Monday

Mike and I arrived about 10:30 and hooked up with Teresa, Cally and Lanier, who were surveying the neighborhood with Derrick, an outreach volunteer from St. Louis who has been here for 2 months. Lish is our cook; she is originally from New Hampshire but has been "all around for some time." Molly is the volunteer coordinator, replacing John who is headed back to Wisconsin where he hopes to hear about his Peace Corps assignment. Many different personalities and ages of volunteers, including Kelly from Japan--all have to get along with each other. We talk to neighbors, filling out forms, to understand any needs they might have for repair, health or social services. In about 90 minutes we head back for lunch--macaroni and salad. We spent this afternoon surveying, walking the states -- streets named Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana in this area right near camp. It's exhausting but the plus is 70 degree weather. Justin, an outreach coordinator, is processing our data to see if there are immediate needs that can be addressed this week. We met Eddie, originally from Frankfort, Illinois who has been here two years overseeing whatever rebuilding can be done. Funds are needed for materials; Turkey Creek was glad to receive our Home Depot cards. It's clear that before more building can happen, funds have to flow. Bottled water is low here; PepsiCo can't donate any more water and soda. Insurance can't be counted on; federal funds don't seem available. More on this later. I'm sweaty and hot but glad to send out this note. Will try to get the others to weigh in with more. It's disorienting to be in a landscape that looks like it's really ground zero--trees lopped off or sideways, homes that have been crushed, side by side with some rebuilding that has been done thanks to local churches and other faith-based groups. No one has time to care who or what is across the street from them; life has to on. Elderly parents have to be tended to. Lanier's already documented conditions in some classic old homes which, if rebulding occurs, describes what is needed.