Our Week in Calcasieu
Thursday, March 18, 6:48 p.m.
Submitted by: Jamie Kelsey, sophomore, nursing
The day that we left for Calcasieu, La., all of us knew that we were headed somewhere to help families by rebuilding their homes and, hopefully, their spirits. Many probably could not even imagine what we would gain in return.
The campsite where we have been staying has been quite an experience. A typical day goes something like this: Wake up at 6 a.m. after a cold night on a cot. Open the cabin door to walk outside, but first wake up your roommates when the high-pitched screechy door slams shut behind you. Walk a short distance to the model bathroom that houses five beautiful, rusted sinks with only cold water to wake you up and cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. Breakfast at 7 a.m., but who is even hungry at that hour? What follows is a long, hard workday on one of the five houses to which we were assigned. Still sweating from the labor put into the houses, a trip back to camp to shower is what everyone is waiting for to end the day. Being one of the first to the showers is a competition among the girls, because if you’re not, you might as well brace yourself for the coldest shower you ever had in your life.
Almost all of us look forward to yoga every night after working on the houses. It really relaxes us and freshens our minds and body. There is always something to do at night — be it yoga, playing cards, games, sitting by the fire at night, or laughing with new friends — we have plenty of fun.
The house I’ve been assigned to work on was mostly affected by wind damage. Standing in the kitchen on the day we arrived, we could look up and see right to the roof, with debris falling down here and there. The two bedrooms were in desperate need of paint. The bathroom had a toilet and tub, but no drywall, so you could see right into the kitchen from the bathroom — no privacy at all. The exterior of the house needed to be scrapped, caulked and painted. The outside windows needed puttied to prevent more water damage.
Since the house was completely empty, we’ve been working with a semi-blank canvas. Day by day, we have all put in great effort from 8 to 5 p.m. to finish as much as possible.
Some of us came with barely any experience, and some are pros. We have learned how to put up drywall, seal seams where two boards meet, caulk properly, sand to a “T” and properly paint. Simple things like not forgetting to scrape the putty so that it looks smooth were little details we have learned to perfect.
At the other houses, volunteers have had a variety of experiences. A back room on one house needed demolished. On Day 1 it was a laundry room and by Day 3, the house was smaller and looked like it had been that way for years.
You would think that the guys would do the “manly work” and the girls would just paint, when really, all of us help on every project. Girls have been cutting drywall with power saws, nailing boards and doing anything else that has been needed. I can honestly say that this is a team effort. We’ve all learned just what it takes to help rebuild a home.
The owner of the house where I have been working was down in spirits when I talked with him after we first arrived. The hurricanes had such a lasting impact on him — he just wanted his house back; he wanted that feeling of home again.
Now, as the week is coming to an end, the peeling, grayish white house, with nothing in it but memories and a man with a wonderful story, is gleaming white with a new interior structure and hope for life being brought back in. We helped rebuild five houses for five families, and in doing this work, we brought life back into their lives. We have made an impact on them, just by wanting to help for a week.
I do not think that any of us were prepared for what we are experiencing in Louisiana. The effects of talking with family members, hearing their stories and seeing the tears to prove how thankful they are is something that you have to experience to fully grasp how it feels. Maybe some of us have traveled, and maybe some of us have never left Ohio before, but all of us will leave Calcasieu knowing so much more. And definitely, we have some Louisiana culture in our systems. Culture really leaves an impact.
We have all made new friends with people who genuinely want to make a difference. Spring Break 2010 has been a heartwarming, eye-opening, life-changing experience. This is the best thing I’ve experienced in my entire life. For every single person that participated in this trip, I know that we all will never forget this one week where we literally changed people’s lives.