From Ame and Alex in New Orleans

Hey Dirty Hands, We both returned to New Orleans this week. It's nice to be here and to see the state of our organization. We were welcomed into the Dirty Hands House on the corner of Fourth Street and Dryades by Texas Tony, Sarah, Francis, Vince, Dean, Saffron, Ezra, Gabby, Zack, and Sean.

Two blocks away from Noah's Ark Church, we are staying in a narrow, long house. Upon opening the front door, you see the office where there is a desk, computer, file cabinet, some chairs, and beautiful hardwood floor. Connecting to the office is the living room with its carpeted floor and two couches. There is one bathroom here. Keep walking and you will pass through two bedrooms containing numerous mattress' before reaching the cozy kitchen. Behind the kitchen is a small storage room, off of which is a back door to the concrete patio behind the house.

We have enjoyed hearing about the projects that the Dirty Hands have worked on since the Caravan left New Orleans. Today, some of us went to a house in the lower Ninth Ward that has become a new project for the group. It was eye-opening to walk into a home and see such wreckage - appliances, furniture, and other items sit in mounds. Black mold spreads on walls across the house presenting serious health hazards. Dirty Hands volunteered to gut this home to prevent its seizure. The owner is elderly.



Also, Alison and Oscar returned this week with their friend Petra Nemcova. Petra is the woman that connected Alison to Sean, so it was wonderful to let her see what her action inspired. Petra founded a global organization called Happy Hearts with the mission to improve children's lives through education, sustainability, and technology. Her first US project is at a New Orleans school, which culminated this week.

Tomorrow night, we will be sitting down as a house to talk about the direction for our group. We recognize how critical it is to define short-term and long-term goals. We will be having this conversation over dinner.

-Ame Eaton and Alex Rose