Morgan Wolfe @morgwolfe-blog-blog - Tumblr Blog

Benefits of Traveling!

“If you’re 22, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them- wherever you go.” – Anthony Bourdain

Traveling has many benefits that can have life-long effects! Living in a vibrant city and having an exciting job and active social life is nothing compared to the unique experiences that traveling offers. Visiting a foreign country open your eyes to how the rest of the world lives; therefore many return home with a new appreciation for their own country while gaining a broader worldview in the process. YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE! Never pass up the chance to travel!

The following 5 benefits of traveling are truly eye-opening:

1. BREAK OUT OF YOUR SHELL

Traveling gives people a whole new perspective, whether it may be that you are no longer sweating the small stuff or promising to get out there and meet new people upon returning home. Many of those who leave their comfort zone will appreciate their lifestyle even more. There is nothing like a trip to make you a new man/woman who has no choice but to fend for him/her.

2. EMBRACE NEW CULTURES

Traveling provides a sense of adventure, along with opening doors to new cultures that do not revolve around your typically everyday life necessities. You will learn to appreciate other cultures and will be motivated to accept new cuisine or new forms of entertainment.

3. ENJOY LIFE LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Traveling is always an appealing form of escape. The attractions of the activities that are impossible to enjoy in your hometown make any trip worthwhile. All experiences are memorable, whether you are relaxing on a beach or hiking up a mountain! In every corner of the world, there is excitement waiting for you – it is simply a matter of just going for it with no regrets.

4. SATISFY YOUR STOMACH

Food has the ability to make or break a vacation. If the food is bad, it has the opportunity to put a negative spin on your vacation. However, if the food is delicious there is no limit to how much you can eat, so eat up!

5. ADMIRE TRUE BEAUTY

Whether you are a history fanatic or not, travel will satisfy your passion. There is a reason why people get the chills when witnessing an ocean sunset, which could lead to many people jumping on a plane to continue to travel. Being able to say you have visited the Seven Wonders of the World is a claim like no other, and should make any person extremely proud.

Life Changing Experience!

“You can live in any city in America, but New Orleans is the only city that lives in you”

My trip to New Orleans was a life-changing experience. Not only did I enjoy helping rebuild a house but also learning about the culture and environment in New Orleans. The emotion that you experience when you see the destroyed houses from the incident during Hurricane Katrina is devastating and because of the sights you see, you will always want to visit again in order to help wherever needed. New Orleans is still rebuilding and will continue to rebuild until the city is back to the way it was before Hurricane Katrina. Many families have not gotten the opportunity to return back to New Orleans to see their house or loved ones. The 9th ward museum shares so much information about Hurricane Katrina and the people of the city. There are many stories and photos about the tragedy that are so emotional and eye-opening that it is somewhat depressing to know that we live such a great life and many times we take things that those effected by the tragedy don’t have for granted. After my New Orleans trip, I realized that I cannot take anything for granted because a tragedy could happen to any of us at anytime of the day.

“If you’re open to it, New Orleans will teach you about yourself. But if you want to hide who you really are, the city will help you do that too.”

Due to the experience I had in New Orleans, after I graduate I plan on committing to a 10 month contract for St. Bernard Project. I am beyond excited about this opportunity. During the 10 months I spend in New Orleans I will learn everything needed to rebuild a house. St. Bernard Project pays for housing and at the end of the 10 months, you are granted a $5,000 bonus for college debt. This opportunity is an opportunity of a lifetime and I suggest anyone who has never been to New Orleans to visit and experience the wonderful life there is!

The People of New Orleans

The people of New Orleans are tremendous! They are full of life and are thankful for everything and anything. Walking down the streets of New Orleans you can feel the happiness and the high spirits of all of the people. The people who currently live in New Orleans have most likely lived there for their entire life. Therefore, keeping their hometown full of high spirits and in good condition is important to each and every one of them!

One of the best experiences while in New Orleans was meeting the homeowner of the house we were helping rebuild. Mr. and Mrs. King were both so thankful that we were helping them rebuild their house. The house they lived in was actually Mr. King’s mothers’ house that she grew up in and when his mother passed, Mr. and Mrs. King took over. What happened to the Kings house was that there a leak in the kitchen and back bedroom and the amount of mold that consisted inside the house was extreme. Unfortunately, the Kings continued to live in their house even after the storm had hit and were living in a mold infested house. Seeing the horrific living conditions made us, the volunteers, push ourselves even more to get the job done! Mr. King even brought us shrimp and oyster Po-Boys which are famous in New Orleans! Let’s just say, it was beyond delicious and we were all so thankful to have something other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch!

While on Bourbon Street there are always people performing, whether it be playing instruments or performing a magic show! We got to meet two awesome magicians who showed us some awesome tricks and we got to be a part of the entire show. It was also very interesting to see that even the magicians were like their own group, they were all best friends and always hung out together. Later that night, the first magician we saw was watching another magician’s performance to learn new tricks. You would think that this would be wrong right? But he is trying to make a living, after we finished with the second magician, the first one walked up to us and asked us how our day had been and when we were leaving, and I decided to ask him why he was here watching another performance? His response was, “I have a beautiful daughter that needs braces and I have got to get the money to support her.” Therefore, by watching other magicians he is able to perform better tricks and get better tips. That is the life that many of the people who live in the city have, and many of them chose to live that way. They are doing something they love but they want others to succeed more than they do. I can’t say it enough; the people of New Orleans are tremendously thankful and such loving people!

St. Bernard Project Rebuilding

Who does SBP help rebuild?

SBP rebuilds homes for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and families with children who cannot afford to have their homes rebuilt by contractors. For clients who can afford supplies, SBP provides supervised volunteer labor and for clients who cannot afford supplies, SBP buys the supplies and also provides the labor.

How long does it take to rebuild a house?

Typically a rebuild takes 6-12 weeks of volunteer labor and uses about $30,000 worth of building supplies. The following is the process that SBP provides for the client:

- Assigns a case manager to support the homeowner through the application process and connect the client with additional supports and services.

- Assigns a skilled construction manager to oversee all phases of rebuilding.

- Purchases and delivers all necessary building materials.

- Places a skilled site supervisor on site to supervise the volunteers.

Volunteering for St. Bernard Project

As you can see volunteers are the main reasons these houses continue to go up! Even though it has almost been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina hit, volunteers, like Mission: I’m Home, continue to contribute and visit NOLA twice a year. Volunteers have the opportunity to help rebuild along with provides homeowners with support and encouragement during the emotional rebuilding process. Many volunteers take about a week out of their lives to volunteer in NOLA to help rebuild! Trust me; it is a very rewarding experience! Even those who aren't able to volunteer can still send money to St. Bernard Project as a way to contribute for the funds of the rebuilding pool.

Rebuilding Homes

In rebuilding a house, there are multiple steps that need to be completed, such as mold remediation from all the water that sat in the homes during those 4 weeks of standing water, insulation, caulking, painting, demolition, and pulling nearly 1,000 nails. All of these steps in rebuilding a house are extremely important, especially insulation and mold remediation, the first house we worked on had no insulation and some days the weather would be lower than 30 degrees Fahrenheit. I wish that everyone could have the opportunity to visit NOLA and experience the rebuilding process, it is truly amazing in every aspect!

St. Bernard Project

SBP’s Mission

“St. Bernard Project’s mission is a national long-term disaster recovery organization whose mission is to ensure that communities at risk of, or impacted by, disasters have the resources to prepare and recover in the most prompt, efficient and predictable way possible. Through Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lab, SBP works to share lessons learned, prevent common barrier to recovery and help communities utilize SBP’s standardized, repeatable and proven-effective model.” SBP is an independent non-profit organization.

How did SBP get started?

St. Bernard Project began in 2006 by Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg, a teacher and lawyer, from Washington, D.C. When they saw the disaster in New Orleans and how much residents needed help they decided to move to the New Orleans region to help out. During their first official month of service, they meet with many residents who suffered from Hurricane Katrina. Although there were many suffering, the residents were courageous, spirited and determined to rebuild their houses in their community. Residents would open up to Liz and Zack, often crying and questioning their own values. After meeting with residents and see the desperation, Liz and Zack decided to start an organization that would help residents who lost their houses during Hurricane Katrina and rebuild to new beautiful houses. “SBP’s programs and goals are directly driven by the needs expressed by the community members.

Who does SBP serve?

SBP assists residents in St. Bernard and Orleans Parish neighborhoods including Chalmette, Violet, Meraux, Gentilly, the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans East, and the 7th ward. These communities still today hold potluck dinner to benefit families who are in need. Before Hurricane Katrina hit, generations of families lived within block of one another. Which is extremely different to say how we live here in Maryland, do any of your relatives live within a block from you? Mine certainly don’t and most of my family doesn’t even live in Maryland. So to see how connected families are in NOLA, and then seeing how broken they became after Hurricane Katrina hit is devastating. Many families members stayed at their houses, determined to pretty much die where there life is. All but eight of the 27,000 homes in St. Bernard Parish and 80% of the 250,000 homes in New Orleans were flooded and were not livable. After two to four weeks, the water was gone and families were able to return to the place they call home.

Interesting Facts

Before Hurricane Katrina:

- The Population of St. Bernard Parish was 67,000 and there were 27,000 homes and 14,000 businesses.

- The population of New Orleans was 455,000 and there were 191,428 occupied structures.

- The unemployment rate was 4%.

- In St. Bernard, the homeownership rate was 74%; in the New Orleans neighborhoods where SBP works, it was between 50% and 70%.

- Residents worked as fishermen, in the trades, at refineries and in the service industry.

After Hurricane Katrina

- 100% of the homes in St. Bernard Parish were rendered uninhabitable.

- 70% of homes in New Orleans were deemed uninhabitable.

- The New Orleans area had standing water of 4 to 25 feet for up to 4 weeks!!!!!

- In St. Bernard, more than half the population has returned.

- In New Orleans, 85% of the population has returned; but in certain neighborhoods, the return rate is much lower.

- In the lower 9th ward, only 24% residents have returned to their homes.

- Big businesses were starting to emerge more than five year later (Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc.)

- 8,000 families in the New Orleans area still can’t afford housing and have to compromise with expensive or substandard living conditions.

Houses after the water from Hurricane Katrina was gone..beyond devastating! Just image seeing your house looking like that, completely destroyed.

Houses flooded during Hurricane Katrina..

Hurricane Katrina

While in NOLA, we heard a story about a man who had 4 cats. He placed all four cats on the top of his roof and he was rescued. He ended up moving to Mississippi for the time being until he was able to come back and when he came back, one of the cats were still there. It’s amazing the see that not only did people survive this horrific “natural” disaster but that this animal was also able to survive. Now, you’re probably questioning as to why I put the word natural in quotation marks…Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29, 2005 and due to the rapid speed that the water was rising, over 50 levees and flood walls protecting New Orleans failed. The 9th ward is a region in New Orleans that is located in the easternmost downriver portion of the city. It is graphically the largest of the seventeen wards of New Orleans. When Hurricane Katrina hit, the storm topped the lake levee and flooded the entire 9th ward. Everyone living in the 9th ward house was flooded or completely gone due to the levee breaking.

Didn't they know the hurricane was coming?

Of course they did, the Louisiana Hurricane Evacuation Plan was supposed to be followed by the mayor and the governor, “The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles may be used to provide transportation for individuals who require assistance in evacuating.” But this did not necessarily happen, Governor Kathleen Blanco and Mayor Ray Nagin decided to allow New Orleans residents to stay if they wanted, even though a mandatory evacuation order had been issued by the major about 14 hours before the storm hit, which is plenty of time to evacuate.

9th Ward of New Orleans

Many people who decided to evacuate either went to the airport planning on getting out of Louisiana, or they went to the Super Dome. Unfortunately, the Super Dome did not have enough security, food, or water for the amount of people that needed help. Many people were sent to the airport to get on planes to evacuate. Some families were split up and sent to different states and later hopefully reunited. The 9th ward is said to be the poorest ward in New Orleans, meaning that the people who suffered from Hurricane Katrina were not able to make a living in these new states that they had no clue about. Almost all of the people living in the wards of New Orleans have lived there for their entire life and have raised their own children there. During my trip to NOLA, we got the pleasure to meet the home owners of the houses we were helping rebuild. They did not want to leave their house because it was the husbands’ mothers’ house and he had lived there his whole life. They stayed as long as they could until the houses began to flood due to a leakage in the kitchen and back bedroom, once they decided to leave the road was already completely covered and they had to swim to a boat and row themselves to higher elevation. Just imagining the agony and heartbreak they felt while leaving their house and not knowing what the shape of it will be when you return is beyond heartbreaking. Even worse, those in jail were either left in their cell or they were taken on top of the Broad Street overpass bridge and had to sit in the heat all day and all night with no water or food. Those left in the cell were there for four days, with water at chest level until any help had arrived.

What happened after Hurricane Katrina?

After Hurricane Katrina was done and the anxiety and worry was over, many people tried to go back to their houses after Hurricane Katrina had hit and most houses weren't livable. Either the houses were completely gone or the houses were full of mold. In a 9th ward museum I saw this picture of a house that had its entire front torn off and the women’s closet had not even been touched. When you see pictures like that, it’s just amazing to know that everything could have been taken from you but it wasn't. Many people still haven't return to there houses in the 9th ward, there are many grass lots that used to be houses but are no longer. There are houses that still have the red X's from the search team, indicating how many people were in the house dead or alive and if there was anyone rescued. It is devastating to know that still after almost 10 years, not all of the residents have been able to rebuild their house or even come back to New Orleans.

People from Mississippi were coming to New Orleans to help rebuild houses for a price that the residents could afford. A couple of years before Hurricane Katrina hit, the state of Louisiana decided to change a law saying that everyone did not need flood insurance on their house. Therefore, when Hurricane Katrina hit many people didn't have the money to recover, typically banks gave residents what there house was worth before Hurricane Katrina had hit, which was around $150,000. Contracts would come from Mississippi to rebuild houses of those residents who had totally lost their house and they would charge them $150,000. GET THIS! The contractors coming from Mississippi would rebuild the residents house and would rip them off by not putting any wiring or pipes in the house so it was just a frame. Therefore, the residents had no running water or electricity in their house, so the house was again not livable and they have lost the $150,000 given by the bank. DEVASTATING!

Mold remediation in NOLA!

#communityservice #nola #St.BernardProject #StevensonUniversity #Mission:I'mHome

The Love for Community Service

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” –Martin Luther King Jr.

Community service is voluntary work intended to help people in a particular area. The key word here is voluntary work meaning that individuals are separating from their everyday lives to spend their time helping others in need. Typically community service is not paid, but the mental and physical benefits are beyond what money could supply. I can simply think of seven wonderful reasons to volunteer:

It’s simply good for you!

Reduces stress: While volunteering an individual is focused on someone other than themselves, therefore it interrupts usual tension-producing patterns

Makes you healthier: Moods and emotions, like optimism and joy have control over one’s fate, therefore the immune system will be strengthened

It brings people together

Unites individuals from diverse backgrounds that are working towards a common goal

Camaraderie and teamwork are displayed throughout the experience

Promotes personal growth and self esteem

Empathy and self-worth are determined when understanding the communities needs

Strengthens the community

Supporting families, improving schools, supporting children and youth, revamp the community

You learn a lot

You discover hidden talents that could possibility change your view about yourself for the future

Volunteers tend to learn about local agencies that relate to our government

In order to solve community needs volunteers have the ability to gain knowledge of local resources available

Provided the opportunity to give back

Volunteers are supportive of community resources that they may use or that benefit people that they care about

Encourages civic responsibility

An investment is made by volunteering not only to one’s self but also people who live in the community

Community service may be an investment made by an individual for themselves, for someone they care about or know, or even a new experience that may have a life changing impact. From personal experience, my volunteer experience was something new and it has changed not only my perspective on community and life but has had a significant change for my future.

Persona/Ideal Reader

“So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.” Dr. Seuss

For my ideal reader I see it being both female and male about 18 to 28 years old, so young adult. They may be interested in volunteering or giving back to the community or they may have never even thought about the idea of community service. Someone who is determined to be better and do better. When I write I see myself giving an informal speech to a group of young adults, a speech that will hopefully influence the audience to do something good for not only themselves but also for others. I also see flashbacks of when I was in NOLA about a month ago and i want to be able to express to my audience the love I have after visiting the wonderful state. While writing my blog, I will have casual communication with my audience meaning that it would be simple, maybe silly at times, and interesting in all aspects. I look forward to sharing my blog and my experiences!

fitz-johansen

New Orleans makes it possible to go to Europe without ever leaving the United States.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (via crescentcityrp)

Introduction

Hello everyone! I am a junior studying Computer Information Systems Forensic Science. I have previously done cheerleading and softball at SU. I grew up doing gymnastics until about 8th grade, i cheered in high school for 4 years, and have done softball for about 6 years. I currently work at the Academic Link and nanny two precious little girls that i love spending every moment with! :) I have absolutely no clue what i want to do after graduation, but i am heading towards working for St. Bernard Project in NOLA to help rebuild houses that were destroyed from Hurricane Katrina! I am excited to read everyones blogs and get to know everyone better!

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Morgan Wolfe