The Ebenezer Baptist Church mission team.The list of nicknames for the city of New Orleans seems endless: The “Crescent City” refers to the shape of the city as it molds to the curve of the Mississippi River. The “Big Easy” describes the relative ease with which musicians would find work within the city. The “City that Care Forgot” describes the carefree nature of the locals.
In April, none of these fit this great city. There is no longer anything easy about living in the Crescent City, and it truly seems to be forgotten.
On April 8, 31 adults and teens from Ebenezer Baptist Church began a journey that would change their lives. For Justin McAlpin, minister of students, and myself, this would be a homecoming of sorts: Both of us graduated from the New Orleans Baptist Seminary. Both of us hold a special place in our hearts for this great city. Both of us were devastated by what we found.
Working with the Edgewater Baptist Church on Paris Avenue, we were connected with neighborhoods surrounding the infamous 17th Street Canal. What we found were neighborhoods with little more than 20 percent of residents who have returned to the city, a scattering of FEMA trailers and residents living in their driveways, and thousands of houses destroyed by Katrina and the subsequent levy breaks.
New Orleans, and the entire Gulf Coast, needs us now more than ever. Will we forget? Will we respond? Donations help tremendously, but nothing is better that being there. The team from Ebenezer gutted one house, cleared two other residences, and canvassed more than 100 blocks of neighborhood, letting the people know that Edgewater is there and ready to help. We found ruined homes and possessions.
We also found people with a spirit to move forward. Those who have returned seem to be ready to rebuild their lives in some fashion.
What we did seemed to be like a bottle of water poured into Lake Pontchartrain. But the only way this city will be rebuilt is one step at a time, and only if we are willing to help. There are literally thousands of homes that need assistance, many with elderly residents who cannot do the work themselves and cannot afford the expense of clearing and tearing out in addition to the expenses of rebuilding. Churches like Edgewater have the necessary tools and a growing list of people who need help. All they need are willing workers to assist these devastated people.