FEMA

CDC tests confirm FEMA trailers are toxic
Agency to relocate Gulf Coast residents because of formaldehyde fume
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23168160/

When I was doing needs assessment most of the people who lived in the FEMA trailers were having head aches, nose bleeds, allergies they never had and FEMA said it had nothing to do with their trailers. Until now 2 years later and now they realize what the people were complaining about actually is toxic poison from their trailers.

New Life

For the past 5 years I was in an on and off relationship. For the first 3 years we were together and then the last 2 years we were not together but were. But this past month I have been single for the first time. At first I was really scared about being single but now I kinda like it. I can go out when ever I want, do what ever I want without having to tell someone or explain what I did. I like not feeling guilt if a guy buys me a drink at the bar now! I do miss having someone care about me, and being able to tell that person about my day. I don't really have anyone that I really talk to anymore which I really don't like. But I am starting to get to know new people and I am having a blast.

I am back at school now going to GMU. I am majoring in Social Work. I have only had a week of classes and so far they are going good. I have to get back into the routine of school because I have been off for 2 years but I am excited to meet new people and learn new subjects.

Life

I am starting to get used to life after AmeriCorps. For the first two weeks I was home I felt like I was just on vacation so I was going back to work and seeing my friends soon. But then two weeks went by and I finally realized that I was not going back and all my friends are so far a way and I am not going to see them for a while. Its been hard to get used to not having so many friends around. I have a really good friend here back at home but he is my Ex boyfriend and he is starting to date a new girl so can't give me much time as I would like so it has been hard. I understand that I am asking for a lot of time with him and he can not give it to me. There is just two reasons why I ask for more time: I really enjoy being around him, he is a lot of fun, and I am so used to having my friends around 24-7 that its hard being alone for a long time. I just need to try and make more friends so that I don't relay on him so much. I am looking forward to starting college in Jan, I will be going to GMU! I hope I will find some good friends there like I did in AmeriCorps.

I am going to Syracuse NY for New Years to see some on my friends. I am so excited to get to see them. I have never been to up state New York so I am excited, I am going to try and go see Niagara falls!

Weather

Living in Virginia we get a lot of rain some days but it never floods and if it does its either after a couple days of rain or the creeks that over flow. Well yesterday here in New Orelans it rained all day and pretty much all the streets flooded. The street just in front of where I live had over 2 inches of water. I just can no imagine what it was like during Katrina because then the water in some areas was up to the roof tops. It was suck a shock just seeing the water going up over the tires of cars or up to the front doors of houses. I went on a walk and took some pictures here are some of the pictures I took:

Almost done.

AmeriCorps is coming to the end. We only have a week and 2 days left of this project and then we go back to Denver to finalize everything and graduate. I am nervous about going back. I don't have many friends back at home so it is going to be lonely. But I have applied to three colleges for the spring semester. I applied to JMU, GMU, and VCU because they are the big schools that are providing social work. I really can not wait to hear back from them. Right now I feel out of control of my life because I don't know what is going to happen to me next.

Here are some pictures of the place that I am staying:

Emergency Community Center. This is where I

work.

Down the street from where I live.

Work

Here is a picture of where I live. Its not much but it is what I call home for now. At first I really did not like it because I mean just look at it! But now it has grown on me. I have my own little area that I consider my "bedroom" even though it is open for anyone to see. But it is mine. The rats and cockroaches at first were really hard to deal with but now they just don't bother me. When I see them I just think oh wow there they are.

Work is good some days some days all I want to do is quite and go home. I really like working on rebuild work because I learn a lot and the supervisor is really friendly. But they only need a few people doing rebuild so we do not get to do it that often. When we are not doing rebuild we are gutting. We get to wear these black jumpers over are uniform that are so hot (which you can see in the picture) and we were a mask because of the mold and man it is so hard to breath in the masks. Gutting out houses is something that needs to be done here still in New Orleans which is sad. Yesterday we went to a house that has yet to be untouched since the storm and for the first time I have seen still have the mud from the flood in there. There was a good 5 inches of mud on the floor of this house. Gutting out houses is not fun but it is something that needs to be done so we pretty much gut out houses everyday. If you are ever looking to volunteer I ask you please come down to New Orleans for a week and help gut out houses it needs to be done so that the families can start their healing process and move back into their homes.

The days are long when you gut but my team knows how to have fun while doing work. I don't think I could make it through this project without my teammates! You guys rock.

New Orleans

So I am back in New Orleans for my last round of AmeriCorps. We are working with Emergency Communities. I don't really like this project because I don't think they are helping the community in the long run. They are helping them now which is something to be needed but they are not teaching the community how to function without them. I am just worried that the people in the community will have a really hard time when they leave. But I have only been here a week so. Man the living situation sucks. We are living in a gutted out church and with in that an army tent so there is no natural light at all. And not only am I living with all my roommates which I don't mind but I have other roommates that are these big rats and cockroaches. So in the church there is no running water so we have to walk across the street to Emergency Community Center to take a shower, drink water, or for a bathroom.