After a series of mysterious turns, life brought me and my then-fiance to New Orleans in 2007. We weren’t sure what to expect, aware of the devastation Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding had left behind; however, we were determined to make the best out of our time in this epic city.

Before our arrival, I was interested in volunteering for the three months we were scheduled to be in New Orleans. I was then referred to Kristin Palmer, head of Rebuilding Together New Orleans at the time and my next door neighbor. “She will put you to work,” I was told by a common friend. Still, I was unaware of the situation in the city and how much work needed to be done. Taking that first tour through the devastated neighborhoods was shocking in an unexpected way—it was so quiet; most houses were boarded up and most streets empty. The water line on every house made going through the neighborhoods a surreal experience. Where had everyone gone and how would they rebuild from afar were questions that didn’t leave me for several months thereafter. One can never imagine the hardship that disaster-displaced families will go through in the process of putting their homes and lives back together, especially when the whole fabric of your community is blown into pieces.

The Monday after we arrived, I came to start my volunteer time at the PRC/RTNO headquarters on Tchoupitoulas St. It didn’t matter if being useful meant answering phones or making photocopies for the accounting staff. I just wanted to be part of this effort to bring people back to their homes—it felt like the perfect mission. Despite the situation in the city, everyone at Rebuilding Together New Orleans was cheerful and kind. It was inspiring to meet our team, made up of both locals and people from all over the country, working together with one common goal.

I still remember the first call I answered from a lady living in a trailer, caring for four grandchildren and trying desperately to get the plumbing done in her house so they could move in; her oldest granddaughter, 17 years old, was expecting a baby. I wished I were a plumber to be able to help her out, and I drove everyone at RTNO crazy while trying to figure out how do we get her in her house. That’s when I understood what moved our team, how close we were to human suffering and the limited resources we had to make it better. “You can’t be all things to all people,” I was told; and this has been the toughest lesson to learn throughout this time. The need is so great, on so many levels, but we can only do so much. . .

In the following years, I learned to see the effect our work has, not only impacting the families we assist, but on the community and the city as a whole. I learned to value every volunteer who comes to help us, every company that puts their philanthropy dollars to assist our home owners, every RT affiliate that used part of their own limited resources to help us get our city back to life.

Being part of RTNO and the city’s recovery process for the last four years has been the most invaluable and unforgettable experience of my life. I’ve learned to love and appreciate New Orleans and its uniqueness, and getting to know the individuals involved in the recovery efforts has been fascinating.

After much consideration, I’ve decided to take a break from work and take time to focus on my family, before I move on to the next step in my career.

I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that was given to me to be part of the PRC/RTNO team, and the trust invested in me first to manage the field operations and later to be the organization’s Director.

The support we have received from our board and Steering Committee members, volunteers, neighborhood associations, corporate partners, our Rebuilding Together national headquarters and affiliates all over the country has been remarkable. RTNO is a strong organization and we have a wonderful team working together.

Today, New Orleans is our home and we are committed to the city. I am proud to have a New Orleanian son and own a historic home in Algiers Point. Like I was telling a neighbor who moved here from Tennessee recently, many good things are happening in New Orleans and there’s no doubt it’s coming back stronger than ever.

Thanks to everyone who made us feel at home and let us be part of the New Orleans family. I will miss being part of the day to day RTNO so much!