Signing off...until next year

Sometimes on these trips, when you’re out in the yard and take a second to wipe the sweat from your brow, there’s a moment to reflect. You look to your left and there’s a Deutscher, grunting as he pulls a sheet of metal out of the ground. You look to your right and there’s another one of the Bunch negotiating the path of a wheelbarrow as she goes to dump debris. Across the street, you see other volunteers busting their butts for the same cause you are. Behind you, you hear a Habitat employee offering nothing but praise and motivation to keep you going, and in front of you stands a house—a home—that inspires daydreams of happiness, hope and love once the families move in.

The determination and resolve of people united for a cause never ceases to amaze me. There were about 150 individual volunteers in Biloxi this past week, but we all united as one team to continue to heal the Gulf Coast. Whether it’s through a gloved high five in passing, the teamwork of finding the most efficient way to complete a task, or through contagious laughs while digging, you share a bond with the people you work alongside. It is not only the families that I continue to do this for---it is also because of each one of you. I am humbled and blessed to know you:

Ken Forrester, our extraordinary Supervisor: When I grow up, I want to be you ☺. From your stories about the service, to teaching, to Habitat, to true love, I know you leave a lasting impression on everyone you meet—you sure did for us! We wish you continued happiness in the acquisition sector, but we want you out there with us on site next year when we come back! Deal?!

Honey: The love that you and Ken share is one for the books. May happiness continue to fill your lives forever!

Tommy: Your stories intrigued us beyond belief. Ever meet anyone who has been to 49 states and 30 countries?? Damn right there are some stories to share there! Keep telling them—we love listening ☺

Zach: “What food do you throw away the outside and cook the inside, then eat the outside and throw away the inside?” Keep brushing up on those riddles in Kazakhstan!

Ken from Chicago: We hope you enjoyed our company as much as we did yours! Don’t pull any “Trevors” without us around, k? ☺ We hope to see you down there next year!

Sid and Allie: Our neighbors from Canada. Your commitment to the Gulf Region is what inspires groups like us to continue to return. Rain, shine, or freezing weather, you come to give 100%. I was moved to tears by the medallions you gave to our group and placed in the homes. As is inscribed on the piece, “Always With You”, you both will ALWAYS hold a fond place in our hearts. We sure do hope our paths cross again—until then, keep watching American Idol so we can discuss next time ☺

And finally, to my Biloxi Bunch: Coworkers share a passion for the same career. Friends share common interests, stories and experiences. The Biloxi Bunch marries the best of both worlds to create a dynamic that leaves me at a loss for words. Your dedication, humor, patience, humor, understanding, humor, and spontaneity make me damn proud to be a part of this bunch. Almost enough to make me---*li of the tiger ☺

Seventeen of us physically made the trip to Biloxi, but it is your thoughts, prayers and support that will continue to fill those houses with love and make them “homes”. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Until next year…

Amy

CURB APPEAL

Introducing the Biloxi Bunch, otherwise known as the Deutsch Landscapers.

Craig has explained it all to you in a previous post. He walked you through the disappointments of not being able to use our hammers or wear our tool belts. But what we haven't walked you through yet is what our week of work will mean to these families.

What we did this past week wasn't the most glamourous job, in fact I don't think any of us have sweated more in our lives. But of the 28 houses of the block that we worked on this week, Habitat still has many more to place families into. When these new families drive down into this development they will be making first impressions, we have helped make those first impressions good ones. When they have friends and families over to BBQ, they will be able to do it safely in their own backyard with out car parts getting in the way. And when their children want to go out and play in the yard, their parents won't have to be worried that they will step on a stray nail or piece or barbed wire. We did that!

We were told at the beginning of the week that it takes a bunch of people to get a house built from start to finish. We were told that there were some jobs that might not be the most glamourous. I even over heard a group of America Corp volunteers talk about how jealous our group must have been of them, because all we were doing "was moving dirt from here to there". But what no one knew was that our little Biloxi Bunch didn't care what it was that needed to be done, we were there to do it regardless. We gave those new families something to be proud of, by "moving dirt from here to there", one wheel barrel at a time. We did it, we did it well, and we blew the rest of them away by doing more than was ever expected of us.

We wish these families well. We hope that we moved all those car parts, stray nails, pieces of barbed wire, fish netting, and concrete out of the yard, so that you can enjoy your house from the outside in. Have a great first impression, BBQ, and a great afternoon in the yard with your children. We did it all for you, with LOVE!

—Alyssa

Biloxi

In the three years since the storm, an eye-opening dichotomy has emerged in the town of Biloxi: new upscale construction mixed with the remains of destroyed homes.  Within just a couple blocks of the luxurious Beau Rivage stands the notoriety of Katrina at her most destructive. This dichotomy proves that while the relief efforts are present they are not yet ubiquitous. Below are 10 pictures from my walk around town. 

Nicole Lloyd

A Dedication

Well, we just wrapped up our last day on the site, and it feels good to know we're leaving Biloxi in better shape than when we arrived. Each person in our entire group contributed in their own way, and we as a group re-energized the staff who does this year round in a way only a collective of Deutschers can do. We work hard, but we play hard, too...even when we're working. I'm proud of everyone in the Biloxi Bunch, and I'm proud to leave this town as a member of the Bunch.

After work on the site wrapped today, we drove over to Ocean Springs to be part of a dedication of six houses to their new owners. The families were all present to receive the traditional Bible and key from the CEO of the Gulf Coast Habitat Recovery team. Dessiah represented our team and presented one family with their items, which was a very cool thing to see. She then got interviewed by WLOX, so keep an eye for her on the news tonight, you know, if you happen to receive that channel. Once the ceremony was finished, we were able to speak with each of the families and get to know some of the people who benefited from the work we came to do. Each family was required to pass a rigorous application process, then put in their own hours on another work site for 9 or so months. It wasn't easy for these people to earn these houses, so it was cool to meet those who made it through.

Now we're back at the hotel and getting showered up for a fun night together at the Beau buffet ($24 for all you can eat, and get this...all you can drink beer and wine. Good deal, huh? Especially for this group of kooks.) followed by a little dancing or 3 card poker. Then it's back home to family, friends, work, and our own beds. It's been one hell of a journey, and one that I'll remember the rest of my life.

Oh, and I've been harping on the team to post pictures for you all to see, so hopefully they'll get them up soon. If not, we'll find a way to show you (almost) everything we did this week. Then I'll have the video posted on YouTube in a few weeks.

Thanks again for everything!!!
Craig

Last Day...

It's hard to believe we have finished the week here in Biloxi and are headed home tomorrow. It has flown by as expected, and I think everyone will agree it has been a fantastic week. Although we never picked up a hammer once, nor a nail, saw, or any wood, we definitely saw our efforts pay off in the homes we touched.

For me personally, the impact we have made on both the homes and the people, never really hits me until the end. It definitely did so by going to a dedication of 6 finished homes this afternoon. Sure, we had a blast out there while we were raking & digging for 8 hours, laughing & joking, but when you see these families sitting outside their new, finished home, it really makes you feel you have made a difference, and how thankful they are for that. And also how incredibly fortunate we all are.

It has been such a great, fun week and I am so happy I was a part of this team again. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us getting here. We appreciate it more than you know...

Taryn

End of Day 3

We're back at the hotel after our third day on the job site. It was another day with rakes and shovels in our hands, making the neighborhood of 28 houses look as livable on the outside as they do on the inside. Like I said in my previous post, this is a completely different experience from the previous two years except for one big similarity...the fact that we are making a home for people that lost theirs 3.5 years ago. We're still sweating in the southern heat and humidity, just with shovels and rakes in our hands instead of hammers and cat claws.

Our supervisor Ken told me on the side that our group has been working so hard and so quickly that we have finished the work he planned for our four days here in just three days. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows the people in this group. We all take our work seriously, and our volunteering work even more seriously. We will make up some of the other group's work tomorrow, and possibly some of next week's crew's duties.

Personally, I've loved walking up to a backyard of one of the houses in the morning at 8am, seeing nothing but embedded tires and large rocks strewn across the hardened, tire-marked clay earth, and walking away a few hours later looking at a cleanly groomed yard ready to be sprayed for grass. It's amazing what you can find in the ground of a plot of land that had previously been owned by someone who did nothing but work on cars and drink beer, but it's also amazing to see how that same ground can be cleaned up by a few hard working people. Even though it's also been fun planting trees and digging trenches, I've especially enjoyed making sure these yards are clean enough for kids to run around on when they move in later this year.

On the side, I've adopted a large 30 ft. tall tree that was in very bad shape when we showed up. We're fixing a few things about this tree that aren't happening to similar trees around the lot. It had a hand-held fishing net growing out of the trunk since the tree was much, much smaller, so we ripped it out. The tree also had a few large branches broken off and hanging from other intact branches, so we laddered up and worked those branches down out of the tree. Lastly, it had vines running up the trunk of the tree from the nasty weeds growing on the ground, so we ripped them off the trunk. All in all, it was in much worse than the same type of tree across the street. Ken thinks it isn't growing any leaves or shrubbery because of salt from the storm's 30-40 ft. surges, but we think it can make a comeback, so we're doing what we can to help it come back to life. I can't wait to visit in a few years and see if it has made any progress.

Alright, time to order some pizza so the group can hang out at the hotel tonight and play whatever drinking game comes to mind.

I hope all is well back home. I miss Tania and everything/everyone else back in LA, but knowing that we're doing such a good thing eases the pain of being away. But only for a couple more days, then we'll be back to everything we love back home.

Night.
Craig

No Small Job

Yesterday we raked rocks and debris out of the yard all day. Half the day I was off on my own raking a back yard with no one really around. A nice older gentleman, by the name of Ken, came over to help me clear some of the debris I had raked. As we were loading it, I reminded him to not pile it too high as the wheel barrel would tip easily. He said to me, “Yeah, I don’t want to pull a Trevor!” It was time to rejoin the group before I missed any more.
I think some people were disappointed yesterday after they discovered that we would not be hammering and building the structure of the house. Luckily, I did not come into the situation with any prior expectations. I didn’t know what we would be doing; I just knew I would be sweating. They reminded us that all of the work we do is important and that a family could not inhabit the house until it was move-in ready. That means everything.
Today was a great day. Finally, I was done raking glass, rocks and old car parts…I had graduated to raking clay. It was a long day and I already had bruises between my thumb and finger from the day before. After spending the morning raking and digging trenches, we started to plant the landscaping. This is where everything starts to pay off. Sure, we were not providing people with a roof over their head, but we were adding the touch that changes their place from a house to a home. We added the comfort and the beauty. They will have a shine of pride in their eye after seeing the work that we did today. In the end, whether we give them a wall or a row of African Irises, it is all important stuff. We did a great job today.

Nicki

Done raking for the day. Thank God.

After driving to the wrong side of Biloxi for our first day of work this morning, we showed up to the work site to see 28 completed houses along one newly paved road. Saddened by the fact that I wouldn't be able to use my new hammer, I quickly threw away all preconceived notions of what we'd be doing and picked up a rake for a very long day of prepping the landscapes to be gardened and grassed. It wasn't a glorious job, but we were all sweating profusely within the first 15 minutes. Now we're all back at the hotel with blisters on our hands and the greatest farmer tans this side of the Mississippi. From what Ken, our site director, hinted to us today, we'll be doing the same job for at least one more day. We'll find out either way in the morning when we show up back at the site at 8am.

Time to relax a bit then head out for a bite to eat. I'm sure Alyssa will be posting pictures for your enjoyment any time now.

Night,
Craig

Biloxi Bunch

This trip has been like being reunited with family. I am so excited that I get to take this trip with so many great people.
I have been gone from Deutsch for a month. I have lost 3 pounds (true)…I have been back together with these guys for two days now and I have gained about 4 pounds back (unfortunately true).
We had some nice time to bond in New Orleans, but are now getting ready for our Habitat orientation tomorrow in Biloxi. I am so excited to be with everyone on this trip. Everyone brings a different personality and energy to the group. I know that this experience wouldn’t be the same without each and every person here.

Taryn- Keeps us together. If we were playing soccer, she would be the mom (she already has the mini van). She is totally responsible…except for when she buried herself in a pile of feather boas and got yelled at by the shopkeeper.
David- Handles the 15 passenger van like a dad…actually, more like an uncle because we can be as loud and obnoxious as we want and he doesn’t tell us to shut up.
Alyssa- Is our professional paparazzo. She paid an extra $100 in overweight baggage just so she could capture our good side with the absolute best lens.
Craig- Is the silent adventurous type. You think he is waving down a cab for everyone to get back to the hotel, but when you try to get in, he tells you that he is going to the casino…and then silently rolls back home at 7:45 am.
Troy- Is the loud adventurous type. He is always game to get in on the trouble. Not sure what I mean?…I am hoping pictures will be posted soon of his dance partner at the Karaoke club.
Jon- Is hard to describe. Even pictures could not capture the intensity that is “Jon Yuson.” He is Deutsch Culture in it’s true, potent, non watered down form. I think his eyes just bugged out when he read the word potent.
Sean- Is nothing but awesome. He always has a laid-back, up for anything attitude, but the best thing about him is that he offers me a taste of anything he orders…although I also blame him for some of my newfound pounds.
Tiffany- Is a lot more fun than me…that is all I will say. If you want to know more, you can ask her about it.
Amy- Is my constant (for any of you LOST fans); she is my home away from home. Her big Linea Pella purse, cheap watery beer and cute Philly accent (especially when she says the word “fire”) bring a comfortable smile to my face…even if she winces when I want to hug her.
Trevor- Always has a sinister smile on his face like he just got away with something. But he is just being coy and is utterly adorable… and he lets me hug him whenever I want to hug Amy.
Marina- Has the best attitude out of the bunch. She is always game, whether it be taking Karaoke requests or participating in a street performer’s show when Amy couldn’t due to the length of her dress.
Cheryl- Is my trustworthy roomie. My Yin to my Yin…trust me, I would much rather room with a Yin than a Yang on this trip.
Rachel- She thinks that she is a travel jinx, but because of her, I had time to have Texas BBQ and a great Bailey’s Milkshake during an unexpected, long Dallas layover…however, I also blame her for the aforementioned waistline issue.
Dessiah- Brings out the local flavor. Without her, we would not have gotten to hang out with one of the cooks from Café Du Monde at 3 in the morning.
Nicole- Is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the local food…especially oysters. She can describe all the different kinds and the preparations. She has taught me everything I need to know…everything but the taste…I’m not going near that slimy little sucker. And she takes pictures of us with this incredible filter that makes us look tan. She is super cool…actually, wait, she is the one who found Café Du Monde and the beignets on Google maps…she accounts for two of my pounds all by herself…I knew she was trouble.
Davina- She doesn’t know it, but the picture of her writing under the shingles of the roof “Davina Turnbull was here” from last year’s trip always makes my eyes water, and is the reason that I wanted to come on this trip.
This trip has already been amazing, with tons of memories, and we haven’t even started the house building yet. I can’t wait to see what stories come next.

Nicki

Change is a-comin

Well, here we are, in the era of change. I’ve seen the opportunity for change glisten in the tears of my coworkers as we swore in our new president. I’ve seen the opportunity for change spark my generation to be more vocal and active than we have ever been. I’ve seen the opportunity for change bring disparate viewpoints to peaceful agreements. The opportunity for change is the most motivating stimulant I know, inciting hope and courage, gratitude and thoughtfulness, inner strength and power. This is what has driven us for the past couple months of fundraising and this is what will fuel us in Biloxi.

President Obama has asked us as individuals to actively participate in society to get us out of these times; to work together as a neighborhood to rebuild our country and induce change. I know we’ve been through easier times, so we can’t tell you how much we respect and appreciate your support of our trip and our neighbors down south. We are humbled by your generosity and will be sure to represent your giving nature with pride next week.

Change can present itself as both Jekyll and Hyde, but the families we work with in the Gulf Coast Region are rising up through adversity because of your support. A good change is literally sitting on their doorstep and I know I speak for them when I say it’s so greatly appreciated.

Keep checking back-we're excited to show our progress and share our experiences with you!

On behalf of the Deutsch Biloxi Bunch, Habitat and the families in Biloxi, many, many grateful thanks for your thoughts, prayers, support and donations. Change is coming to Biloxi—in packages as big as homes and as small as smiles :).

Amy