The Professor Longhair Connection

I know that Oprah is building "new" neighborhoods outside of New Orleans, but the people we worked to help will eventually be able to return to the homes they knew. That's really important to them.

The most notable experience I had the entire trip I was working on the house that had belonged to Professor Longhair (yes, the LEGENDARY R&B pianist who IS New Orleans history). Rhino still puts out his music, so for us to arrive to gut his former home, on our very first day of work, was incredible. I don't believe in accidents and think that was meant to happen. It was a reminder that we are all connected.

He had passed the house down to his daughter, Miss Patricia, who was living there with her son when the storm hit. They had no insurance. She shared stories with us of the horrific conditions at the Convention Center and went on to tell us how that house is home to her. Her son is the bravest young man I've ever met and I think several of us fell in love with him. He has been through a horrific 15 months and still can light up a room with his smile and charm. Miss Patricia pointed to the spot where her father died and continued to tell us how much his music meant to him.

"My dad could make a piano walk" she said.

Completion is still a long way away, but when the house is renovated, it will be declared a New Orleans historic landmark. You can't put a price on someone's memories. She just wants to be HOME. In THAT house. I'm attaching a photo of some of us with Professor Longhair posters that were salvaged from the house (yes, we are filthy as you can see from our faces). She gave them to us to take home which was incredibly generous. She even made us red beans and rice for lunch as well as some chicken, which, through an unfortunate series of events (including a gas leak and moving to a new job site) resulted in a different crew eating our lunch. :-(

The waiting list at Hands On to have a home gutted and de-molded is currently nine months. For these people, volunteer efforts are their only hope. I don't want them to lose that. Do the math: by the time teams are sent out to the homes on the bottom of the list, they will have been sitting for 2 years. Without your support and donations we wouldn't be able to do our bit. From myself and the people of New Orleans, thank you.