By Stephen Ryman, House Captain

As an AmeriCorps volunteer from a small town in upstate New York, the thought of dedicating a year of my life to serve a community 1200 miles away was both exciting and unnerving. My knowledge of New Orleans was limited to news chronicling the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, my friends’ first-hand accounts of Bourbon St. and a Spike Lee documentary. On the long, solitary drive from my hometown to the Gulf Coast my mind was swimming with speculations and uncertainties about the commitment I had undertaken. How much could one set of hands contribute? Would the culture shock be too great to overcome? Was there really that much work left to do? Little did I know how much my time here would impact my life and that I would witness such an exhilarating and inspiring time in the city of New Orleans.

My initial impressions of the city revolved around my work with Rebuilding Together New Orleans. At a glance, it is difficult to discern just how deeply people were affected by Hurricane Katrina. After renting a room in an Uptown neighborhood that never flooded, it was easy to view New Orleans through a narrow lens. My surroundings were picturesque, people generally seemed to be in good spirits and an unnatural consumption of fried seafood was skewing my perception. It wasn’t until I started my rebuilding field work in the most afflicted areas of town that I became conscious of just how much need there still is. Listening to homeowners’ heartbreaking stories about displacement, destruction, loss and contractor fraud helped me to make several new conclusions about the Crescent City.

New Orleans natives are a passionate bunch. They have deep cultural roots here and are committed not only to staying, but seeing their community thrive after a period of desolation. Moving from site to site, meeting incredible people who had overcome tremendous adversity; their optimism and pride began to rub off on me. As I led volunteer crews from all over the country through each successive house project, I could tell that my own nascent passion for the renewal of New Orleans was more clearly communicated with each passing day. Even after living my entire life in the Northeast, New Orleans was rapidly becoming my home. It isn’t surprising that, shortly after the beginning of football season, I was starting to exhibit symptoms of Saints fever.

I had never purchased a piece of NFL sports memorabilia in my life, but I now found myself adorned in Saints-wear every Sunday. Wearing black and gold never failed to elicit a “Who Dat?” when passing people on the street. When I would tell locals that I was pulling for the Saints, although I am originally from New York, I was inundated with stories of more than forty years of franchise heartbreaks. As the Saints continued to pummel opponents and the national audience began to take notice of the team’s dominance, New Orleans rallied around their team with unparalleled fervor.

It was impossible to turn on the radio without hearing the newest installment of a local Saints-themed anthem. On the worksite, homeowners and neighbors would stop by while I was leading volunteer groups to check progress on their homes, but conversations about construction would inevitably shift to interceptions and end-zone celebrations. There was a growing sense that a community that has often felt neglected in the aftermath of Katrina was now finally receiving some of the goodwill and recognition it deserved.

Rebuilding Together New Orleans is able to thrive in its efforts to get homeowners in need back into their communities due to the generosity of donors and volunteers. Since I’ve been here, I’ve witnessed the far-reaching and significant effects that one set of hands can have on rebuilding efforts. Every single volunteer and donation helps the people of this city rebound from their great loss. With an estimated 800,000 people crowding the streets of New Orleans to celebrate the Saints’ Superbowl victory, I’m proud to be part of an effort that gives them one more thing to celebrate.