Mucking and Gutting

     As you may have read in my last post, the Disaster Recovery Center where my team has been working is no longer in operation and is waiting to open up at a new location.  My teams leaves for Vicksburg, Mississippi in two days.  Because we have not been able to work at the DRC, we have been doing  Individual Service Projects, which means that we are not working with FEMA, but rather a non-profit organization.  My team has been working with New York Cares and the traditional AmeriCorps NCCC, lending our hands and bodies to clean out houses, which they call "mucking and gutting".  I was excited to do some physical work for once, though it was sad when we got to the houses and realized that all their belongings were destroyed by Sandy.

    On the first day of mucking and gutting we cleaned out a few garages, taking the wet belongings to the curb side.  We also tore down the walls of a room.  On the second day we spent the whole day clearing the first floor of a house: taking out belongings, taking down walls, basically not leaving anything in the house.  The owner of the house was really appreciative and said he didn't know what he would have done if it were not for us.  Because we worked in homes, I do not have pictures of us actually working, although I do have a picture of us in our PPE- Personal Protective Equipment.  This is important when working in houses with black mold and with working with tools.  Knowing how clumsy I am, it's a good thing everyone is wearing a helmet!

     We have gotten the official word that we are going back to New York after Winter Break.  I am super excited to see my family, friends and congregation back in Lafayette! 

A prayer that kept me going: 

We believe that God is present

In darkness before dawn, 

In waiting and uncertainty, 

Where fear and courage join hands, 

Conflict and caring link arms

And the sun rises over the barbed wire.

We believe in a with-us God

    Who sits down in our midst

    To share our humanity.

We affirm a faith

    That takes us beyond a safe place:

    Into action, into vulnerability and into the streets.

We commit ourselves to work for change;

    To put ourselves on the line;

    To bear responsibility, 

    Take risks, 

    Live powerfully and face humiliation;

    To stand with those on the edge;

    To choose life and be used by the Spirit

    For God's new community of hope.
Amen.

My teammate Lizz and I in our PPE

Organizations involved

We FINALLY got our boots dirty!

  

Disaster Recovery Center.

Hello all, sorry about my last post- I was posting from my Blackberry and could not see what I was typing.  I tried to edit it just now so that you can understand.  I have been on disaster for a month now, and today is the first day that my entire team has the day off!
     We have been working at Disaster Recovery Center #9 in Rockaway Park, NYC.  This area was one of the hardest hit areas. We have developed friendships with the survivors and the staff working there.  First of all, I'll explain what a Disaster Recovery Center is.  It's a place where survivors go to talk with FEMA and other agencies for their disaster-related needs.  We had FEMA Representatives and representatives from the Small Business Administration in our Center.  We also had a rep from the Social Security Adminitration, and also Housing and Urban Development.  FEMA Corps role was to direct the survivors to the right place that they needed to go.  My main role was the receptionist, where I took down basic information from each survivor and they breifly explained their situation to me so that I could point them in the right direction.  My role was not so much physically taxing, but mentally taxing.  We also had the chance to shadow the FEMA Specialists.  That means that we sat down next to the Specialists and listened while they explained to the applicants of what their status on their claim is, and what their next step is.  I learned a lot by shadowing them.  We also bonded a lot with the staff there.  Yesterday we got the news that the Center would be closing later that night, so we all said our goodbyes. We are hoping we can stay together once we get re-assigned.  I'm going to miss all the survivors I have met this past month.
    Since my last post, my team has moved ships.  We now live on the S.S. Wright in Staten Island, which is convenient to get to Manhatten because the Ferry is only a mile away.  I have visited Manhattan three times since I have been here.  I saw The Phantom of the Opera, I went to the Thanksgiving Day Parade, went to Chinatown and Little Italy and of course visited many of the shops in Times Square.   A few days ago, Fox News filmed my team at the Recovery Center.  I was honored to have an interview with them that is airing tomorrow. I might post the link if I can get a hold of it.
Here are some photos from my experience:

Sharing the road with First responders on the way to Sandy.

The first weeks the lines to get into the Recovery Center were LONG. Many had to wait 4 hours to get in.

Me explaining the registration process to survivors.

Our first day in NYC, we see the effects of the Subway closing.  Lines to get  on the bus or   "subway  shuttles" were MILES long.

Our first day we walked around this neighborhood encouraging survivors to register with FEMA.  We got a little wet.