Working to Be a Leader

Wednesday, August 29, 2007, marks the second anniversary of when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans. Print, TV, radio, and Internet news sources are running stories of the ordeal, the aftermath, and the future of the area.

I’ve heard people here in NYC say that they are tired of hearing about Katrina, don’t want to donate or be approached to give money, and desire to move on to other things. Katrina fatigue has set in.

Hearing first hand the ongoing sagas of people fighting for their rights, their land, their livelihoods, their lives, I’m still energized to do my part to help rebuild New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA).

I never lived in NOLA, have no relatives there, had wanted to but never visited, and really felt no affinity for the location before two years ago today. It was watching the tragedy unfold for hours on CNN that made me change my mind. I knew watching that I wanted to help. I knew that I wanted to make a difference. I knew that I wasn’t certain how to make that happen.

It wasn’t until almost nine months later that I found a perfect fit for my organizational development and coaching skills.

In April 2006, I read in an email that Community Church Unitarian Universalist-New Orleans was seeking help with internal organization before taking the steps of rebuilding. A smart move. One that I could help them make.

My work was focused during two long weekends — one in June and one in December — during which I presented customized workshops for leaders and the entire congregation. To reinforce and support their processes, I act as a coach and consultant for leaders via telephone and email.

I’ve heard stories from individuals, saw the devastation, gained an understanding of their problems. I also went to the New Orleans Art Museum and sculptor garden that somehow survived Katrina almost unscathed. I went to a New Orleans Saints football game in the refurbished SuperDome and cheered for the home team (my niece Tomi Sue was with me and she was rooting for the 49er’s who lost that day). I ate alligator quiche and listened to jazz in the French Quarter.

It’s been two years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the region, took close to 2,000 lives, and left permanent scars on the psyche of the survivors. The reality of NOLA’s future sets in hearing how long it is taking for the rebuilding to happen. It becomes easy to think, “Is the system too challenged to meet the needs of the residents? Will an entirely ‘new’ New Orleans emerge with a different profile of residents? What is the real price the residents of NOLA will pay for Katrina?”

Monday, August 27, my spirits were lifted when out of the blue I received an email from another volunteer, Claire Houston, a photographer who had been to NOLA to take pictures like the one at the top of the devastation. Last weekend she had been at Community Church’s website and read that I was mentioned as being part of their rebuilding/healing process. She wrote to me, “I wanted to thank you again for making the trip and offering your communication skills to help the congregation focus and prioritize their next steps.”

There is agreement in NOLA that the churches will help bring back NOLA. My hope and energy will continue to go into helping the residents in NOLA fight their Katrina fatigue, stay connected with concerned outsiders like me to do something, and work to rebuild a city of strength.

Claire’s email has reaffirmed my commitment and energized me in the process.

How will you fight your Katrina fatigue?

I don’t know how. I attribute that to the fact that I was only 5 when I became an aunt for the first time. The youngest of nine, I grew up with my eleven nieces and nephews in a relationship more like a cousin.

Through the years, I’ve tried to be a good aunt — even a great aunt now that my nieces and nephews are having children of their own. We’ve kept in touch, been estranged, then gathered back together for weddings, births, funerals. Recently, I’ve gotten into the habit of sending cards to all my family members for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Often, I wouldn’t hear back but that wasn’t why I sent the cards. I was reaching out to say, “I love you.”

In 2006, I took on the leadership of planning a family reunion. Six of my nieces and nephews showed up with their families for a wonderful evening of sharing and a day of joyous fun at Disneyland.

This year, I decided I’d add in a summer ‘touch’ to fill out my calendar of family cards. It was on my mind and even my to-do-list but got easily pushed aside for business and the renovation, renovation, renovation of my home.

On June 30, I got a surprise when I opened an envelope that I could see was from my nephew John. The cover of the folded card was a summer theme with an image of a lighthouse and seagulls flying around it. Inside the card was his message printed in large block printed capital letters JUST SENDING SOME SUMMER GREETINGS YOUR WAY with John written in script.

The last time I got a piece of correspondence from John, 47 and living in Crescent City, California, was a Christmas card about ten years ago. It made me happy to receive his card and I wanted to send him – and my other family members – a card as well.

On Monday, July 30, I finally decided on green note paper with a blue trim and matching envelopes. I found my Henderson family list printed out from Outlook and put my navy roller ball pen next to the stack of cards sitting on a box of photo paper on which I would print pictures of my renovated home.

Tuesday afternoon on July 31, I got a call from one of John’s sisters that he had passed away. Calling other relatives to tell them of John’s death, each one I spoke with said, “But I just received a card from him.”

I’m putting my supplies back in a drawer. John’s summer card has said it all.

My leadership lessons from this are many. What’s more important is that I realize the importance of continuing my education on how to aunt.