Lend a hand in New Orleans

By JoANN AMMANN, Globe Intern
August 24, 2006

It has been a year since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and demolished New Orleans and the surrounding area. Since then, volunteers with Catholic Charities have been working to clear rubble and rebuild homes, churches and buildings.

Jerry Eaton, executive director of Catholic Charities in the Sioux City Diocese has recently become aware of a growing organization through Catholic Charities USA that works directly with the volunteers of the hurricane relief.

"I first became aware of Operation Helping Hands through Bishop Nickless. Bishop Nickless had gone back to Denver and met with a woman in one of the parishes who was involved. He sent me an e-mail about it and I checked into it," said Eaton. "Catholic Charities USA also put out a request to get the message out there that there is a huge need for volunteers in the New Orleans and Gulf Coast region."

Currently, Operation Helping Hands is willing to take in groups with 10-15 people and who also provide their own designated leaders. Volunteer time varies from long weekends to a week, with some groups staying longer. Operation Helping Hands provides food and accommodations for the group, however transportation to and from work sites is not provided.

"If you don't actually want to go down and volunteer, people can do other things that are always very helpful in these situations," said Eaton. "Remembering all of these people in prayers, and, if willing, donate money to Catholic Charities USA to help victims. There is a huge need that has largely gone unrecognized when the hurricane came. It not only destroyed a lot of buildings and the lives of people, it also devastated a lot of organizations that the church has and also churches. There is a real need to help rebuild things within the faith community as well."

Eaton also commented that some Siouxland parishioners have been to the Gulf Coast region to volunteer.

"When people come back they say it's just unbelievable that a year afterwards it's still in that kind of shape," said Eaton. "A lot of times what they are doing is merely clearing away rubble - a year later."

Jonathan McGee of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of New Orleans said that having 50 volunteers per week, allows them to work on and finish about five or six houses a week. In the houses, volunteers remove household goods, appliances, and if necessary remove damaged walls, ceilings, floors and cabinets. Operation Helping Hands has worked with over 5,000 volunteers since the organization began last year.

"We have a list of 893 houses and apartment-type housing that is pending. We have done 786, and that number is old," said McGee. "We are probably now closer to 800 places that have been completed."

Once the list is completed, Operation Helping Hands is looking into what they can do to begin the next stage of the rebuilding process.

"There is talk of the rebuilding process and the actual putting up of sheet rock and plaster again, and helping people rebuild. All those details are not finalized right now," McGee said. "We are trying to work the kinks out of actually doing that. The reality of doing that is much harder than it sounds."

While there is a large need for financial support, the biggest need to help Catholic Charities is manpower.

"We need volunteers, big time. We are kind of in a slump right now because it is hot in New Orleans and the summer months are vacation months and people are taking time to do that," McGee said. "We had a really big boost March-June, a lot of universities are being appreciative in taking alternative spring breaks and coming down to help us. We also found that a lot of university students after they graduated had a month to do nothing before entering the real world, and they decided to come here and help us. July and August has been really slow for us. The greatest need we have is people to do the work."

In order to volunteer, you must be 18 years of age and have had a tetanus shot. If you wish to volunteer, would like to form a group, or have questions regarding Operation Helping Hands, please contact, Susan Lackey, Operation Helping Hands - Volunteer Services, 504-310-6961, or email her at sslackey@archdiocese-no.org.