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March 18, 2009

Monday mornings with a mission

Olive Tree village gears up volunteers for a week in the Gulf

by Bethany Furkin
Presbyterian News Service

Volunteer groups get a quick rundown of the week’s plans before heading out to work.

NEW ORLEANS, LA — For some, Monday mornings signal the end of fun, relaxing weekends. But for the volunteers gathered here March 9, it was the energetic beginning of a week filled with mission.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance’s Olive Tree volunteer village is in the former Eastminster Presbyterian Church here. Located about 30 minutes from the French Quarter, south of Lake Pontchartrain and north of the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard’s Parish, Olive Tree is in the heart of much of the worst hurricane impact.

The village can house 90 people at a time and is equipped with shower and bathroom trailers as well as a large indoor kitchen.

“If you weren’t here, people would go without homes,” PDA Coordinator Randy Ackley told a group of volunteers on a recent visit here.

Past volunteer groups leave their mark at Olive Tree with decorative signs posted in the courtyard.

During a brief orientation, leaders explained the basic organizational structure of Olive Tree’s operation: A construction manager oversees four to six houses at a time, traveling back and forth between them during the day to make sure all is running smoothly. Each site also has two construction assistants who stay at the houses all day and provide instruction to volunteers. Also at each house is a folder that includes contact information for mangers, assistants and homeowners as well as maps to local supply stores and notes from past groups about progress or problems.

After the orientation, groups headed outside, where they had a quick session with their construction assistants to learn about the week’s tasks. From there, they piled into trucks and vans and headed out to get to work.

‘A fun challenge’

At one house that day, volunteers were learning how to hang sheetrock. Robinson Warner, one of the construction assistants and a Louisiana Delta Service Corps volunteer with the Presbytery of South Louisiana’s Project Homecoming, used a fun and knowledgeable teaching style, answering questions with skill while putting first-timers at ease.

Just eight months ago, Warner himself was new to construction work. After graduating from college, he answered a Project Homecoming ad on Craigslist and ending up moving from New Hampshire to Louisiana. Although he had no construction skills when he arrived, he credits his construction manager and Project Homecoming co-workers as being great trainers.   

Working with all levels of skills is part of the job, Warner said, adding that he wants to make all volunteers feel confident and at ease.

“It’s a fun challenge to be able to mesh those levels of experience,” he said, pausing to offer guidance to volunteers using a new tool. “You have to be a teacher and a student when you’re in this job.”

Warner had been to New Orleans before, both prior to and after Hurricane Katrina, and was interested in doing recovery work. He said he didn’t do enough community service in college and was motivated to give back.

“Why not do something for someone else? I feel spoiled. I feel almost too lucky,” he said, adding that he’s considering staying another year. “I’m hopelessly head over heels for this city and the people of New Orleans.”

Construction assistant Robinson Warner goes over the day’s plans with a group of volunteers. Photos by Bethany Furkin

Since starting with Project Homecoming, Warner has worked on six houses and been part of the completion of four. One of the best parts of the job is interacting with homeowners, especially seeing their reaction to a rebuilt house, he said.

“When we come into the house, it’s still only a dream for them,” he said. “It’s a blessing to have them be part of the work.”

PDA is always looking for more long-term volunteers to serve in the Gulf as worksite assignment managers and village managers.

Those interested in other volunteer work with PDA can sign up for this summer’s Family Week, Father and Son Mission Week or Youth Weeks.