“I was very impressed and inspired by the volunteers and relief workers that were still there.  We met several volunteers who were on their 2^nd or 3^rd stint.  I noticed that for the most part, the Hands On efforts were also run by fairly young adults.  They seem to care and that was their mission.”

“When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, I felt that I needed to go to the Gulf Coast and help.  But I was afraid and was not sure how except for donating money.  2 years later and an email from Hands On Greater Portland, I decided to follow through on that urge.  I also thought that this would be an interesting way to get to know an area I’ve never been to.”

“Please continue doing this! I think that are group has built lifelong friendships and that we are more energized to do work in Portland because of the trip. Though the mission of HOGP is to work in Greater Portland, this trip addressed a critical need in another community and makes us much stronger HOGP volunteers.

“I would have liked more time. I think that a two week trip, with that group, would have been amazing. I don't know if all groups would be as cohesive, but this group was amazing. I was very sad to leave.”

"Helping to make homes livable was rewarding - It was frustrating because there is still so much left to do –“

“In New Orleans I worked at the Food Bank, helping repack over 11,000 lbs of food to redistribute. Rewarding because we were told how few volunteers are available to them now, and how the food can't go out without volunteer labor.”

“Mrs Severs---Leadership was exceptional!!!! Total refurbishing of her home.. Tiled, Painted, general carpentry. I felt competent in my abilities here and felt I was utilized in the best possible way. Most meaningful in that she was the reason I was here to begin with.”

“Mold remediation: Day 1, 2, 3- Scraped, treated, and painted a house to eradicate mold that had returned to the structure. Completed about 85% of project. Personally, I thought this was a great project, although somewhat tedious. We worked hard but had fun doing it.

“Animal Rescue - Another establishment where volunteers make up almost the entire staff. We cleaned cages, dishes, dogs, driveways, carpets. We also fed the animals and walked the dogs to give them some exercise. Sometimes the pets of Katrina were forgotten and many of them are still roaming the streets with no where to go. The emotion and dedication the woman who ran the rescue (Robin) showed was amazing. She also voiced frustration with the government but a love for all the volunteers who help everyday. At one point she did get a little choked up when talking about the situation down in New Orleans which points out how real this situation is for those who are still living there and how much help they need even two years later.”

“My first project was working on de-molding a home in Biloxi, MS. The owner of the house was present every day that we worked, and our team leader - Emily - was enthusiastic, direct and positive through the entire 2-1/2 days we were there. I thought this work was representative of a great deal of work that is left because of the number of houses that have not yet been cleaned up or demolished since the storms. I really enjoyed this project - a lot of hard work, and I felt at the end like we had really helped both the homeowner, and the Hands On team in Biloxi. The work we did saved the two-person mold team several additional days worth of work. Seeing Lawrence, the homeowner, so happy was also very nice.”

“My favorite project was visiting the Lazarus Project (home for HIV positive men) because it was the most difficult for me and because I will always remember the stories that the residents shared.”

“The schools. Even though the results/accomplishments of this task will not be seen until a latter stage, I felt that this could be one of the most impactful as you help a community member.”