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Katrina victims (cont)


This is a typical start to a mucking job. We make
sure the owner is there, then unload the equipment
trailer (new enclosed versions - donated). That's
Stephanie with the dolly while Dennis organizes as
the team lead.


We then meet with the owner, here Kathy, 2nd from
left to discuss what will be done. Our team members
are Marc on the left and Bob, second from right.
Kathy's friend is on the right.


Meanwhile two of our gals went across the street
to help a neighbor get rid of ruined clothes on the
2nd floor. Here Ealer throws stuff out the 2nd
floor window to Tiffany below.


Tiffany collects clothes in a wheelbarrow to cart
out to the street. Later FEMA will send semi's
out to collect all the stuff.


Back at Kathy's, a 15 room double home, we
encounter what turns out to be the biggest muck
job of the 350 done so far, according to Dennis,
who has seen almost all of them.


The water level was into the attic which caused all
the ceiling sheet rock to collapse into the rooms.
There was a lot of "stuff" in the house, and the
muck was six inches deep on top of water logged
carpets and padding. Here Stephanie hauls out
a basket of items for Kathy to look through.


Here Stephanie and Bob try to work their way down
to the carpet. Stephanie was a machine! She would
start with the scoop shovel and not stop until
lunch, then do it all over again in the afternoon!


All homes had this type of mark on them. The top quadrant
"9-7" indicates date the house was searched by rescue
teams, "CA-1" is the team ID, "E" means empty, i.e.
no pets, and the blank in the bottom quadrant indicates
that no human bodies were found.


Break time. Left-to-right; me, Stephanie and Dennis.
Notice pile behind us!


By the end of the morning we already had a huge
pile. Kathy's house turned out to be a three day
job. It took FEMA four semi-tractor trailers to
haul away what we removed the first day!


Another view of the pile. Here Bob poses with
owner Kathy on left in photo, Kathy's friend on
right.


Lunch break! Here we ate from donated lunch kits
which are stored back at camp. On other days,
the Red Cross would come around and give us
free meals. L-R foreground; Bob, Jason, Stephanie,
Erica, Tiffany. Background L-R; Julie, Dennis, Roger


Finishing lunch, L-R; Marc, Erica and Jason.
Jason taught me to say "Praise the Lord!" in 
Chinese: "Sah-may-Tsu!"


Near the end of the afternnoon, Big John poses
with Stephanie. Thank God for the young volunteers!


At the end of the first day, we gather the whole
team for a photo with Kathy, the owner. Foreground
L-R: Kathy (owner), Marc, Dennis, Stephanie.
Background L-R: Julie, Roger, Jason, Erica, Big John,
Bob and I.




That's me hauling wheelbarrows of broken sheet
rock - from Frank's house.


Dave and Dennis help me demolish the kitchen. All
the appliances, counters and shelving have to go.


Dave again...


Nearing the end of work on Frank's house, sheet rock
gone and floors being cleaned, here, by Roger and
Julie.


The gals, left-to-right, Tiffany, Erica and Stephanie
pose for a quick photo.


Almost done at Frank's. Erica on left, Dave on right.




Bad place to park - it clogs up the gutters!


Thats a boat on top of the truck !