Day Five: The (Wet) Close of a Wonderful Week

We managed four days of incredible weather while we worked together to make a difference for families in New Orleans. On our final day the rains came to remind us who is really in charge in New Orleans. It started with a light rain as the team received their instructions for the day...and the the bottom dropped out. The team tried to work, but the rain meant no power tools and no climbing on ladders. The only part of the team able to work were those shoveling sand and dirt to level the base of the homesites. After awhile, even this job became too difficult to do. With much sadness, the Habitat leadership shut down the worksite for the day. Our team gathered on the bus and held a dedication of the homes and the work that was done as they returned to the hotel to pack for their trips home.

In looking back at the week, far more was accomplished than building homes. New friendships were made with the residents of New Orleans and with fellow MDRT members. A generous amount of hope was shared with those who thought that they were on their own. The MDRT message was spread throughout New Orleans. We created a bond with our friends from the Louisiana NAIFA. And, we created memories that will last for a lifetime. In fact, when the stories are shared years from now, the rain will likely have been a torrential downpour, the heat will have been in the 100s, the work will have been 'round the clock, and the number of homes worked on will have gone from 5 to 50...all signs that it was a special week working together as representatives of MDRT and the financial services industry to do what we do best...give back to the communities where we live and work.

For those who wish to continue the journey of helping others...we'll see you in the Bahamas in March of 2007!

Day Four: It's A Sunshine Day (Everybody's Smilin')

The weather forecast for today said that it was supposed to rain all day. Somehow, when you are doing something special, Mother Nature looks down and smiles…and all works out. The rain never materialized and the team was able to go at their assignments full-speed.

Today we had some added volunteers from the Louisiana NAIFA. They stepped right in with the team and helped us to accomplish even more than the day before. The main house is just waiting for stairs and completion of the porch. The inside of the home has been wired and plumbing installed. Insulation is being added and the drywall work should begin tomorrow. Down the road, our second house has completely taken shape. The roofing team was busy all day and the siding is going up. At the third site, what were formerly only concrete pillars now has a flooring system installed. Today we extended to a total of six sites; the latter of which required shoveling and spreading endless loads of sand and dirt to level the ground that will be under each home. It was strenuous and hot work, but quite rewarding just the same. In fact, the team has put in so much effort that some have worked themselves right out of their boots!

Our friend from day two returned and brought the red beans and rice that she had promised earlier. Her name is Brenda and she is very involved in the care and activity in her neighborhood. Her red beans and rice were truly amazing…and her smile is additional confirmation that the work we are doing is important. Brenda told the group that she believes that people are called to do certain things for a reason. She said that she was called to read the local paper this morning where she noticed a quote that made her think of us. The quote reads:

“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity.” ~Marie Curie

It has been a full week of building friendships with fellow MDRT members, meeting new friends in New Orleans, and creating a lifetime of stories to share. Tomorrow we gather for a final day of work and a dedication ceremony. It will be a joyous occasion that will signify the achievement of something meaningful. It will be a sad occasion because there is still so much to do in this proud city. It will also be a bit sad that we must part ways…at least until the next project.

Day Three: A Well-oiled Machine

It is amazing how fast the team has taken to their projects. When we arrive each morning, team members instinctively head to their designated homes and assignments. In fact, many have become protective of the home that they are working on and the specific job that they do. To most, these are “their” homes…and they have a pride of ownership in the work they are doing that would make one think that they were working on their own homes. It is this pride that adds to the quality of the construction and the care that goes into each assignment; no matter how small. Within the team there are the roofers, the siding experts, the flooring experts and the painters…and no one dares to try to alter their assignments. They are focused and determined to provide these families in need with something that they can truly call home. If not for the cell phones and occasional talk of the stock market, the casual viewer would likely think that this was a full-time construction crew, not the business and community leaders of the Million Dollar Round Table.

A special surprise happened today…we were visited by the local Fox News team. They took a lot of video and interviewed MDRT Foundation vice president Patricia L. Krarup, CLU, ChFC. The segment aired at 5:30PM local time this evening on Fox 8 News and included many of the team members and an explanation of the work MDRT is doing with Habitat for Humanity.

One of the hard-working members of the roofing team is 2-year MDRT member Robert de Jongh from Cheshire, Connecticut. Here, in his words, are some comments on Day Three:

“Well, we finished our third day without incident and I can honestly say there is a tremendous sense of satisfaction in what we've accomplished. For the past three days Chris, Wayne, Walt and I have been on the roof of the 2nd home being built; installing plywood and tar paper. Since our project leader, Alicia, told us that we were not the roofers, we've started calling ourselves the Sub-Roofers. To say we've enjoyed the work would be an understatement. But more important, we all feel that we've accomplished something we would never have done before, and that feels good.”

“As a new member of MDRT, I feel honored to be working side by side with members who have participated in projects like this all over the world. Despite the overwhelming devastation that surrounds us, the good wishes expressed by the neighbors living in FEMA trailers give us hope and leave us with the sense that we are making a difference.”

It is hard to believe that tomorrow is Thursday already. It seems like we just got here…and there is still so much more we want to do…so many more people whose lives we wish to touch…

Day Two: Expanding Our Efforts

Things are moving along so well at 4512 Dale Street that Habitat for Humanity has decided to expand the efforts of the team. We are now building on five different sites, each one in a different stage of production. You can walk down the block and literally watch the homes evolve; kind of like a high school science project showing the change from tadpole to frog. Our first site is nearing completion and set for dedication to the new homeowners on November 4. The second house has been framed and a roof has been completed and is now being sided. The third site has concrete pillars installed (the homes are built upon pillars to protect them from future flooding) and is having the base framing installed. The fourth site has the sand sub-flooring completed and is having pillars installed. The fifth site is having the sub-flooring base installed…which means a seemingly endless train of wheelbarrows hauling loads of sand that will be spread under the home.

Throughout all Habitat worksites today, there are over 270 volunteers on-hand to give of their time. Only a small number are in the same neighborhood where our team is working. The rest are in the Musician’s Village area. We have been told that Habitat for Humanity is currently the only active non-profit group in East New Orleans and the Ninth Ward building homes at the present time…a sign of their commitment, advance planning and generous funding from donors like each one of you. As we were taking a group picture today, a lady stopped in her car in front of the home we were working on and said, “God bless all of you for what you are doing.” In the typical MDRT fashion, our team insisted that she get out of her car and join us in the picture. She shared with us that the home at 4512 Dale will go to members of her family. She added that her family living in the area dates back to 1880. To show her thanks, she plans on bringing the team homemade red beans and rice tomorrow…volunteering definitely has its perks!

One member of our team, Paul F. Love CLU, ChFC, CLTC, has come all the way from Bethesda, Maryland to join us on this project. A 26-year member of MDRT, Paul shared his thoughts on the work of the day:

“Day two and our team arrived at the site ready to continue our siding installation. Jeff, Ted, Mil, Brian and I ran into more than a few challenges today. Our trim work didn't fit very well on some crooked walls and our Habitat supervisor asked us to redo some of our siding work. Tomorrow, we will receive a ‘siding 101’ lecture. Our spirits remain high and I am sure that things will be better tomorrow. It’s an honor to work with so many ‘veterans’ on this build. While this is my first experience, some members have built in Texas, Thailand and China. They have that MDRT ‘can do’ attitude, which is great to see with such a diverse group of people.”

Tomorrow we are back at work. Thank you all for sharing in this journey with us.

Day One: The Homes On Dale Street

4512 Dale Street and 4653 Dale Street. These are the homes that the team began work on today. We started with a welcome by the local Habitat Executive Director Jim Pate. To show how things in life come full circle, Jim Pate was the project leader when MDRT built its first home in Dallas in 1994. Jim spoke on the Main Platform of the MDRT Annual Meeting that year and also shared his respect for his close personal friend and industry legend, Lester Rosen. Several people on this very project were also there for that first build in Dallas...it truly is a small world.

After instructions, the team jumped right in. Our activities included measuring, cutting and installing siding, installing windows and doors, roofing and framing. What started out as an unusually cold day in New Orleans turned out to be a beautiful and productive day. The team was informed that they completed a good two days worth of work in our first day...high praise from our construction leader. You may wonder what MDRT members would look like with hammers, nails, saws and other dangerous equipment. You would be pleased to know that they fit right in (and the house is still standing!).

After a very full day of work, the group took a tour of the Ninth Ward and East Side; two areas that suffered significant damage. We were told that over 270,000 homes were lost. We drove through complete neighborhoods where there was not a soul to be seen...only boarded-up homes. Many neighborhoods looked like ghost towns. Shopping centers were abandoned and there were large expanses of empty land representing homes and buildings that had to be demolished. It was an eerie feeling driving by homes and seeing holes in the rooftops...the only available escape route to save people from the floods. We were told how many New Orleans residents keep an axe in their attic in case they need to escape from a flood. You could not help but visualize families trying to cut their way out of their homes to reach safety. You can see the water line on the homes showing how high the flooding reached. It leaves you in awe to see how much devastation there still is and how much help is still needed. Everywhere we go, people are grateful for our help. Their positive attitudes make us even more excited about getting back to work tomorrow.

The Team Arrives

They arrived from across the United States. They arrived from Canada. They arrived from South Africa. Different cultures, different backgrounds, but all with the same goal...to touch the lives of those in need. They all have in common the MDRT family and a love for their fellow man. This opening day was a time to get to know each other and to learn of the impact that Habitat for Humanity is having in the Gulf Coast. Habitat representative Abeni Bloodworth informed those in attendance that MDRT is one of the largest funders of their Operation Home Delivery project. She added that support from organizations like MDRT and the MDRT Foundation have allowed Habitat to hit the ground running in helping to rebuild. She noted that, while the need for homes may seem overwhelming, the work helps spur additional growth. When homeowners see Habitat homes going up, they are motivated to rebuild and repair their own homes; knowing that the neighborhoods that they call home will be back...and as vital as ever.

On the drive to the hotel from the airport, we learned that the driver, whom we had just met, lost his transportation business and his home to Katrina. He applauded us as volunteers in support of the work that Habitat does. He added that he recently has joined the list to receive a Habitat home of his own as he struggles to rebuild his business.

The city seems more quiet than normal. There is a sense of hope combined with a sense that there is still so much to be done. Tomorrow, the team will begin work on homes in Musicians Village. They will also take time to tour the areas affected by Katrina. There is a great deal of anticipation to get started. Over 50 of us know that it will be a restless night as we look forward to doing what we can to help.

Excitement and Anticipation

In just a few short days, over 50 MDRT members, family and industry friends will join together in New Orleans to bring our support of Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts full circle. It started with the overwhelming participation of MDRT members and the financial services industry worldwide when this catastrophic hurricane hit in 2005. The call to action was swift and the response was staggering. Together, $575,000 was raised to support relief efforts in the affected areas. Through the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity, dollars from the relief fund are still working to help those in need.

MDRT members have never been ones to settle for good when they know that more can be done. It is with this thought in mind that members suggested doing more. Through our on-going relationship with Habitat for Humanity, we will come together to work side-by-side, each volunteer participating at their own expense, to build homes and provide hope.

Over the next week you will see, first-hand, how MDRT members touch lives each day. We will try to share the work being done, the people whose lives are being touched and the vast amount of support still needed. All the while, please remember that we are here representing you, the members of MDRT and the financial services industry, who have helped make this support possible through your gifts to the MDRT Foundation.

Warm Regards,

Mark S. Jones
President
MDRT Foundation