New Orleans, after Katrina

Has anyone been to New Orleans in the past couple of months? If so what was it like? I've just signed up to spend my spring break helping clean/gut houses there.

oh how wonderful hope you don't hurt yourself though so I wish you luck.

As for knowing about NO..I haven't a clue just wanted to say thumbs up about volunteering to help the place out 

I have not been there, but I hear it's still devastating in most areas.

What a wonderful thing you are doing!

Thanks! I've been wanting to volunteer pretty much since it happened. We had tons of people come through Knoxville right after, and I helped with that, but somehow it doesn't feel like enought. I'm getting really excited! It's going to be hard work, but I can't think of a better way to spend my spring break.

We will be car pooling down and sleeping in tents at a FEMA camp. On the first day there we go on a tour of the whole city. (or at least what's left of it) I think they said we'll be working on houses in the 9th ward area, but I can't remember exactly. I can't wait!!  

I remember going there for my 21st birthday with some other girlfriends of mine and folks were friendly and proud of New Orleans ..I wish you well IME

Thank you!!  New Orleans is a great city an you are helping to rebuild it.   It was once a fun and exciting city.  I am sure it will be that way soon.

Thank you guys!!!! The encouragement is really great! 

My mom is giving me a really hard time about going (she doesnt want me to go) and trying to stop me. (I'm stuck living at home at the moment.)     But what else is new, eh? And as usual, I'm ignoring her and doing whatever I want. but it's kinda taken some of the excitement out of it.

Oprah is doing a show on Tuesday about how things are now in New Orleans so you might want to watch that.

Oprah is doing a show on Tuesday about how things are now in New Orleans so you might want to watch that.

Cool! Thanks for letting me know! 

I've been there several times since Katrina, both with work (flying people out) and my husband & I went back last month when in the US. If you have any specific questions, you can PM me. My grandparents were from NO and I've lived there and in fact was married to my first husband there. It's heartbreaking to see it now. Do you know where you will be staying?

We will be staying at a FEMA tent camp....not exactly sure where...I will pm and let you know once I find out. Right after they told us where, they said we would be getting up at 5:30 every morning, so I didn't write the name of the camp down...

I just made it back home from New Orleans. Words can not even begin to explain what I saw this past week. It was a thousand times worse than what you see in the media. The group from my school was working mostly in the lower and upper 9th ward area. Another group found a body while gutting a house. We pretty much went in and shoveled out whatever was left in the homes. The worst thing was the fridges....they had been sitting there, with food in them, for six months. Once we got everything out, we knocked out all the moldy, rotted dry wall. I will be posting pics up on a web site soon and might type up a bit of a blog. It's all slightly overwhelming to think about right now.