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From Rachel Lissner, student at the University of Toronto.

Hannah greeted us outside of our adopted home and told us as much as she could about what we were doing. She works with Americorps, a program through the American government that recruits people to help fix up local communities, and is dedicating the year before she starts university so she could breathe life back into New Orleans, the city that she loves. It reminded me how I spent last year in Israel with similar intentions; while I spent time hiking, studying, going to Tel Aviv on the weekends, I was impressed by how Hannah was truly running the place and made a direct impact on where she was. Sure, my dad would say that I supported the Israeli economy, but here she was, rebuilding homes. I could see the direct impact of both of our choices.

Inside the house there was a collection of Hispanic workers painting. It kind of made me feel at home; growing up outside of Washington, DC, I am accustomed to seeing them at any construction site these days and always welcome the chance to use my Spanish. People have interesting stories.

I talked to a few of the men and asked them why they were in New Orleans, if they were happy here, if they wanted to stay. They were there to make money. They had no interest in the city, didn’t speak English, and really just wanted to go back in Honduras, where our dollar goes for twenty times its amount there.

Talking to these labourers highlighted a lot of issues for me: why is the work being done by foreign labour instead of employing the locals? Wouldn’t that help stimulate the local economy? Why didn’t I know more about New Orleans? Why isn’t more being done? Why was I here? Where are the headlines these days? Why are people coming back? Or aren’t they?

Inside the house we were painting was a collection of Canadians working, lightheaded from the fumes and vertigo of coating the ceiling, I went outside to take a break. The light outside, the thick damp scent, and the lazy traffic on the highway across the street flooded my senses and I understood why I really came: there is life here and we are helping it be revived.

I was happy go back inside to my house, to my community, and hope that the rightful owners come back and feel the same way.