I was just thinking about this trip tonight and I thought why not share it with all my new IAH friends!

We stayed in downtown New Orleans. That next day we headed out of the city into the naborhoods where we arived at a older lady's home who had just been widowed two days. She wanted nothing more at this piont just to find a picture and little pin of her late husbands. I can't discribe the feeling I felt walking around that empty naborhood, it was like a modern day ghost town or a war zone at best. As I recall we had to break into the home since no one had entered the house since the storm 6 months prior. The smell was like no other, thick and hard to breath. We worked through out the day with hardly a break. Everything you touched literally fell apart it was so rottin and water logged, even ceramic dishes turned brital in your hands. I took on the task of going through the debri looking for any family heirlooms that could be recovered. I quickly discovered that it was a task in it's self just to open any drawers, cabinets, boxes etc. I spent hours breaking things open just to look through them due to their condition. Later that day I met the lady of the house, she was so brave. All the things she's had to endure those past 6 months, then to lose her husband. She was just so greatful for any help. We were able to find two or three pictures that were somewhat in good condition, also I was able to find her husbands pin she was praying would be found. That felt so good to be able to lay it in her hands and to see the look on her face, I will never for get that moment.


To view my slideshow of some of our clean up efferts Click here!  http://img48.imageshack.us/slideshow/player.php?id=img48/399/11616480656ud.smil

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