Observations about Day One

It is now 9:40 pm and I am standing in the lobby of our home away from home (the Suburban Extended Stay in D"Iberville) where 4 feet of water filled this lobby and all rooms on the first floor of the hotel.  Nearly a year later, much of what we have seen (like this hotel) appears not to have experienced damage and destruction of the most natural disaster in our country;s history.  But everyone we have spoken with has a story that is vivid and full of both horror and wonder.  

Tonight we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Ocean Springs, a town about 15 minutes from Biloxi and during an after-dinner-walk in a residential neighborhood we spoke with a woman and her neice.  Their street, which was a couple of blocks from where we met them, had flooded.  The woman told us of friends whose house floated away under them and after hanging on to a tree for 3 hours they were resued.  

The Grassroots Network organizations with whom we are working is located on the land of the black church.  As we headed to our vans this afternoon after completing work there, the Reverend of the church walked down the driveway and we had the opportunity to talk with him for about 30 minutes.  About 100 members of the church have left the area and will not return leaving some 200 members.  He told us of being in his house and watching his roof lift off and return several times.  The church was badly damaged by wind; however, the water did not enter the buildings.  Looking at the church, it was hard to believe that it had been severely damanged.

Just south of the hotel is another residential area and this afternoon Maria and I walked through the area having heard of the Plughs walk there last night.  Foundations were all that is left on some lots and FEMA trailors were in countless yards.

While Katrina affected rich and poor alike, East Biloxi, where we worked this morning, appears to include many businesses and families that are having a harder time re-building and restoring environments to a pre-Katrina state.  

But the strength and spirit of our host this morning and the Reverend we met this afternoon is a strong indication that people here we succeed.  We have been thanked endlesslywhich I confess makes me a bit uncomfortable.  

Eliza's organizaton and attention to detail has been remarkable.  Today during lunch I asked her a question and she whipped out her notebook to find the answer.  She also read information about East Biloxi which included the fact that the median annual income is $18,000.  As the Reverend with whom we spoke this afternoon said there is poverty in the shadow of each casino in this his beloved home town.

It is now past 10 pm and I have got to return Jac's computer to her so that is all for today from the 11 of us here in Biloxi.  Thanks for your interest..  

Mike was going to write tonight too but the wireless connection does not work in his room.  McKenzie he asked me to send along his hello to you since I was writing from the lobby.  

Good night.

Stefan