Building Progress.

Marta's a cut above (saw that one coming).

New Orleans, LA – Since Hurricane Katrina five years ago, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 400 homes in NOLA. While significant, that number is but a drop in the bucket – so to speak – when you consider more than 80,000 were destroyed by the storm.

It was with this sobering message we excitedly began our service-learning project today, pulling into an empty lot framed by abandoned homes that continue to shrug at the weight Katrina has imposed upon them. High-fives flew from fresh muscles, but only with a stark reminder of what has transpired here.

For nine hours, we created rebar frames to reinforce the foundation, lugged hundreds of pounds of lumber and materials, and hammered at nails that softened in the sweltering heat. We worked side-by-side with Margie, a homeowner at another location, and a pair of family members who were contributing to her sweat equity hours.

The Habitat program requires homeowners to contribute 350 hours of community service as a down payment – an effort that does not need to be directed toward their own home. This “hand-up, not a hand-out” approach also provides an interest-free mortgage on a house that is 80 per cent volunteer-built. While we remarked at how tired we were at the end of the day, we also thought of Margie, who still had an eight-hour shift to complete at her job when she had finished working with us.

Looking back at the sunburned team dwarfed by a tall stack of completed walls, I am convinced we will likely be one of those teams fortunate enough to actually see tangible progress at the end of our tenure here. Then again, this is a special team.

And a special city in which tangible progress is still very much in need.