NEW ORLEANS While most of the country has turned their attention elsewhere, some local volunteers made their third trip to New Orleans to help with recovery efforts earlier this month. Under the auspices of Catholic Charities, Paterson Diocese, the group consisted of 46 people ranging in age from 18 to 70. Queen of Peace members Norma and Karl Stehle organized the group that included Pastor Fr. Fred, and Bob Gamble, Renee Allessio, and Albert Szesciuk. Mary Vetreno and Kathy Williams from St. Joseph’s also went. They teamed with a group from Resurrection Church in Randolph, which included 24 college students, and another group from St. Matthew, the Apostle Church in Butler. The Red Team The red team was assigned to gut Stanley Deterville’s house, a very large duplex with 10 rooms, four fireplaces, three bathrooms, and 12-foot ceilings. Deterville lost everything in his house. His family escaped to Texas, but he works for the sheriff’s department and had to stay behind to watch the prisoners. He lives with his sister nearby. Every day he showed up at the house, but never went inside. His quiet demeanor gave the impression that he was still in a state of shock. On the team’s last day at the house, Fr. Fred led a prayer and Deterville, with tears in his eyes, expressed his heart-felt thanks. It took the team of 15, four and a half days to gut this monster of a house. It was dubbed the house of nails by the case manager, because it took days to clear all the studs of the rusty protrusions. The team gave Deterville a $100 Home Depot gift card. The second house the red team attacked was just down the block. Its owner was Ida Bolton, a 72-year-old, living in her FEMA trailer in front of her house. Bolton had been rescued from a window by a neighbor in a boat. She stayed at the Super Dome until her son came from Tennessee to get her. Her house was begun by Catholic Charities but not completely gutted. When they were finished they gave Ida a $100 gift card, to which she replied that we were her “white angels” come to life. Fr. Fred blessed the statues in her yard and gave her his rosary beads from Jerusalem. While they were in New Orleans, the entire group took a trip to see the Industrial Canal and the ninth ward. They said it looked as though the hurricane had hit the week before. Houses still stood on their sides or off their cider block pillars. Some homes had been removed completely, leaving only the cider blocks. This lowland area of small shotgun houses was the worst hit by the floods. The team spoke with a group of hazmat-suited volunteers from Marquette College. They were there under the auspices of Common Ground, a grassroots organization that has gutted over 1200 houses so far and will start rebuilding in February. They gave the representative $300 in Home Depot cards for supplies. It was there they met Albert Walker. He and his neighbors swam to safety by pulling themselves along the power lines 11 feet high. When the water reached his second floor bedroom, he simply swam out the window. They gave him a $100 Wal-Mart gift card. The Blue Team The first house the blue team took on was a two-bedroom house with attached garage. It was one of the few houses not finished in the neighborhood. The contents from within had been removed, making it a relatively easy job. The mold was around 5 feet high on the walls. On the second day, the team met Elvera Ruffin. She was collecting scrap metal and wiring in a grocery cart. She lives with her 17-year-old mentally disabled daughter. Regardless of her diabetes, she walked the streets collecting scrap and wire. She was very industrious and prided herself on not asking for handouts. At the end of the day, she turned in her stash for cash. She said the police watched out for her, making sure she was taking her insulin. The team gave her a $100 Wal-Mart card for necessities and a $100 Home Depot card for tools. Unlike the first house, the second was loaded with household items. Maria Crockett, the owner, was evacuated the night before Katrina struck and hadn’t been back since. It took half a day just to empty the house. Wet mattresses, clothing, furniture, appliances, TVs, a motor scooter, a lot of photos all were dumped curbside. Some of the houses nearby were gutted but the two next door were demolished. The house would be among those destroyed if it wasn’t gutted by the end of the month. Anything that looked remotely unscathed was put aside for the family to look at, even loose change. Despite the owner’s initial claim that she didn’t want anything from the house, she and her family took everything that was saved. Among the things they found was a wooden leg, which they gave to Fr. Emmet for a spare, since his leg was cramping. The family was given $100 for sheetrock and $100 for necessities from Wal-Mart. The third house was in the lower 9th ward. When the water rushed in, it filled the house to the ceiling. The refrigerator was full of putrid water and the team had to break a window to let the noxious fumes out. The owner was a real “saver.” This made everyone question what they save at home. Many houses in the area were scheduled to be demolished but there was a considerable amount of gutting and rebuilding also. On the way home, the team randomly sought FEMA trailers in the 9th ward to give gifts to, such as Brandon Forest, a college student who was stunned by the $100 gift. Dorothy Ellis was outside her trailer when the team approached. She related how she and her family and neighbors had to climb to the roofs of their one-story homes to survive the rushing water. Ellis was upset and frustrated that monies under the federal Road Home relief program still hadn’t been doled out. (As of this week, only 100 families had received money according to The Picayune Times.) She was also enraged by the National Guard, which would not allow the residents to return to their homes until a court order in December. She was touched by the $100 gift to Wal-Mart and $100 for building materials. The last house the blue team visited was that of Ronald Tonth. He was very friendly and told the team he believed that Katrina was an answer to their prayers to rid the 9th ward of the killings, rapes, and drug infestation. He captivated the team with his spirituality, likening the story to that of Noah and the Ark. He invited the team to return for a barbecue on the next visit. The Green Team The green team emptied and gutted a four-apartment building. Wet bedding, carpeting, furniture, and appliances made movement in the narrow, low ceiling apartments difficult. Owner Anita Courtney is presently renting an apartment with her daughter and 4-year-old granddaughter but is anxious to return to Banks St. She brought her granddaughter to the house on the second day, much to the delight of the team. She put a little face on the tragedy of Katrina, one that the team is not likely to forget in the near future. At 8:30 on Friday morning, the Green Team arrived at a double house and waited for the owner to arrive. But they received word that the owner was in the hospital and, therefore, they could not begin to work on the house. The team proceeded to an address in the 9th ward, but no one was there. There were plywood signs over the front doors: “Do not enter - Methane Gas inside.” In fact, they had to break into the house. Once again, they opened the door to a full house. Even the table was set for dinner with placemats and a table runner. The stagnant water and toppled refrigerator created an unbearable stench. The team worked as quickly as possible on day five but they were only able to clear out the first two rooms on each side. Both bathrooms and kitchens still need attention. One worker felt a tremendous connection to the woman of the house. She remarked that it felt like her own kitchen because every item was stored exactly where she would have placed it. Everyone seemed to be impressed with the camaraderie they experienced with the people of New Orleans. The green team made a thank-you card with a picture of the team and bought some beer for their new pal, Mark, the gas station owner on the corner, who not only allowed the group to use his bathroom at will, but also gave out free Gatorade and snacks. Then there was Fr. Emmet and Bill Derringer’s encounter on a trolley ride in the French Quarter on our last night. They engaged the conductor in a conversation about the renewal of New Orleans. The conductor, in desperation, urged them to take his keys to his house to gut it. No questions asked. The Helping Hands team members felt helpless knowing that there are so many people just like the conductor who, after 17 months, have not yet received any help in returning to their homes. Among the volunteers were Bob Boyle, Julia Held, Bill Derringer, and Fr. Emmet from Butler. The entire group concurred that the experience was profound. Catholic Charities sends teams to New Orleans throughout the year. The job descriptions may vary but helping hands are needed. For more information contact Rita Kelly, coordinator at Catholic Charities, Paterson Diocese, at 973-279-7100, ext.33.