Week of March 25 - Baton Rouge Disaster Recovery

Week of March 28, Baton Rouge Disaster Recovery

This past week we were joined by another NOMAD so our new team is:

From the left, Cheri, Butch, Mary, Randy, Suzanne, Cindy, Stel, Jodi and Bruce.

On Monday, the Disaster Coordinator needed more work for his high school students so they asked us to trade our painting job at Baker Dr. for some other work.  What we learned in the process was that they had decided not to use the heavy texture surface at the Norwich Dr. house so we needed to go back there and do some more work on the ceiling to get it ready for "light" texture.

So back to Norwich and Butch and Cheri start wet and dry sanding 

as does Bruce

and Cindy

and Randy

and Mary

and Suzanne and Stel.

Next day, back to Baker Road.

The kids got a little paint on the ceiling here and there so Cheri is doing touch up.

As we move toward finish work on the house, the floor needs to be cleaned of dry mud and dust so Cindy charges in to get that done.

Suzanne helps with the cleanup 

while Stel works on repairing bad spots that appeared after painting.

Suzanne is working on installing grab bars for the tub 

and she really throws herself into her work.

Mary is painting the crown moulding we installed last week.

Then she and Jodi paint all the remaining ceiling moulding.

and Stel helps Jodi who is trying to get the doors all painted before the end of day.

Next day Jodi  helps with lots of odds and ends like installing switch plates.

Randy uses the roller on the ceilings while Cheri does the cutting in.  (We really had hoped the kids had painted the ceilings but no such luck.)

Butch begins installing the doors (with lots of onlookers)

and Bruce assists with the doors.

We have been trying to get together with Marshall to present the Bible signed by all the NOMADS and we stop by on our way to work

As a reminder, Marshall had the kitchen cabinet puzzle and this is the final product

as is this

and this.

Randy presents the Bible to Marshall

and this is the crew that did the work with Marshall.

Afterward we all head back to Baker Dr.

Mary cutting those ceiling moulding strips that she help paint

and she and her crew install them (OK, some are just onlookers)

but Suzanne is helping

and Mary works her way to the back of the house.

Randy has the caulking gun and is filling spaces on the crown moulding, door trim and all sorts of fun places.

Cheri gets ready to repaint all those patched areas.

Butch installs the faucet handles and spouts and then cleans the tub so the homeowner can take the first bath in her own home in 2 and 1/2 years.  She plans on doing that and soon as we all vacate the premises for the week.

The Conference needs to move and tear down some of the bunk beds in fellowship hall to satisfy Fire Marshall demands.  The city recently rescinded the waivers they had on regulations for housing facilities so the Conference needs to make some adjustments.

At their request, we left work early and moved all the mattresses for the fellowship hall into the main dorm area (the former sanctuary).

Then we proceeded to dismantle the bed frames that were made by other volunteers over 2 years ago and with that, we are calling it a week completed.  We all went to dinner to say farewell to the two couples that are leaving this week and then we will rest.

Week of March 18 Baton Rouge Disaster Recovery

Three of our team left last Saturday and were replaced by only 1 team.  So instead of 14 workers, we had 8.  Nevertheless, we were able to accomplish much.

To begin the week, all 8 of us returned to the house on Norwich drive in an attempt to finish the drywall sanding and mudding. Cheri, Mary, Cindy and Stel added mud.

Then back to sanding

and wet sanding by Randy and Mary.

and Butch doing cleanup.

Bruce is removing buildup of mud on the window frames.

Next day, Randy, Mary and Butch head to Marshall's house.  He has done heroic measures to save his 4th generation house by jacking it up, removing the floor and floor joist, pouring a cement slab and then lowering the house back onto the new slab.

He refinished all the walls and bought these kitchen cabinets at a second hand store

but needs some help to install them.

He has now removed all the clutter and our team will see where the cabinets will best fit.

Day 1 complete.  They have made a good start.

Next day, Butch builds a box to attach the cabinets to the ceiling.

and a final view of their "puzzle making" here and

here and

here.

Next day, Randy and Butch return to Harry's house and look into fixing these warped counter tops.

No easy way to fix this but Butch and Randy

got-r-done.

After finishing the Norwich house, the rest of the crew returned to Pam's mobile home to contine the work previously handled by NOMADS.

This travel trailer in her driveway is where Pam has been living for over 2 years.

So inside, we again attempt to prepare this drywall for painting.  Cindy adding mud to this corner.

Bruce also mudding.

Cheri tries to dry a patch on the ceiling as she is painting the bath with primer.

Stel continues wet sanding in the kitchen.

Bruce working on stabilizing this ceiling fan.

Then he cuts trim for the seam between sidewalls and ceiling.

On the second day at Pam's, Darryl, construction coordinator, gives me news of a change of plans. A crew of high school students from Oregon is going to paint the primer for us on our day off.  With that, we change our plans to get everything ready for them.

Bruce works on fastening all the outlets and switches so they can paint

and so does Butch.

Randy helps Cindy with the sanding since he can reach without a ladder.  With everyone's help, we think we are now ready for paint.

Thursday evening we gather outside one of the RV's for a cook out.

Our team this week from the left are Randy, Mary, Cheri, Butch, Stel, Cindy and Bruce (Jodi is behind the camera). Have a good week.