LDS Disaster Relief
Conway 1st Ward
New Orleans, LA

Members of the Conway 1st ward joined with other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the North Little Rock and Memphis Stakes in a service effort to help with the rebuilding in New Orleans, LA.  The crew of over 40 people volunteered their time and equipment to assist with general contractor work, including putting up siding, sheet rocking, building a new floor, plumbing, electric, and other tasks needed by the home owners.  Many of these same people assisted last year immediately following Hurricane Katrina to help with the cleanup in Slidell, LA and Hattiesburg, MS.

Joshua Spradlin, Chris Parker and David Angell left Thursday afternoon and drove to New Orleans, arriving approximately at 11:00 pm. on Nov 30, 2006.    After spending the night in a hotel we went to the stake center to get our assignments.  The biggest need was to help prepare a home for the plumber who had come down from another area.  We spent the day stripping old wire and plumbing from the home while the plumber worked replacing the piping in another house.

Friday evening we were joined by Rick Brock, Bishop Reed Myers, and Derek Thueson who had driven down that day.  The stake center in New Orleans was made available for those assisting to sleep in the class rooms and use the shower facilities, this is where we spent the remainder of our nights.

Saturday morning we were served breakfast by a volunteer couple and their daughter who had been in New Orleans for five weeks to coordinate the relief effort.  After breakfast the six of us and about 15 more all went to one house to complete as much as possible.  We spent our time outside putting up siding.  Other parts of the crew were putting up sheetrock, raising a floor, putting paneling on the house front, or other tasks that I didn't get to see.  Lunch was provided for us and served by the home owner.  The owner's son was coordinating and helping with the rebuilding.

Joshua, Chris, and David returned early Sunday after breakfast and a short Sacrament service.  Rick, Bishop Myers, and Derek returned late Sunday after spending that morning working on a person's roof.  Joshua is from the Pinnacle Mountain Ward in Little Rock and Derek is from the Morrilton Branch, both are past members of the Conway 1st ward.  Other members of the North Little Rock Stake were from Cabot, Jacksonville, and Searcy.

A point to note while we were driving through and around New Orleans; Some of the areas looked pristine, like there had never been a flood.  Other areas looked like the hurricane had passed through only days before.  There are still places were the rebuilding is ongoing and there are piles of debris out front waiting to be picked up.  Apparently this is done on a regular and ongoing basis.  There are many homes for sale in both the rich and poor neighborhoods, and many signs advertising that they will buy homes.