Back on Eagle Street, this crew picked up right where our last group finished! They began sheathing the house and decking the roof and by Saturday, that was all complete! Othere were inside blocking the closets and kitchen, while others were in charge of cutting stations and making sure the nail patterns were all complete!
RHINO is excited to have this crew back again for a second week and know they'll continue to work just as hard!
The home on Cohn Street is complete and ready to go...thanks to the finishing touches put on last week. They hung closet doors, painted inside and out, painted and hung the shutters and stained the porch! Needless to say, they were busy! They even got to visit with the homeowner, Stephanie, who was just blown away when she saw her home and how much work they had done to finish it for her!
Around the corner on Hamilton Street, the rest of the John Knox crew did their own amount of hard work. For those who liked to be on the ground, they built and painted porches and did touch up painting all around the house. And for those who like to be up high, the roof and scaffolding proved to be their spot for the week. Whether finishing the soffit and fascia board or painting, they rose to the occasion and got everything complete! By Saturday morning, the scaffolding was taken down and Hamilton Street looked beautiful. They were joined by homeowner Sheereen, who worked alongside them, getting that house closer to being her home.
It's getting hot down here in NOLA, so water breaks and popsicle suprises are a must! The heat dosen't stop our volunteers from working hard and playing hard. Each day began with laughter and ended with the feeling of accomplishment!
Thanks be to God for our John Knox friends, our Habitat for Humanity Foreman Andrew, the Americorp on site Aaron, and for each of you!
We had the friends from California here for another week, and some of their family decided to join them for their second week! They were up to whatever task they were given. Some folks worked on Cohn Street doing landscaping and fencing, while the rest of the crew continued to push through on Birch Street. On Birch, the roof was completed (not without some shoe soles melting), and the soffit was installed all around the house! And they somehow found time to work on the side porch too. Their last day, they moved around the corner to Hamilton Street and worked to intall blue jean insulation in that house! Needless to say, they got to experience various stages of the building process, and did it all with a smile! They even left a little piece of themselves on Birch Street...a hat that had kept them from getting too much sun while they finsihed the roof!
Over on Eagle Street, we welcomed back First Presbyterian Church from Stamford, CT who was here for their 8th trip with RHINO. This was a group of youth from the church and their dedicated leaders. They were a joy to have and reminded me everyday of how important it is to laugh and have fun, even when you're giving back to a community. They blogged each day ( it can be found here www.nola11.blogspot.com ), chronicling their experiences and journey here in New Orleans. I thought I would share a little of that with you.
" I felt a great sense of accomplishment showing upon the first day with only cement blocks in place, and leaving with the front wall raised. I enjoyed the work because for me rebuilding means hammers and nails and boy oh boy we definitely got our daily does of those. More important was, not just the satisfaction I got, but the joy of Rachel, the future homeowner, when we raised that first wall. Sure, we have just started raising walls, but it was a finale that came with a lot of work beforehand and surely there is more to do." Ryan Beutler
To our California, Colorado,Connecticut friends and to all of our volunteers--RHINO says "thank you." The people of New Orleans say 'thank you."
PS--remember to visit our photo gallery to keep up with the progress on our current and finished houses!
They may have been a small group, but they got lots accomplished (and had beautiful weather) on Birch Street. Throughout the week, they painted, roofed, installed F-channel, began putting up soffit...and lots more!
And the best news is that they're here for another week! Here's hoping for another really great week!
