Thoughts from Tyece

One week of manual labor in a city that is both resilient and exuberant only began to teach me about the intersection among poverty, racism, and disaster relief. All of these words are deeply rooted in causes that we can’t always explain. Sometimes poverty is a silent member of society that we accept because we are too afraid to say anything to him or too blind to help him. Often times racism is covert. It does not scream. Instead, it whispers loud enough for the victims to hear but quiet enough that the culprits believe they will go unnoticed. Disaster relief has become a trend. It is not something we do but rather something we donate to in hopes that brand name organizations will take our money and do with it what we do not have the time or energy or commitment or spirit to do ourselves.

~ Tyece

Pictures, finally!

We've been extremely busy working and exploring the city. Here are a few pics.

Day 2 in New Orleans has been awesome. The reality of where we are and what we are doing is setting in. We're covered in sandy stuff and beyond exhausted but we're having a great time and laughing every step of the way. Not only am I amazed by the people of New Orleans but I'm also amazed with the people in this ASB group. Great times. We'll see what else is in store for the rest of the week :)

Tyece Wilkins, ASB NOLA 2010

We are here!

We arrived yesterday after a long drive from Knoxville. We had our first work day today. We split into two groups and worked on drywall (mudding and sanding). Strenuous but rewarding. We also went to the French Quarter - went on a ghost tour and ate po-boys. Looking forward to tomorrow's work.

Pics and more posts coming soon!

Halfway there!

We are in Knoxville, TN after about 9 hours of driving. We stopped by a Bojangles in Virginia for lunch and ate at Dead End BBQ for dinner. Delicious both times and sweet tea galore - do I detect a trend??

We're heading to New Orleans tomorrow at 8 am - should be about 9-10 more hours of driving. Looking forward to meeting the staff at Common Ground and settling in!

~ TL Melanie

Leaving soon!

We're leaving bright and early Saturday morning! Heading to Knoxville, TN then finally arriving in New Orleans Sunday night.

Stay tuned for updates. ;)

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A note to friends and family: Interesting in helping out a little bit more? Common Ground Relief, the organization we are working with and living with, is in need of Lowe's gift cards. You can send one instantly through this link: http://bit.ly/nolagift

Send e-gift cards to commongroundvolunteers@gmail.com

... or if you choose the mailing option, send them to:
Common Ground Relief
1800 Deslonde Street
New Orleans, LA 70117