Building Beyond the Twin Cities

AmeriCorps Travels to the Gulf Coast

Introduction

From February 6-14 our AmeriCorps members are traveling to Mississippi to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Most of the AmeriCorps members that serve at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity work as Construction Volunteer Facilitators. They assist Construction Site Supervisors throughout the year by educating and organizing volunteers on site. Every year the AmeriCorps group takes a trip to another part of the country to learn how other Habitat for Humanity affiliates address the local needs for affordable housing. Other affiliates visited by Twin Cities Habitat AmeriCorps in the past have been Austin, San Antonio and New Orleans.

Traveling to our Destination

February 8, 2010
Our trip is off to a great start! On the first day of travel we drove 12 hours to Missouri and stayed at a cabin retreat in Cape Girardeau. On the next day we set off for Pass Christian, Mississippi. Watching the snow melt from the landscape as we drove south was a good sight to see!

In Pass Christian we stayed in a home hosted by a bishop and his wife. They moved to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina hit to help coordinate volunteers and provide support. After a year of living in a trailer, they purchased a home where they could host volunteers coming to the region to help rebuild. They have committed their lives to the recovery after the hurricane, and we were grateful to stay with them.

We had a nice break today from travel and are now settled in nearby Ocean Springs at Camp Victor. Some of us ventured to New Orleans for the day, while others spent the day enjoying the southern weather in town. Tomorrow we are beginning our week of work, but we have to wait until the morning to see what projects we’ll be working on. It should be a great learning week for us as we discover the housing needs on the Gulf Coast.

Off to a Great Work Week

February 10, 2010
Today marked our second day of work on the Gulf Coast. Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast serves several cities in the area, and we are working on a site in Gulfport. Our entire group is working together on two homes that are next door to each other. 

Some of us have been working on a few finishing details in one house, like hanging shelving in closets and installing door knobs and stops. On the exterior of the other house, we’ve been working on applying siding to the entire home as well as the shed in back. On the inside of the same home, we’ve been installing insulation on all the exterior walls.

Today was really a great day for all, and everyone is excited to be here helping out. Our site supervisor, who was an AmeriCorps himself a couple years ago, told us he was impressed with the work we’ve gotten done so far. Tonight our group is heading out to the beach to have a campfire and roast marshmallows – we’re all looking forward to it!

View our Flickr photoset from the trip! http://bit.ly/bCznn7

Our Trip Comes to an End

February 13, 2010
We returned this evening to Minnesota after leaving a day earlier than planned. Our last day of work was cancelled due to snow, so we decided to travel home ahead of schedule. Although we only volunteered for three days, our group got a lot accomplished. Almost the entire exterior and shed have finished siding, and the inside of the home is completely insulated. The home is now prepped to be sheet rocked and painted.

A major goal for Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast is to house those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Although Habitat homes are still open to traditional Habitat applicants, this affiliate still serves those displaced during the hurricane. We had a whirlwind of a week, and we were happy to contribute to the recovery efforts. This week also created an opportunity for all of us AmeriCorps to get to know one another much better. Most of us work separately on sites throughout the Twin Cities during the year, so we really appreciated having time to spend with one another. It was a great trip!

View our Flickr photoset from the trip! http://bit.ly/bCznn7