 people helping to completely rebuild his grandparents home. "My grandmother hasn't smiled for more than a year- until today," he offered to us at the end of a long workday. We have heard dozens of these stories. Of even relatively high-middle-class New Orleans folk cooped up seven to a room (plus dog) in a Super 8 in Houston. Of some who stayed. Of some who have struggled with normalcy, whatever that looks lke now.But tonight, after eight hours of labor, we also found some respite in good food and music. We caught a great meal at Jin Jeans followed by Kermit Ruffins new Sunday show in their lounge. Obviously a bit tired from just flying in from Trinidad (Kermit has been quite an ambassador for New Orleans since Katrina, performing far more shows, enough that he's barely kept a regular weekly gig as he usually did a year ago) - Kermit's show still rejuvenated all involved. He bought the entire happy house one drink and later trimphantly questioned then proclaimed, "What is New Orleans? It's the people, it's the life, and it is back." The mostly local crowd of forty agreed. And two from Virginia were happy they did.
And finally: Look, even Comedy didn't go unscathed (how hilarious is it that a Comedy Sportz improv troupe was even displaced--- the storm truly left no population unharmed.)
The story of Ida and Carlton Roy... Carlton was a leader in his community. He's 90. Ida is a strong septugenarian woman who is battling cancer- something she was only recently diagnosed with, after their FEMA trailer came in but not before the news that their entire house had to be gutted. When I say gutted, I mean truly gutted- nothing but the studs. Several feet of standing water (for weeks) and rain that poured through a wind-ripped roof ruined everything. Their only income is from renting half of their duplex, so they have been montetarily paralyzed as well. Ida recounted for us, through a wall of tears that we all hit many times today, seeing her home during one of many visits back- how all the furniture from two families that they had kept and preserved was crushed under the metal claw of the removal crews, from a stack of memories on the street curb.After a professional sheet rocking team finished this morning with our help, we attacked the house and primed and painted (two coats of the latter) every room with colors Ida chose. Ida vailiantly saved some photos of family even though they were mostly ruined-- but I have offered to take them back to VA to have Suzie and I work on them to try and restore some memories. I also met their grandson (who they raised) Cedric, who was tearful and so thankful of the 40 people helping to completely rebuild his grandparents home. "My grandmother hasn't smiled for more than a year- until today," he offered to us at the end of a long workday. We have heard dozens of these stories. Of even relatively high-middle-class New Orleans folk cooped up seven to a room (plus dog) in a Super 8 in Houston. Of some who stayed. Of some who have struggled with normalcy, whatever that looks lke now.But tonight, after eight hours of labor, we also found some respite in good food and music. We caught a great meal at Jin Jeans followed by Kermit Ruffins new Sunday show in their lounge. Obviously a bit tired from just flying in from Trinidad (Kermit has been quite an ambassador for New Orleans since Katrina, performing far more shows, enough that he's barely kept a regular weekly gig as he usually did a year ago) - Kermit's show still rejuvenated all involved. He bought the entire happy house one drink and later trimphantly questioned then proclaimed, "What is New Orleans? It's the people, it's the life, and it is back." The mostly local crowd of forty agreed. And two from Virginia were happy they did.And finally: Look, even Comedy didn't go unscathed (how hilarious is it that a Comedy Sportz improv troupe was even displaced--- the storm truly left no population unharmed.)
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