Katrina Fatigue?
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?