Katrina 2006 | jimedwardsford-com

New Orleans Cleanup & UCC Volunteers
Jan. 2006

Our purpose in taking this trip was to scope out the possibliliy of sending
a team of volunteers to New Orleans to help with gutting and possibly
rebuilding the individual residences.

Our vehicles were packed with generators, shop vacs, blowers and any other tools we thought we might need. We also had food and safety equipment to keep us healthy.

I borrowed a 5' x 8' trailer from Ted Street, he also gave me 15 boxes of candy to give to our clients.

It was disorganized but we had it!

The axe came in handy for breaking drywall

Tools and generator

Beecher Church is located in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. They had 4 feet of water throughout. They had 100 members before the storm and 20 have returned, they will have their first post Katrina church service soon.

We were only able to save the instruments for the jazz band that played every service.

The pews are gone

We protected ourselves from mold as best we could

In one day, 40 of us emptied all
the goods and took out 2/3 of the
drywall and insulation

The back of the Sanctuary

This Bible was on the lecturn.
The pastors desk was wooden and it floated, the desk landed horizontal and the pre-Katrina mail was still stacked neatly on the desk, ready for the
pastor to read. I gave it to the parishioner that was leading us.

The church had no water or electricity so we had to drive a quarter mile to use these community toilets. The area is still off limits at night.

At night we stayed at the Good Shepard UCC in Metarie, about 8 miles NW of downtown New Orleans. They had about 6 inches of water throughout. They were locked out for 3 weeks and the mold and water damage was so bad, they had to gut the sanctuary up to about 4 feet. They also lost their pews. This was the group from Syracuse N.Y. and 2 lonely guys from Ohio. UCC National has hired Alan Coe, (back row, centered on door) a pastor from near San Antonio, Texas to run the New Orleans relief effort. He quit his Church in Texas to take the job as disaster chairman of New Orleans for the UCC.. He finds the jobs and follows up well. He is the heart of it all!

Front of Good Shepard Church

This is the only pix I have of the Massachusetts group that we lived with for 4 days. If they will get me more, I will post them.

UCC National Synod bought the effort alot of tools, including wheelbarrows, ladders, hammers, prybars and the like. When we could, we helped them build this shed.

Gymnasium, linoleum removed

Our sleeping quarters, note the new drywall.

The white studs and floors had been treated for mold and rot.

In 123 man hours, 6 of us gutted a 1,500 sq. ft. home. Helen, the owner was an 81 year lady who had lived in the home for 60 years. The black leather pull-out bed was still wet. The mold was really bad in this room. Our dust masks leaked a little and we each had 2 large green mold farms beneath our eyes from breathing the air.

"What comes around, goes around!"

In New Orleans alone, there were 217,000 homes flooded. And, to make it worse, 18,000 businesses flooded giving the residents no where to work even if they do return.

Having been there, I can see that New Orleans will be back,
and so will we, will you be with us?
My tele # is 800-354-1595 or 330-875-1595

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Mary & Jim Edwards' Home Page

2129 Wittenberg NE Louisville, Ohio 44641 330-418-3375 cell

New Orleans Cleanup & UCC Volunteers
Jan. 2006

We are flexible, email any changes to: jedwards@neo.rr.com

E-mail: jedwards@neo.rr.com

Mary & Jim Edwards' Home Page

2129 Wittenberg NE Louisville, Ohio 44641 330-418-3375 cell

New Orleans Cleanup & UCC Volunteers Jan. 2006

We are flexible, email any changes to: jedwards@neo.rr.com

New Orleans Cleanup & UCC Volunteers
Jan. 2006