“How y’all doing? That’s great you comin’ down here to work and all” The deep voice of the van rental manager in Gulfport Mississippi was our first welcome. “ I got you a special deal on these vans for your church. Wonderful thing your doin’”.

            We heard that a lot during our week of work at the end of May in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Our hosts, St. Margaret’s Parish and Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Mobile, had setup cots in former school classrooms and prepared a spaghetti dinner. We slept that night with a few dieing cockroaches (they had sprayed for them earlier) and the loud drone of fans and indoor air conditioners. Deborah and Jolene decided it might be better if we pitched tents indoors to keep the cockroaches at bay. We got used to it.

             Our worksite the next day was a mobile home  partly repaired by another volunteer organization. Unfortunately in their lack of time(or knowledge) they had done an extremely poor job before they ran out of volunteers and handed it over to Catholic Charities. We found ourselves working backwards on day one to bring the structure up to snuff and then sheetrocking again.

            Eleven of us had flown in courtesy of the Monterey Diocese Catholic Charities. 5 were Soquel High students. 6 were adults including one San Jose state student and former Lifeteen member.

            As we overcame the problems, a work rhythm developed. We installed electrical outlets, sheetrocked, cut, primed and installed doors and trim. We came up with a term called the “Vortex”; a place where all problems accumulated. The ultimate “Vortex” turned out to be a little shower stall area in the Master Bedroom where even the loss of a rubber washer was a 2-hour backup. 2 members found themselves packed into this tiny area trying to rework the plumbing, sheetrock and prefab shower stall to fit where it shouldn’t have.

            Urgency descended on the group as we found out that the owner, Grandma Cheri needed to have a completed home so she and her daughter could get custody of two children. There were 5-7 people in a 28ft FEMA trailer (there had been 8) since Hurricane Katrina had struck nearly 2 years before. Cheri’s husband was struggling with emphysema and her son Randall was getting odd jobs whenever they came up. Randall lived with his daughter in another trailer on the property which they had bought with Cheri’s insurance money. Apparently FEMA had told them they wouldn’t get a  trailer and then gave it to them later.

            Sound confusing? It got more so the longer we listened. So many agencies, caseworkers, volunteer organizations. As Catholic Charities Mobile was trying to increase it’s presence other charities were beginning to pull out. This was the reason we were on a site with no budget and no continuum of repair.

            Jolene Smith became our acting Social Worker. Talking to Cheri about the programs available for the two grandchildren, advising Randall where to go for dental assistance and even counseling the two small children on how to deal with an allegedly abusive father.

            In the end we left Cheri with an incomplete but livable house. The budget left by the other volunteer agency had to be negotiated and Catholic Charities was footing the bill. We did what we could. Catholic Charities Mobile will continue to work out the case studies and Monterey Diocese will provide volunteer support.

            So what do we do now? There is a lot to be done in the Gulf coast area. Even the residents know this can’t be fixed quickly. Each volunteer group brings renewed hope. Check any of the Catholic Charities websites and you will see volunteer opportunities in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

We left the Gulf with the intense feeling of “What is America doing?” “ Have we forgotten the plight of our fellow Americans?” The impact of Katrina and Rita on peoples lives is far from over. Our saving grace was the knowledge that the Catholic Church is committed to being in this for the long haul. Our own Diocese plans to support volunteer groups into the middle of 2008 and is seeking funding to go longer. Even the Federal Government is turning to faith-based organizations for rebuilding.

            Now, how about you? Have you forgotten the people of the Gulf Coast? Can you or your company sponsor volunteers? Do you know persons of skill who might be willing to lead construction groups? Workers are needed. Age is no restriction. Groups are organizing in our diocese for the future. You can contact Hal Rovick at 831-475-8036 for more information.

            Down in the Bayou there is a saying “ Just Git  ‘er done.” If we work and pray and give together to help the plight of our brothers and sisters in need, we can.

                                    

 

The Bayou La Batre Team