Day 5: Tobacco-Free Living 3 - The team surveyed restaurants and bars along Frenchman Street, but otherwise, spent the better part of the day speaking with locals and exploring the disaster relief efforts on the ground.

Distribution Centers - We saw a number of distribution and disaster relief centers that offer hot meals, canned goods, clothing, cleaning supplies, health kits to those we need them. Every center had its own purpose depending on the organizing party. In Chalmette, St. Bernard's Parish, there were two centers across the street from each other. One, which our Bucket Brigade team used as a meeting point, was operated by Emergency Communities and welcomed any visitors. The "tent city" was like an odd hippie enclave, but they serve healthy, balanced meals and welcome anyone - residents, workers, and volunteers alike. Across the street was a similar center operated jointly by a variety of Christian organizations. However, they only serve people who can prove St. Bernard Parish residency. Interestingly, their "chapel tent" was also situated right next to the official FEMA trailer. Rohan and I went in for a peek, and the security guard wanted to frisk us. He was a business-only, no smiles, you-got-handguns-? kinda guy. Absolutely unnecessary. It was apparent he searched a woman who came in after us that they do this to everyone. Absolutely unnecessary, again. After everything these people have experienced, do they really need to be searched before they can get help. Security, schmecurity. At this point, it just becomes a sign of disrespect.













In the 9th Ward, we found Common Ground, a community-based relief organization started by a local after the storm. It has branches throughout the metropolitan area. Some of my teammates heard some negative opinions about this group from other volunteers in the area. I'm not clear if it's over philosophy or organization, but I did hear that they focus more on long-term recovery, so any short-term volunteers tend to get left out of the process.

In New Orleans, we learned that Tulane students are helping Second Harvest with a food bank at St. Augustine Church. It was an off-day when we got there, but at least we heard some interesting stories from a local volunteer in the kitchen. Lots of locals tend to bring up th war in Iraq a lot when talking about the shortage in aid given to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. How can we send billions of dollars to fight some unknown enemy when people in our own country cannot survive?