Just got back from a Habitat build in Slidell, LA. Ask me anything!

I got to help work on one of the "Home-in-a-box" houses constructed in New York during the Today show a couple of weeks ago. It was a long, hard, hot, exhausting week, but so rewarding and fulfilling. I couldn't believe the devastation: every house, business, school, church, had a large pile of furnishings and debris out by the street. Furniture, appliances, mattresses, toys, books, school computers, not to mention all the water-damaged drywall and insulation that had to ripped out because of the storm surge. It will likely take several weeks just to haul away the trash, not to mention repair the damage to roofs and walls and replace those things that can be replaced. Yet all that tragedy was offset by the obvious resiliency and courage of those people. They are determined to build their lives again, and I was privileged to help. We only finished one house, but it was a start, and everyone was so appreciative.

city fall prey to the bloodsuckers that are all lined up with official permission to feed... I believe they will come back and good times will roll again..

Some will never come back, but those who are even now returning will be the spark that will develop into a new and better city. They have the will; they just need plenty of help and patience.

for doing that. People like you make it impossible to believe that people like Bush** can win.

I'm flattered!

Every hand with the strength to help that does, rebuilds America.

Who finishes the next house?

The house frames were all shipped to Jackson, MS, until sites can be prepared in the coastal regions. New foundations are being constructed in some places, while other locations are clearing out existing Habitat houses that are too damaged to be repaird and reusing those foundations. There will be a great need for more volunteers in the weeks and months ahead, but this big emphasis has helped get several houses started that otherwise would be months and years away from happening.

Don't live there anymore, though. What end of town are you on?

My daughter's boyfriend is in New Orleans and she is in Baton Rouge. They went out to eat last weekend downtown at night. I asked her if there were street lights in the neighborhoods and she said here and there. It sounded really creepy to me. Boyfriend is now basically unemployed because of the hurricane. I really hope the town can rejuvenate. What part of town were you building the house?

We were building in what I think is referred to locally as "Old Slidell." I believe we were about three miles north of the US 11 bridge over Lake Pontchartrain.

There were plenty of businesses open, trying to get back to some sense of normalcy, but just as many that were still closed. Some due to obvious damage to the building, but others closed with minimal storm damage. One can only assume the business owners had to leave, or they lost either their product or their customer base and couldn't stay open.

Also plenty of entrepreneurs around with painted up signs offering there services for clean-up or rebuilding. One was particulary eye-catching: Boat and Tree removal. I guess if you have a boat in your tree or a tree in your boat, they've got you covered either way!

God bless you.

:thumbsup: