Remnants of a Community That Once Thrived

For months I listened as members of ReachOut speak of the life-changing experiences they had on their two previous trips to help rebuild New Orleans. Even though I had been given these months of warning, I was in no way prepared for what I am facing here in the city. Driving through the streets, everything appears as a ghost town. Businesses are boarded up, windows are broken, signs are arched over, and there are few other vehicles or people around.

I was able to work in the lower 9th Ward painting a home for my first day and was left speechless by everything I saw. There was a large home that still had not been gutted after these nearly three years! Walking into their kitchen I was taken aback. There were glasses upside down on a towel next to the sink, a jar of peanut butter opened with a butter knife inside and an iron left still on an ironing board.

Aside from these familiar sights, the remainder of the kitchen and house was filled with clutter and debris. The floodwaters in this particular home were fifteen feet high and the water damage was quite evident. I was appalled to see the state of this home after so much time has gone by. Unfortunately I found that most homes looked this way as I continued to tour the neighborhood.

Each day here I have learned so much. I have talked to many locals and became very involved in their personal stories. I’ve been able to grow so much as a person and appreciate the little things in my own life so much more.

Shanna Vincent

March 29, 2008 @ 5:07 AM