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Following in the footsteps of a 2006 team, 14 individuals will soon travel to Pearlington, Mississippi, along the Gulf Coast, representing Brunswick Church in Troy, New York. The team will be doing recovery work in conjunction with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance at the PDA Volunteer Village in the small, unincorporated town just east of New Orleans. Three veterans will lead the way for the new recruits and excitement is building. On Friday, September 14th, the team will host a Cajun Night fundraiser to help allay the cost of the trip. The event will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the church's fellowship hall and will feature some fine Cajun cuisine and music. Donations will be accepted.
The team will stay in a camp-like setting that encourages community among various groups from all around the country. Team members share responsibilities, like cleanup and meal preparation, while at the camp. They spend their days on worksites throughout the town, toiling alongside the homeowners, doing whatever needs to be done. The first team found themselves gutting, or "mucking out," homes so that their potential for rebuilding could be assessed. It was very difficult and emotional work. Those team members who are returning on this trip are looking forward to building something this time around. "Demolition is an important part of the process of rebuilding," said team leader, Colleen Lais, "but it will be great to take the homeowner a little further in their journey and perhaps get them into a new home."
As the many reports will attest, faith-based organizations have been paramount in the recovery process along the Gulf Coast. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has been running several Volunteer Villages in the area since shortly after Katrina struck and is committed to this cause for five years. Lais is encouraged by the response to this trip, having doubled the numbers of the first team, and she hopes to repeat that success in the spring. The team has adopted the mantra Brunswick Remembers. "A team of caring folks from a church in Troy, New York, won't move mountains while we are there, but we will send a clear message to the survivors. These folks know that aside from the recent anniversary articles, they have all but faded from the headlines and volunteer numbers are declining. We are going to make sure they know that we have not forgotten them."
Cajun Night is Friday, September 14 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Brunswick Church Fellowship Hall. The dates of the trip are
October 20-27.
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