The members of St. Matthew/Central United Church of Christ, partners in the South Central Conference UCC Disaster Response Ministry, send you a most hearty greeting. We are excited that you are coming to New Orleans to volunteer your time and efforts in re-building and bringing hope to a recovering city. We hope that this experience will be a memorable and rewarding one for you. The following information is sent to help you with your stay. All work related information and anything concerning tools or equipment needed should be coming to you from the Disaster Recovery Office which is headed by Alan Coe. If you have any questions regarding these issues please direct them to the Recovery Office at 504-258-7306.
A. Maps and Directions
Please carefully route your trip to New Orleans to avoid detours, construction delays, and road changes. When you are close to the city whether you are coming from the east or the west, you will be on Interstate 10. Exiting the interstate and getting on S. Carrollton is the hardest. We have prepared written directions on how to exit I-10 coming from Baton Rouge, Hammond, or Slidell. We will email/send these directions to you.
We ask that you call your contact person when you are approximately 1&1/2 hours outside of New Orleans. (Baton Rouge, Hammond or Slidell)
If you need any assistance en route, please do not hesitate to call your contact person.
B. Arrival Instructions
It is very important that you plan to arrive before 8:00 p.m. We need to open the church building and want to greet you. You will be given a short tour of the building so you will know where the sleeping, eating and restroom areas are located. There will also be a brief orientation to our facilities.
Please try to have your group arrive about the same time. If you are not able to do so, our volunteer will be available to let the first arrivals in, and then those arrivals will be responsible for letting the rest of the group into the church. An orientation will be set for a time after everyone has arrived. Please inform your contact person if you will be arriving at different times.
If anyone in your group wants to arrive on an earlier date or stay longer then the scheduled days, they MUST arrange it with the CONTACT PERSON FROM ST. MATTHEW/CENTRAL before their arrival.
We ask that the payment for your stay be given to the person who is greeting you and that it be one check.
C. Lists of things to bring.
1. Pillow, blankets, sheets or sleeping bag. Bunk beds with regular mattresses (not air
mattresses) are provided.
2. Personal items:
Hair dryers, soap, towels.
There is a washing machine and dryer provided for your use; however, we do not provide
laundry detergent.
An extra pair of shoes or boots. You will not want to wear your work shoes when not in the
work area. We suggest that you leave a clean pair of shoes and a plastic bag in the car
traveling to the work site. When returning, if you take off your shoes and put them
in the plastic bag, you will not be tracking mold and other contaminants into your car.
Group or personal first aid kit.
3. Food: Plan to bring food or purchase groceries after you arrive. There are two major grocery stores in the area and drug stores – virtually all services are now available in the city and in the vicinity of the church. You will want to have plenty of bottled water to take with you to your work site.
We have a very limited supply of staples which you are welcome to use. Check the cabinets before you shop for groceries.
Our church has a policy of no alcohol in the church building or on the grounds. Please respect our church home.
D. Donations
St. Matthew is not set up to receive donations of clothing, blankets, books, or other material things. Please do not bring these types of things with you unless you have been in touch with someone who will be receiving the items. We appreciate the thought behind such donations but we do not have any outlet to see that they get to those who can use them.
E. Other Groups
Please be aware that St. Matthew does not determine which groups use our building. Sometimes those who do the scheduling will combine smaller groups. We will try to alert you if your group is sharing space with another group. This arrangement needs to be flexible; sometimes advanced notice may not be possible.
F. Telephones
There is a phone in the lounge at St. Matthew. You will have access to this room as long as it is not scheduled to be used for a church program. This phone does not allow you to make long distance calls but you can use a calling card. You will have access to email on our wireless system or the computers that are also located in the lounge.
G. Local Weather
Most likely, you will want to consult the 7-10 day weather forecast on the Internet. Please keep in mind that New Orleans can have extended periods of rain. During the summer months it is extremely hot and humid. Hydration is an issue. Please be sure to drink plenty of water. Consider bringing your own supply of bottled water.
H. Health Concerns
An up-to-date tetanus shot is mandatory. Due to demand, these are expensive and difficult to obtain in New Orleans. One local hospital emergency room is charging $700.
You have or will have information about the following items from UCC/SCC Disaster Response Ministry director Allen Coe. He will give you the final word on these matters as they pertain to your work site, but for now here are some general points you may want to think about and be prepared to deal with:
People with asthma, allergies, or other breathing conditions may be more sensitive to mold. Immune suppressed individuals, including HIV+ people, chemotherapy patients, and organ transplant recipients, are susceptible to mold infections. Also, those with chronic lung diseases, such as obstructive lung disease, may develop mold infections in their lungs and therefore should limit their exposure to any mold. People sensitive to mold may experience stuffy nose, irritated eyes, wheezing, or skin irritation. People allergic to mold may have difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.
People without preexisting conditions should also make every effort to protect their lungs by wearing a face mask that covers both nose and mouth while in areas with visible mold or where mold may be behind the walls. Protective eyewear, long sleeves and long pants help prevent any skin breaks that could lead to infection. If a person working in a mold contaminated area does break skin, immediate care should be given, including washing the area with soap and clean water and applying an occlusive dressing, If using bandaids, medical tape can be applied to the open sides so mold is less likely to enter beneath the bandage.
Hospital care in the metro New Orleans area post-Katrina is limited thus waits for care are much longer than before the storm. The city lost 35,000 of its 50,000 hospital beds and thousands of doctors and nurses. Facilities as of early February still accepting patients 24 hours a day include:
East Jefferson General Hospital 4000 Houma Blvd, Metairie 504 454 4000,
Touro Hospital infirmary 1401 Foucher St, New Orleans 504 897-7011 ,
West Jefferson Hospital 1101 Medical Center Blvd, Marrero 504-347-5511
Oschner Clinic Hospital 1516 Jefferson Hwy, Jefferson 504- 842-3000
More health and safety tips are available on the Centers for Disease Control website www.CDC.Gov under Environmental Health. There is also a great article on Katrina clean up.
I. Suggestions
Based on our limited experience in hosting recovery teams so far, we have discovered that the following suggestions might make the experience run more smoothly for us and for you.
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Please designate one person who will be “keeper of the keys.” Your group will be given only one set of keys. You will be required to keep outside doors locked at all times.
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Designating one or more persons to stay behind for cooking and clean up seems to be appreciated by the other workers. After a hard day, most do not feel like returning to the church to cook.
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Establishing a cleaning schedule for the kitchen and bathrooms ensures those tasks get done. We expect that you will leave these areas in the way that you found them. Another group may be coming right after yours; they deserve to start off in a clean facility.
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Please designate someone who has a digital camera to take pictures on and off the work site. Towards the end of the week we would appreciate it if you would allow Rev. Meade to down load the photos into his computer. He will be creating bulletin board displays and your photos may be added to the website.
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If your group is here on Sunday morning, please know you are welcome to join our worship service which begins at 10:00 a.m. We welcome your participation by singing, ushering, reading scripture. The choir rehearses one hour before the service at 9:00.
If you wish to experience some of the culture of New Orleans, check out www.nola.com. This site lists all sports events and entertainment venues in the city including theater, live music, and art exhibits. It has a list of special events and museums. Anyone at St. Matthew would be happy to give you directions to specific locations.
We look forward to meeting you. Please do not hesitate to call your contact person if you have any questions.
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