ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK
SRJC STUDENTS HELP RELIEF EFFORTS
IN THE NINTH WARD, NEW ORLEANS
Abby Bogomolny

What did they find?

Eight SRJC student and two faculty advisors joined Common Ground's efforts to aid residents of the Upper and Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, a community historically underserved before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They joined many college student volunteers from across the country who chose an "alternative spring break," reminiscent of the "freedom summer" voter registration efforts of the 1960s. This time, however, the issues are more basic. The Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans experienced 16 to 30 feet waves of water when a barge crashed through the Industrial Canal flood wall. Many wooden houses floated off their foundations while residents sought refuge in their attics. Unfortunately the neighborhood did not receive adequate emergency services after the storm and has since not received adequate FEMA services to help property owners rebuild. The street are still lined with debris, and there has been little effort to provide basic services such as water and electricity. No FEMA trailers. Nothing.

The Upper Ninth Ward, on the other side of the Industrial Canal, fared a bit better in the storm. Most residences were flooded with 3-5 feet of water, meaning property owners whose houses are structurally intact can gut the lower portions of their homes and rebuild. Many obstacles still remain. Residents must hire licensed electricians and obtain city permits before electric power can be stored. The city inspection process is slow and other areas of the city have more priority in the process. Many residents of the Upper Ninth Ward left before the storm and did not return for months. When they came back, they faced a nightmare of mold and rotting wood inside their homes.

Common Ground has been a blessing to residents of the Upper and Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. CG founder Malik Rahim explains, "What the government has failed to do, the people will do." Over three thousand volunteers moved through Common Grounds' base in the Ninth Ward during the months of March and early April. When our party arrived in the middle of April, the numbers had diminished to approximately three hundred. Conditions in the Ninth Ward resemble that of a disaster area or refugee camp. This is what happens when government does not do its job. See the pictures, say a prayer for the departed of the Ninth Ward, and read the poem There are lots of things wrong, but the work of the soul is filled with great sweetness.

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Common Group need carpenters, plumbers, electricians, gardeners, health care workers, legal volunteers, educators, researchers and bicycle repair people.

What services does Common Ground offer residents?

gutting of houses

supply distribution centers

tool lending library

computer access

access to City of New Orleans information

Question? Contact (504) 218-6613
or email

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See The San Francisco Bayview for more New Orleans Coverage

Message left in St Marys, a school that housed Ninth Ward residents during the storm:

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In Our Own Words ©2006 Abby Bogomolny

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