"So you must have . . . painted today?"

Habitat for Humanity - January 19th, 2013 - 7 hours

Two Saturdays ago Joanie, Michael, Srinath, Alex and I headed out to Mid-City to get back into the volunteering groove with some good ol' Habitat for Humanity. It was nice to see another part of the city, as normally we volunteer in the 7th Ward. When we arrived at the site, there were approximately 10 AmeriCorps and Habitat staff ready to get started for the day. We turned out to be the only volunteers that had signed up, but it was nice because we were all doing work inside of the small house. Patrick (the group leader) and a few other AmeriCorps members recognized us and seemed appreciative of our presence. We were quickly set to work finishing up the painting of the inside of the house. Most of the house had received a first coat of paint, but a lot of the rooms needed a second coat and a few areas even needed a first and second coat. After learning some basic techniques for painting with rollers and brushes, we were left to take control of the paint situation. 

Michael and Joanie contemplating what to get
 while Srinath potobombs.

I obviously didn't pay too
much attention to where I
was putting the paint. . .

I initially started by applying two coats of paint on the baseboards and window frames of the master bedroom. One of the AmeriCorps volunteers- Faith- joined me to finish up the closet. We quickly started talking about where we're both from and how we got to where we are. Faith had some great advice on looking for AmeriCorps positions, and in a way, she helped me put a story to the many AmeriCorps volunteers we meet. I also asked her about what kind of work she is expected to do; it turns out that the position description she applied for is quite different from what she is currently doing. Initially she (and most AmeriCorps volunteers who work with Habitat) was supposed to work as a volunteer supervisor/coordinator on building sites. But because there are peaks and troughs in volunteers signing up throughout the year, mostly she spends her time working on the houses. With MardiGras and the Superbowl occurring in New Orleans over the course of this month, followed by many university and college spring breaks, Habitat expects to see an influx in the number of student groups that come to NOLA to volunteer. I know of people who have been involved in these week-long trips, and they seem to provide potential to get a lot accomplished. Faith did mention, however, that "getting stuff done" is dependent on how much partying the student groups do while in town.
 

There was an incredibly long
line for Parkway Bakery
and Tavern, and for good
reason!

I think talking to Faith helped me realize just how important it is for people to become involved in volunteer activities consistently and for the long-term. I remember when I initially visited my pre-medical advisors in college, they emphasized the importance of long-term volunteer commitments. A lot pre-meds complain about this; it's hard to get into a hospital or clinic for a long-term position, and 1-day opportunities seem like a great way to receive many hours for a small commitment! But I can now definitely see the value of getting involved for the long haul. Even though I only volunteer with Habitat once or twice a month, I've had the opportunity to work with the same people five or six times now. For them, it is easier to determine what sorts of tasks we as individuals or groups can accomplish, because they have supervised us before. For us, it becomes a lot more fun to work with the same individuals over the long-term and to learn more about the intricacies of the organization and the work they are trying to achieve. I think it's a downright shame that more people don't volunteer consistently with Habitat, especially considering the strong presence they have here in the city and the large number of students that live here too. But I can't do anything about that; I can only commit to helping out on a regular basis.

Srinath with their classic hat.

Although painting took all day, I had a great time :) It was nice to chat with my classmates about winter break, plans for MardiGras, and thoughts about next year. We all went to lunch together at Parkway Bakery and Tavern: a Mid City hotspot for Po' Boys. I hadn't had a Po' Boy yet in New Orleans, and I was surprised at how delicious they really are. It was a great way to fuel up for the rest of the day's work and also to check out another neat, local favorite.