IOCC's "Volunteer in the Gulf Coast"

Jim's personal journal from the week.

April 29 - May 5, 2007

Sunday

We volunteered to be part of the International Orthodox Christian Charities’ (IOCC) “Volunteer in the Gulf Coast” program and went to Mandeville, Louisiana on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain on April 29 through May 5, to help build houses as part of the Katrina rebuilding effort. The IOCC was one of the first charities on the scene in Mississippi after the hurricanes. Initially they distributed emergency supplies. At this stage, they have partnered with a Habitat for Humanity chapter, located north of New Orleans, Louisiana, to build houses as part of the rebuilding effort. Later today we’re meeting the rest of the team. The coordinator, Pascalis Papouras, is on staff with IOCC. He comes to New Orleans every week from Baltimore to orient the teams and then goes home on Tuesday. Along with Brenda and I there will be two other people as part of this week’s team: Jeff, who lives between Oshkosh and Appleton, Wisconsin, and Penny from near Dayton, Ohio.

At the moment I’m having second thoughts about the whole project. Is this a true humanitarian project or simply a photo-op? Is this an expression of Christian charity or a vacation designed to make me feel good and get me out of work I don’t want to do back home?

Read Monday's Journal Entry

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