After a long and thrilling season with SFB and a small tour to Europe, where I danced some more, it was time for a break. I headed to the blazing hot state of Louisiana with a group from my church, Cornerstone, to work with Mercy Response in the effort to rebuild areas of New Orleans damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
I was part of a team helping Wally, a life-long New Orleans resident, whose house was destroyed during the hurricane. We spent our time there building him a new house.
I'm second from the left in the front row
Here I am riding in “Betsy” the boom lift.
Cutting panels of soffit (facia), the ceiling-like area that connects the siding of a house to the roofline, was one of the skills I developed in NOLA.
Working on scaffolding! Yikes!
Shortly before we left, we took this snapshot with Wally (blue overalls) in front of his new home. When I arrived in New Orleans I did not know what to expect but I left feeling grateful for the experience.
2 Comments
Bless your heart, Frances! I really admire you.
What an awesome project! Great work, Frances and the pics are awesome, too. My friend did this as well and has invited me to try it. She said these people have been living in there FEMA trailers since Katrina, waiting for housing.