Hammering Tiles on Work Day 2

Yesterday was a great day on the work site at Mr. Williams' (Buddy's) home. I and others broke up and removed old, rotted tiles, and I had a ton of fun and learned a lot in the process. 

For example, as I voraciously hammered away at the floor and chatted with one of our site leaders, Chelsea, I learned that part of the reason that the floors and sub flooring in Buddy and others' homes took so much damage was not just the quantity of water that flooded in and sat, but also the content. The sewage and bacteria that spread across the city contributed greatly to the kind of long term damage that continues to haunt so many people in the ninth ward and the rest of New Orleans. 

Buddy brought some family to the site, including his great granddaughter, and I felt to humbled to meet them. I felt humbled to talk with the people whose home I was working on, even if I've only done some mudding demoing this far. It's an incredible feeling to make progress on rebuilding someone's home, knowing the hardships they've faced, understanding the social, historical context of the situation, and connect it all together.