New Orleans (2nd Try)

Hello! Sorry it has been so long.  Greetings from New Orleans!!!  A lot has happened since my last posting.  I completed my first spike trip with FEMA and then I was home for the holidays.  It was so nice to see everyone.  After first round my team elected me Alternate Team Leader (ATL), which puts me in more of a leadership position.  My second spike trip is divided into three projects.  Currently I’m in the first phase of the project, which is in New Orleans.

I’m currently staying in an old Victorian in the Garden District.  You can view the house on google maps.  2200 Napoleon Ave.  It is a very big house and very nice.  It is luxurious accommodations for Americorps and my team loves it.  We even have a Knight in out living room.  I have been here for a week and the weather has been beautiful.

I’m working with Green Light New Orleans and so far it has been a wonderful experience.  Green Light is a nonprofit organization and their mission is to convert the lighting in New Orleans from incandescent light bulbs to more energy efficient CFL light bulbs.  Homeowners can sign up for this free program to receive these CFL bulbs.  My team is split up into three groups.  One group of three stays in the office and schedules appointments and manages volunteers.  The other two groups of three drive to different homes and install the new bulbs.  Yes that’s right I screw in light bulbs.  I was a little bummed when I herd the description of my new job, but I must admit after a week I really enjoy it.  As ATL I’m in charge of one of the groups that install the light bulbs.  I love driving around the city and seeing all it has to offer (good and bad) and I have met some wonderful homeowners.  Green Light is a two-man operation and relies solely on the work of volunteers.  Our sponsors are very grateful for our team’s help and they constantly give us information on where to go and what to see.  It is nice having some inside information on this city.  It really has a lot offer; you just got to be careful in some places.  Lucky for me I’m in a very nice part of New Orleans.   I recommend everyone change their light bulbs to CFL lights.  They are a little more expensive but last 5-8 years and will save you thousands of dollars over the life of the bulb, and there is no difference in lighting.  For more information on the organization you can google green light New Orleans. 

            I will be doing this project until February 5^th.  After the 5^th I’m. headed to Ocean City Mississippi to construct homes for Katrina Victims.   That project will last about a month.  After that I have a three day project in Waveland Mississippi and I don’t have much information on that yet.  I believe I will be leading volunteers in a clean up project. 

I will try to check in soon.  My house doesn’t have Internet, but I’ll figure something out. 

New Orleans!

Galveston Trip

Hello Everyone!
I hope everyone is doing well. Last Friday my team had the opportunity to travel to Galveston, TX, in order to gain a better understanding of the work we are doing with FEMA. I was very excited for this trip. Not only would I gain a better understanding about the work I have been doing, but because last year I wrote a thesis paper on the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. This was a great opportunity for me to see the history I wrote about in my paper.
We left very early Friday morning and arrived in Galveston at 11am. It was a four and a half hour trip. Our first stop was Port Bolivar, the area hardest hit by the storm. Everything in Port Bolivar lay in ruin; roofs were scattered across fields, house pilings were broken in two, cars were scattered through out the landscape, trash was everywhere, and the roads were still covered in sand. We met up with another NCCC and drove down to Crystal Beach, what used to be a tourist hot spot. It was my third time seeing destruction like that but it still took me off guard. We had about a half hour to walk around and see the rubble. I just walked off by myself and took a few pictures; for the most part I just took it all in. I still can’t comprehend how a hurricane can be so powerful.
We took a ferry over to Port Bolivar and on the way over and back there were dolphins in the water. It was my first time seeing on in its natural habitat. It was also the first time my teammate, Leah, road on a boat. That was a fun time for our team.
After Port Bolivar we went to a DRC (Direct Recovery Center). When I worked in PPI this was one of the places we sent people to in order to get some assistance from FEMA. It was nice to see the place where we sent hundreds of people.
We then went to Camp Tarmac. It is a major campsite on a runway in Galveston. Initially after the storm it was used to house refugees and now it is used to house Americorps NCCC members and other volunteers. It was nice to see our friends and it gave my team a greater appreciation for our nice hotel accommodations.
Our last destination was the one I was most looking foreword to. We went to the sea wall. This wall was build after the 1900 storm and I devoted a major section of my paper to it. This wall that was build over 100 years ago stood strong through out the storm and protected the city behind it. (Most of the devastation occurred where there was no wall) We spent about twenty minutes walking the beach and the wall. I was very impressed by it.
Overall the trip was a huge success. Other teams that went to Galveston did not have a good time. Going last gave my team an advantage because we had ample time to plan for it. Also I was able to give a lot of insight on the history of the island because I spent so much time researching the Island. I am hoping that I will have the opportunity to spend more time in Galveston, maybe helping with the rebuilding effort. Only time will tell.
This is our last week of work and things are defiantly winding down. There isn’t much work to do so a lot of our time is spent preparing for our trip home and planning out our last nights in Austin.
I will check in soon. Hopefully before I leave on Dec 17th.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Sorry I missed everyone this holiday but I think I got to talk to most of you.  My team and I had 4 and 1/2 days off for Thanksgiving, a much needed break from FEMA.  We had our team dinner on Wednesday night because some of my teammates weren't going to be around on Thursday.  It was a delicious meal but didn't come close to a home made meal.  On Thanksgiving Day I ran a 5 mile Turkey Trot.  I ran through downtown Austin with 12,000 other runners.  I had such a good time.  My time was 43.44, not bad considering I haven't run/trained much since I've been in Austin (It's hard to go for a run when working 10 hr days).  It was a little unusual not being home for Thanksgiving but talking to everyone made me feel less home sick.  I spent the rest of the weekend exploring Austin.  Yesterday I went to the Austin History Museum.  Let me tell you...Texans are passionate about their self identify as the Lone Star State.  Today I get to watch the Patriots game, and I am excited because I missed last weeks game.  I have been able to watch the BC games and they have been exciting.  I'm hoping for an ACC championship next week.  I will be going to Galveston this Friday for a day trip.  It will be interesting to see all the devastation.  I'll check in soon.  

Austin Update

Hello All!
Sorry it has been so long since I have updated my blog, I have been having issues with my internet at the hotel. Things are going well here in Austin, Tx. I spent the last three weeks working in the PPI department. I was calling applicants in the disaster area and inquiring about their housing situations. I have to say that the majority of the people I talked to were in good spirits and were very grateful for all the help FEMA has provided. There were a few people that disliked FEMA and felt obligated to share there feelings with me. I had the privilege of talking to one woman who strongly disliked Americorps (I enjoyed hanging up on her). I have met a lot of amazing people that work here. Most the people that I work with aren’t from Austin. They are deployed to the JFO for the disaster and remain there for months at a time. Most people here are extremely grateful for Americorps help. They all chip in weekly to provide snacks for us and occasionally cooked hot lunches for us. I sat next to a man named Jim and he is from North Carolina. He was a great help when I was trying to get accustomed to work. He had a lot of great advice about the area and he is writing up some BBQ tips for me.
Last week I was moved from the PPI department to the IA department. I am now working in the RRPP program (Rental repair Pilot Program). It is an experimental program that FEMA is experimenting with. I like it a lot better than PPI because I get to use more creativity because it is a new program. My supervisor is a young guy who got his masters from BU. Together we have come up with a lot of great ideas to make the program better. He has also given me a lot of great information about future FEMA employment. (I might apply for a FEMA job after Americorps).
There isn’t much life outside of work. My days off are spent recuperating from a long work week. I have gone out downtown a few times. Austin has so much live music I like it a lot. Saturday night I went to a Country Bar. In the middle of the bar was a huge dance floor and a lot of people were out dancing. I danced a few times but its a little harder dancing to country music. There are a lot of steps and spinning involved. I had a fun time and I hope to go back. I hope to see more of the city this week. I have a ½ day Wednesday and I am off until Monday the next week. I am running a Turkey Trot downtown on Thanksgiving; it should be interesting seeing that I haven’t been running.
I hope everyone is doing well, and I will be home in les than a month!

AUSTIN!!!!

Greetings from Austin!!!  My team and I arrived safely on Tuesday night.  We left Denver Monday morning and stayed the night in Amerillo, Tx.  All together the trip was 17 hours.  I enjoyed looking at new landscape, the flat plains and farmland is very different from the New England hills and pine trees.  

I am working with FEMA in the JFO (Joint Field Office).  Basically when a state declares a state of emergency FEMA creates a headquarters in the capital of that state.  After hurricane Ike Texas declared a state of emergency and FEMA set up shop in a vacant JCPenny building.  I will be working in the JFO for the next 6 weeks in the PPI (pre placement interview) department.  My job is to contact people in the disaster area and ask them about there housing situation and offer them FEMA aid.  It isn't the job I would of picked for myself but I do like knowing I am helping someone get a roof over their head.  Because Texas is still in a "disaster' state I will be working 60hr weeks.  (I work with people that work 7-7 7 days a week, they get a day off every two weeks)  I am hoping that the majority of my calls are to people that have already received some aid (the storm happened two months ago) and may or may not need more assistance.  

My team is staying in an extended stay hotel.  Bill is my roomie and we share a room with a king size bed, a pull out couch, 2 tv's and a mini kitchen.  I got the bed because I am older than Bill...gotta love seniority.  The team is optimistic about the work and we are all very excited to be in Austin.  Last night I had the chance to explore 6th street and see a couple live bands.  

I will try to keep you all updated what's going on even if it isn't exciting.  I hope all is well and I will check in soon!!!

Hey!

Today I officially became a member of Americorps NCCC class XV.  We had an induction ceremony and I was given a certificate.  I am getting a little more excited about Austin because it is a fun and young city.  I'll put up with the office work and hopefully join a Habitat build on weekends.  I am also going to try to volunteer on an ambulance corps once or twice a week (I had to get permission from the Unit Leader, and he was very supportive of my goals)  I just got back from downtown Denver, I went in to watch the BC game but didn't have much luck finding it.  Tomorrow I will finish packing and then we leave Monday morning.  Take care and GO PATS!!!!