[StBernard] abandoned property

[Westley Annis]

Wendy
 
You are so right.  I had a similar experience in January with the group from
the Metodist church.  They were incredible, and brought to me every piece
they found they thought worth saving.  They had brought wrapped sandwiches
and drinks.  At the end of the day, my husband and I left them and told them
to go back to where they were staying and clean up.  We took them out to
dinner at Impastato's in Metairie.  I have received emails from each one of
them telling me how much the dinner meant to them, and also my educational
stories on the area and its customs.  I have even received an email from one
of the group to send him a king cake at Mardi Gras.  What the dinner cost us
was nothing compared to what it would have cost us otherwise as there was no
way we could have done it ourselves.  I was fortunate enough to have gone
into my house on 4 or 5 occasions prior to their coming to salvage some
things, but there were things we just could not carry or even get to.  It
was amazing how much they found including a diamond ring of my husbands,
which they found down in the sludge and they happened to see a little speck
of something shining.  They also found 2 books of polaroid pictures, which I
had left in the closet with other pictures that were ruined.  It was then
that I realized that polaroid pictures survived what other pictures had not.
 
I say, to anyone out there, if they can be there when these people get to
their homes, it will be well worth your while.
 
Kathleen

	----- Original Message ----- 
	
	Bob,
	 
	  I truly understand your point really, but you have to admit you
can
	understand anonymous' as well. I mean, these people are in the filth
while
	you are a few states away. I agree that the free gutting is a
perfect
	solution, so why haven't these people who haven't done a damned
thing sign
	up. It costs nothing, if the house has to be demolished, that's
fine,
	atleast the stuff is separated for pick up and progress is being
made.
	  I do have something to say about the volunteers who came. These
kids are
	phenomenal. A crew from Samaritan's purse came to my house and in 9
hours
	had everything but the A/c unit gone, my yard and all. To show my
	appreciation, I had my parents (who happened to be in town visiting)
drive
	these kids some good ol' B&J crawfish and we had a boil in my
driveway on
	top of a piece of pool deck they pulled from my back yard. While we
talked
	and I showed them how to eat them, I was EXTREMELY disappointed to
here that
	in their week here, I was the only homeowner they had met. Now don't
get me
	wrong, I understand hardships, and distance- I am 1700 miles away in
the
	state of Maine (you know by CANADA). When they called to let me know
my
	house was up and they would start tomorrow, I said give me 48 hours
I want
	to be there and I was. I made sure I had water and drinks. In the
morning I
	brought them fresh hot donuts (they have only had dunkin doughnuts,
and they
	were amazed at how good fresh ones were), had drinks on ice, even if
they
	had their own, and surprised them with a taste of New Orleans. All
and all,
	it cost me about $250.00 and they were SOOOOOOO greatful because
with all
	their volunteering they hadn't had time to get around and taste what
New
	Orleans is known for and you still don't know what open and what's
not. We
	fed 3 other crews in the area that were gutting other homes as well
and they
	brought some back to camp to share with people in other areas. I ask
	everyone, that if it is possible, be there. These people are coming
to help
	us, the least we can do is be there to say thank you. Some are
bringing
	videos back to recruit more volunteers. How can they if we're not
there? I
	mean just to say thanks, means the world to these kids. I drove my
kids in a
	day later just so they would know, how much they helped my family
and so my
	kids would know how to appreciate what was done. I almost felt
ashamed as
	they told me they had to leave what might be salvagable personal
possessions
	in homes because people never came. Like I said, 1700 miles and 3
months
	pregnant with three kids, if I can, anyone can. Just my thoughts of
course.
	 
	Wendy Hall
	in 3 inches of snow in Maine