The work we have done thus far…

Jump to Comments

As promised, here we go with the first of many updates that will be occurring over the next few days. I have asked all the participants to contribute to this blog with their own personal experiences and feelings, as each and every one of us has felt the impact of New Orleans in a different and unique way.

I was of the first to arrive here in the “Crescent City” on Saturday afternoon. After loading up into the rental vans we were off, with a general idea of where we needed to go. Our trek took us straight into the heart of New Orleans, where we passed by the home of many thousands of those who were left behind when Katrina hit, the Superdome. I found it hard to pass this place and and not think that this past September the New Orleans Saints were making history with the best season in the team’s history, but two Septembers ago, atrocities that need not be repeated were occurring on that same field.

Many of the group would call the Dominican Conference Center (DCC) their home for the week, while I and 7 other would be staying at a youth hostel by the name of “India House.” While the DCC was spared the brunt of the flooding, India House had between 4-6 of water outside their doorstep, and I would imagine that at least 85% of the surrounding houses are STILL empty. While the house next door has painters working on it everyday, that is the exception, as there are no others on our block that are receiving the same level of attention.

The weekend was packed with many activities, with tours of the city during the day and a lot of socializing in the French Quarter during the evening.

Although the city’s population is less than half of what it was before the storm, it is still nice to see families with young children still in the city.

For many students this was their first experience with a hurricane recovery “zone.” What this means is that those areas that typically will bring the most money back to the city (tourist areas) will recover very quickly, while other areas, such as the 9th Ward and most of the Mississippi coast line still have a VERY long way to go.

It was important that we saw this, so on Sunday a number of us made the trek to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi which is where the eye of Katrina made landfall. The destruction was total, so much so that very few photos were taken. There is NOTHING left, aside from the 10-15 foot poles where house used to sit on top. While some are rebuilding, this number is less than 10%, and that is probably too generous. And of course, there was always the reminder of what people left behind…

On Monday it was time for us to get down to business and begin our placements. I have been placed with The New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation (NOLAC), and am working with their litigation department. I have been given four main case assignments ranging from a property claim dealing with a homestead exemption to a custody battle between a paternal grandmother and the birth mother. Needless to say, there is more work than anyone could imagine, and it is amazing how well the system is accepting all of the volunteers who have come to help. I would really recommend that all of you click the ‘Bill Quigley’ link to the right to get a feel for what the greater New Orleans area is still going through, even 18 months after the storm.

That about does it for now, there will be many more blogs to come, and I cannot thank the students and faculty enough for taking the time out of their lives to come to this wonderful city to join with the citizens of New Orleans in solidarity on the road to recovery.

-All the Best,

-Dan

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized