Operation Colonial Friends

Summer Update

2006-06-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Operation Colonial Friends Supporters,
The end of the school year came nearly two weeks ago and it's hard to imagine that much of Waveland still lies in tatters and ruin. So much progress has been made yet the road is still long to full recovery. I have often heard it said that this will be a journey not a sprint. You don't hear much about efforts being made but rest assured, they are still there. Most are working diligently but quietly behind the scenes. Operation Colonial Friends is pretty much on that track. OCF sponsored two more restaurant fundraisers and decided to see if having them for one week vice one night, plus offering the waitstaff an incentive of an MP3, would net better results. Unfortunately, it did not ring true. When we had the same fundraiser in December for one night we raised $424 and our weeklong efforts only netted $500. Based on the guest checks I got back the issue was not with guests not donating but rather the waitstaff not promoting the cause. But $500 is better than nothing so we move on. Lafayette High School Key Club and Student to Student hosted several booths at their school carnival for us and raised around $160.
I still need to raise nearly $1,800 to pay off the play equipment. I don't see a lot of fundraising potential in the community so I am planning on hosting another change drive in the schools in September. If anyone knows of other opportunities or generous donors, by all means, clue me in. I am open to suggestions. I have attached OCF Financial Notes so you can see where all the funds have come from. What you can't see on that is how many people have donated goods and services towards the effort. No fundraiser is free, and while I have borne most of the overhead cost, we have had thousands of dollars in services and goods donated as well.
In addition to nearly two dozen newspaper articles about me and OCF, I have received a couple of very flattering awards. First, I was selected as the Junior Women's Club of Williamsburg Outstanding Young Woman of 2006. This is an award given to a young woman in the community who embraces and improves the spirit of the community through volunteerism and community activities. I was so flattered to be chosen among a record number of nominees for this prestigious award. You can see the link at http://www.williamsburgjuniors.org/index.htm. In addition to presenting me with an exquisite heirloom pewter vase, the Junior Women's Club also made a $200 donation to OCF!
I was also selected, among 400 entries, as one of 15 finalists for the 2006 Hampton Roads Military Spouse of the Year. Although I did not win the award, I felt so very special to be nominated by my wonderfully supportive husband, and again to be in the company of a group of amazing women who set the standard of what being a military spouse should be. Since Harold was out to sea, his entire senior command staff came to the luncheon to honor and support me. I can't tell you how special I felt!
I was trying to think this morning of what I was doing at this time last June. My oldest daughter, Riley had just gotten her drivers license and first job. I was running my youngest daughter, Madeline around to summer camps and a myriad of activities and I was in full swing with a database for a marketing effort in my consulting practice. My sister, Rhoda was hanging on by a thread in New Orleans as they opened a 2nd restaurant in San Francisco. Her son, Jon was working hard and looking forward to finishing up his Bachelor's at University of New Orleans in December. WOW!! What a difference a year makes! Now, Riley has graduated from high school and heads to college orientation later this week. I cut back severely on Madeline's activities, preferring to spend time with her myself instead. My consulting practice was put on hold while I started Operation Colonial Friends and focused on family needs. My sister is now living in San Francisco and the restaurant in the French Quarter (Andrew Jaeger's House of Seafood) has yet to reopen. The San Francisco restaurant has been their saving grace. Rhoda faced another challenge this spring when she had a heart attack and open heart surgery. She is doing amazingly well given what she has endured in the last 10 months. Jon finished his Bachelor's at University of Texas Austin, right on schedule and just purchased his first home with the proceeds from FEMA since he lost all of his belongings. Rhoda's children, who were previously all within a 10 mile radius, now live in 3 states. Life goes on and we are all a little more humble, a lot more thankful for each other, and stronger than we ever knew we could be.
As you go through your summer activities, vacations, lattes, and frenzied lives.... don't forget that there are still people in need. Check out the Habitat for Humanity website http://www.habitat.org/ and consider taking a trip to the Gulf Coast to help out instead of to Wally World for the 10th time. I will guarantee that the memories you gain will last you a lot longer and you will feel really, really good about what you have done!
Have a great summer!

Six Months Ago

2006-02-27T07:55:00.000-08:00

Six months ago today, I was celebrating my birthday. It was one of those magical days that leave an imprint in your memory that causes the edges of you mouth to curl up and your brow to soften when you think of it. I asked for one thing and one thing only. I wanted to attend a formal tea with my beautiful family at the Regency Room in The Williamsburg Inn. The Williamsburg Inn is a stunning hotel set in Colonial Williamsburg. It has a grand circular driveway flanked by magnolia trees and brightly blooming azeleas. Two smartly dressed doormen stand ready to sweep open the doors and usher you into the lobby decorated with fine antiques in rich, warm colors. Beyond the lobby, the back patio opens to views of lawn bowlers dressed all in crisp white, stately elms, more magnolias, a golf course flanked by duck ponds, gazebo's and a landscaped dotted by the colorful azeleas. It really feels like you are walking into another time where slow Southern genteel ways are the norm.
Ever since my husband, Harold, made Chief, I eagerly awaited the day when he would purchase and wear the Navy choker white uniform, only worn by officers and senior enlisted personnel. I knew that at 6 feet tall and slender, he would be a vision. Unfortunately, it is not a required uniform and is also rather expensive so I had come to believe that I would never have the chance to see him in choker whites.
Well, as I got ready to go to our tea at the Williamsburg Inn, Harold called out as he entered our bedroom and said "I could wear my suit,..... or this? What do you think?" and there he stood absolutely resplendent in his choker whites! WOW! He looked more amazing that I had even imagined!
Harold, Madeline (our 6 year old), and I arrived at the Williamsburg Inn and strolled the grounds among the lush lawn and blooming flowers before the tea room opened. It was a beautiful clear day and felt perfect as it could be. Once we were seated for tea, we waited for our oldest daughter, Riley to arrive from work. The harpist, Marion Harding, came over and was so enamored with Harold in his uniform. She asked many questions about his service, his medals, and about what brought us to the Inn that day. Marion was as sweet as could been when she was overcome with emotion, pride, and patriotism when talking to us. She was so honored to have a military family there that she asked us to be her guests for the tea! As Marion sat at her harp, she began with God Bless America followed by Anchor's Aweigh. Then when Riley arrived about 10 minutes later, she walked in the tea room with beautiful hydrangeas for me and Marion broke right into Happy Birthday and everyone in the room sang to me! WOW! It just doesn't get any better than that! My two beautiful daughters, a gorgeous adoring husband, and such a perfect memory.
We left the Inn that afternoon and felt like I was walking on a cloud. We sat watching TV with the reports that we coming in about the pending impact of Katrina and I called San Antonio to see if my sister, Rhoda, had safely made her flight out of New Orleans. She told me that two of her adult children, Jon & Lauren had evacuated but that Genevieve had stayed behind a Turou Infirmary to care for her boyfriend who was hospitalized. I wasn't happy to hear that but thought that if she would be safe anywhere, that would be the best place for her her.
I went to sleep that night, smiling at the precious memories created that day with a slight, but not overwhelming, concern about Hurricane Katrina churning in the Gulf of Mexico. Six months ago, it seems like the last night of innocence. Little did I know that the next week would be hell for our family and millions more who would be dragged into the pit of dispair as they struggled to survive Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Life can change on a dime.

A Waveland Memory

2006-02-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

It has been 4 weeks since I left Waveland and many of the memories live in my mind as if it were just yesterday. I keep track of the progress on the MSNBC-Rising From The Ruins site and also the Sun Herald. It is so hard to tell from a distance if the progress is significant or it is still a daily struggle for those in the area.
One story that I heard while in Waveland weighs heavily on my heart. Loretta Thomas is a secretary at Waveland Elementary. Like so many families in the area, not only did she lose her home but her parents lost theirs as well. She told me that her father and mother were both very poor growing up and did not finish high school, both quitting at the age of 14 to go work. Her dad went back and got his GED and spent his whole life as a house painter. He always managed to provide for his family and when he had enough, he bought a small home for them. While working at many new home construction sites, they would always have leftover materials which he would ask if he could take with him. As the materials came together, he would build another room onto their small home to make his family more comfortable. The home was still standing but has had to be gutted. Speaking softly, Loretta told me "It was like looking into his soul when they tore out the walls". I sat quietly as she described how she and her husband moved her parents into the small FEMA trailer with them so that they could care for her dad. "He has alzheimer's and cancer" she explained. "He knows he is dying and wants nothing more than to die in the front room of the home he built..... but we don't have the money to rebuild and the SBA hasn't come through with a check yet." I couldn't believe how heartbreaking her story was. For several days I had passed her smiling face and cheerful greetings with no clue to the anguish she was expereincing. It made me wonder how many other stories like this were hidden behind the every day masks of the people all along the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Katrina. I realized as I sat there that this is the real face of this disaster and the unfortunate truth is that even in this small town, Loretta's story is a common one. Maybe they don't have an elderly parent with a terminal illness, but there is another hardship involved. Maybe they are handicapped living in a FEMA trailer, maybe they lost their life long partner to the storm surge, maybe they were just beginning to live out their golden years in a house that was bought and paid for and had minimal insurance, now it's gone. So many stories, all so sad. I really believe that what will sustain our neighbors in need is the compassion, assistance, and support of those of us outside the area. We really need to keep a spotlight on the Gulf Coast to help them recover and the only way to make that happen is through word of mouth. The media's nortoriusly short attention span has run it's course so many people believe that everything is OK. I know that it is draining to be reminded of the hardships that are faced by those in Louisiana, Mississippi, & Alabama but our country has never faced a disaster of this magnitude and the needs will continue for quite a while now. So next time you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed and believe you can't give another dime or ounce of energy.... think about Loretta and the thousands of others like her, who's daily routine is filled with enough burden and hardship to last a lifetime.

2006-01-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

Playground for Waveland Elementary

Mississippi Experiences 7

2006-01-18T07:52:00.000-08:00

As we pack our bags to head back home, I feel a sense of satisfaction about this trip. I had honestly thought that I would feel like I didn't even make a dent and would feel guilty about leaving. I don't feel guilty and I saw the difference I made in hundreds of eyes yesterday. I also feel that I am leaving with a sense of duty to let people know what life is like for thousands living along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, specifically in Waveland. Some of you may read the emails I have sent over the last 7 days, some of you may glance at them with nothing more than a casual interest, and some may just get to the first paragraph and say to yourself "blah, blah, blah" then hit delete. So for those people, let me get it out up front. It is your civic and human responsibility to help those in need. Don't settle onto your comfy couch tonight and be convinced that because the news crews are not force feeding you the plight of people in Louisiana, Mississippi & parts of Alabama, that it is all taken care of. IT IS NOT. Our government has not done a stellar job of handling this disaster but when you grasp the scope and breadth of it, you can understand that they are overwhelmed. Other relief organizations like Red Cross and the Salvation Army are in the same boat. My advice to those who want to help is to take your money and efforts directly to the source. There are plenty of ways to find places to support. Send a check to a school district. The Bay St Louis Waveland School District has a list of their needs and contacts on their website at http://www.bwsd.org/. My last email gave you the contact info for Waveland Mayor Tommy Longo and the Spirit of Waveland Fund at mayorsoffice@mchsi.com. If you are a church member, consider sponsoring a congregation in the affected areas. Similarly if you are a business owner, sponsor something for a business owner who is trying to rebuild. It is great public relations and tax deductible. Now wouldn't you rather give your money to someone in need to make a difference rather than the tax man? Don't think that you have to organize a huge movement or send large donations either. Did you know that even large non-profits like the Red Cross receive the bulk of their support, not from large corporations, but from individuals sending donations under $30 at a time? Anyway, you get the idea... it is within your power to make a difference.
Exiting the Seabee Base on Pass Road we travel by a house that has made me chuckle for the last few days. About 80% of the homes and buildings along the Gulf Coast have this blue plastic sheeting covering some or all of their roof. This small brick ranch house sitting on the corner is no different with it's blue roof but what makes it stand out, is that the brick is painted the same color blue as the roof! It looks like one of those houses you buy in Monopoly only in blue! I realize how quickly the destruction has just become the norm to me and I find humor in these odd sightings. It took no time at all. These folks live this every day! Imagine how numb they are.
Our flights were uneventful and we arrive back in Virginia anxious to feel the comfort of our own surroundings. On the 20 mile trip to Williamsburg, I find myself being startled by the lack of destruction. Many forested areas have fallen trees left from Hurricane Isabel which hit here in 2003 and before this trip I thought it looked horrible and should be cleaned up. It is strange now how I think this doesn't look so bad... by comparison of course. I am struck by the beautiful brick buildings as we enter Williamsburg and wonder how they would withstand many tornados, 12 hours of hurricane force winds, and a tidal surge over 40 feet. I wonder how we would cope, who would come to our aid, how would we reconcile all of our beautiful historical landmarks being wiped clean? I can only hope that it would be with the grace and dignity I saw in Mississippi.
It would be nice if I could return home and relax but I have to turn on the fundraising machine again to collect the balance of $5,000 needed to pay off the playground equipment. I have been surprised that financial support from local businesses, PTA's & churches has been non-existent in this affluent little town. Despite two newspaper articles requesting donations, we have received not one as a result. By comparison the children have been extremely generous and without them, this would have never happened. Stonehouse Elementary has offered to host a bake sale and another change drive and based on the Sun Herald article, a few people, including a church in Blacksburg Virginia, have contacted me asking for info for donations, so hopefully that will make a significant dent. My biggest selling point right now is that 100% of funds collected go directly to pay for the playground and anything left over will be sent to the Bay St Louis Waveland School District Playground Fund. All overhead has come directly out of my own pocket. If you are interested in supporting Operation Colonial Friends, you can send a check payable to Operation Colonial Friends 3984 Driftwood Way Williamsburg VA 23188. Every little bit helps and I genuinely appreciate the support!
I hope I have given you new insight into the plight of those affected by Hurricane Katrina and I hope I have motivated you to not sit by complacently while other's suffer. You are the key to the recovery.
Rhonda HoneggerOperation
Colonial Friends Coordinator
colonialfriends@cox.net
"Children Helping Children"

Mississippi Experiences 6

2006-01-18T07:46:00.000-08:00

In mid-October I placed a phone call to the contact I had found for the Bay St Louis Waveland School District. Three of our Williamsburg James City County elementary schools had completed 10 day change drives and raised nearly $7,600 and the Jamestown High School Key Club had promised to donate $400 to bring us to $8,000. We ultimately got a bonus from the Jamestown High School Student Council when they donated over $1,136 to Operation Colonial Friends. Our focus in these change drives had been to assist children who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The funds were originally slated to go to school districts in San Antonio where many New Orleanians, like my sister Rhoda, had evacuated. However, nearly 6 weeks had passed by the time we got the drive underway, the change counted, and I had tried to find a school district in San Antonio which was heavily impacted. I had hoped to buy school supplies but by that point, that situation was already in hand so I turned my attention to the most heavily hit areas of the Gulf Coast. Based on a list of needs from the Mississippi Department of Education Website, I narrowed down the choices to 3 districts that appeared to be in dire straits. At the top of the list, both alphabetically and in terms of need, was Bay St Louis Waveland School District. After requesting and receiving input from the participating principals, I settled on the Bay St Louis Waveland School District. Donna Torres was the contact so I dialed her number to tell her we had over $9,000 for her school district. "How can we help" I asked. Donna was overcome with emotion as I told her that all the money had come from our children and their piggy banks. During our long conversation, Donna suggested that the money go to build a new playground. What a great idea! "So, how much does a playground cost?" I naively asked! The next day, Donna called and told me that the starting cost she saw in catalogs was $22,000! WHAT?? "Well, I'm sure that's retail and I am queen of NEVER pay retail so we will just have to find someone to give it to us at cost." So began my journey to build a playground for Waveland Elementary.
On Sunday, I was interviewed by a reporter from the Sun Herald and a newspaper photographer took a bunch of pictures during the installation on Saturday. They told me they were going to run an article on Monday so I asked Harold to stop by a store so we can get a copy and see the article about the playground. We pull up to a Sun Herald stand and imagine my surprise when I look up and see a picture of me staring back on the front page under the headline PLAYGROUND HERO! Wow! I am just floored! What an honor! It was a terrific article and I am so grateful of the kind words. You can see the article at http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/13582089.htm?source=rss&channel=sunherald_news
I won't kid you, this has been a tremendous amount of work. I have set aside my consulting practice to make this happen and fed my family more soup and sandwich dinners than I care to admit but along the way, I reminded myself of these little children who were living in tents, trailers, the remains of their destroyed homes, and I kept plugging on because I wanted to see them smile and laugh with abandon. That was going to be my payoff and it was going to happen today! Today the children of Waveland Elementary will laugh, squeal with delight, they will run and fall into the soft mulch without a scrape, and just get to be a kid again.
And so they did. After a brief, but emotional, ribbon cutting ceremony, the kindergarteners were the first to get to test out the new playground. Our daughters Riley, a senior at Jamestown High School, and Madeline, a 1st grader at DJ Montague Elementary School cut the ribbon on the new, top of the line, $25,000 playground complete with a rock wall, talk tube, 2 very cool slides, steering wheel panel, chain link climber, and the list goes on. Waveland Mayor Tommy Longo was there along with many other school and city officials and a couple of reporters. (See the ABC press release at http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=4338194 - no that was a typo the playground is not $240 thousand!) I really didn't know if the emotion of the last 2 1/2 months would come boiling up right at the moment I started to speak at the ceremony but I wanted to let the children and adults alike know that this was a labor of love brought to them on behalf of the children of Williamsburg. That I hoped that in years to come they could walk past this playground on their worst day and know that someone in a far away place was willing to reach out and give them a hand when they needed it most. My only request... hugs all around and no fighting over the rock wall! I got my hugs, often more times than once. I climbed on the playground, played with them, and even tried out the slides a few times... very fast & very fun! During the rest of the day, I would run into one of the students I met on the playground and they would run up and give me a quick hug and very sweet "thank you for our playground". It was pure bliss! One little boy was overheard asking "Are they going to leave that playground all for us? I think it's really, really neat!" All the children were so excited they just grinned from ear to ear!
After our ceremony I had a quick conversation with Mayor Longo and asked him what Waveland needed to better help them recover. He told me that they had about 80 senior citizens who had lost their homes and had no way to rebuild. Unlike those citizens who are strong and healthy, they do not have the physical means to even start many of the labor intensive tasks. "So many of them are just sitting in their FEMA trailers waiting to die" he said. "It is just heartbreaking". I told him that I planned to send out emails to everyone I could so they could in turn, pass the word on and get some help to this seemingly forgotten area. So I ask again, what do you need? I could tell that it was difficult for him to say "money" so I said it for him. I told him that after the last few months of coordinating this effort, I too was tired of asking for money but if that is what will make the difference, then that is what I will ask for. The City of Waveland has set up a fund called the Spirit of Waveland. All the funds are used to help local residents and businesses rebuild. If everyone could just sent $20-30 a month to them, they would be able to rebuild and get back on their feet. You can reach Mayor Tommy Longo at mayorsoffice@mchsi.com for more information about the Spirit of Waveland and how to contribute.
At the end of the day, I really didn't want to leave. There is so much to do and it is hard to walk away with so much left undone. As we pulled away in the car, a class of 1st Graders were making their way across the wooden walkway and spotted me. They all started to smile, wave, and yell out "Thank you Miss Rhonda", "Come back and see us!" Oh babies, I can hardly wait!

Rhonda HoneggerOperation Colonial Friends Coordinatorcolonialfriends@cox.net

Mississippi Experiences 5

2006-01-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

Day 5 brought some much needed rest to all of us. It was so nice to sleep in and not worry about all the playground details that have consumed my thoughts and time over the last few months. When we arrived at the Navy Lodge on the Seabee base on Saturday, I laid down on the bed and was fast asleep by 6:45! Sheer exhaustion! After a leisurely morning, we head out to drive down Beach Blvd and see what kind of shape things are past the coliseum. We stop for lunch at a packed restaurant where the service is very slow but we understand, that's expected. Many people who lost their homes in this region, moved to other areas, moved in with relatives who might not be close enough to their old jobs, thousands lost their cars and have no way to get to a job except for the skeleton city buses which now work overtime so employers are nearly all short staffed. That's just the way it is now. Venturing out onto Beach Blvd (Hwy 90) just past the coliseum sits Beauvior, the retirement home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Hurricane Katrina tore right through Beauvior, ripping away the beautiful wrap around porch, and leaving the interior in shambles. Several buildings on the estate were destroyed and thousands of historical artifacts were lost. The destruction continues as we drive down Beach Blvd. Two more casino barges lay in shambles on the opposite side of the road. The Grand Casino barge is about a mile from it's ocean mooring and Casino Magic about a 1/2 mile, but the curious thing is that it broke loose and drifted between two hotels to land where it did. A couple of casino's have reopened and look somewhat odd sitting amongst all the destruction. It will be good for the recovery effort though. About 7 miles down we tire of shaking our head in amazement at the level of destruction that exists for mile after mile. Absolutely nothing has been left untouched. We take off in search of a book store. I recalled having seen a sign near I-10 for a Barnes & Noble. So we drive about 7 miles inland only to discover out of the dozens of shops that have reopened, that is not one of them. Keep in your mind and try to comprehend a swath of destruction 90 miles wide and 12-15 miles deep. Some pockets extend even further as Katrina made her way up through Northern Mississippi before releasing her hold on hurricane force winds. I have seen some bad things in my life but never anything that was so vast, so crippling, that had an impact on so many people. Instead of continuing our search for a bookstore, we decide to head down and check on the playground. I have been worried because there is nothing to stop the children in the neighborhood from playing on the structure and the concrete has to cure for 48 hours before the children can play. We arrive at the school to find 4 rambunctious boys having the time of their lives on the playground. I tell them they can't play on it yet, that the concrete has to set. Their polite "Yes Ma'am" makes me smile and I tell them they can come back tomorrow afternoon and play to their hearts content. One of the little boys about 9 years old, just covered in dirt from head to toe, with no shoes and the brightest blue eyes, looks up at the playground with total reverence and says "Are they going to build a playground like this at our school? We don't have anything at all. It got washed away in the storm." Oh how my heart breaks! "I know they're working on it Sweetie." I tell him. They run off and play with reckless abandon on the hill of wood fiber left from yesterday's installation. The overwhelming needs are never far from your consciousness here and the wants are on a realm of near impossibility. Still every bit helps.
We leave the playground near sunset and drive to Bay St Louis to meet with our old Navy friends, the Johnston's and Berdeguez's at Los Tres Amigo's. Business is brisk, the food is good but lukewarm, service is slow as expected, but it is really nice to visit with everybody and listen to their stories. Jon & Jill Johnston had 3 feet of water in their house and no flood insurance so they have undertaken their rebuilding effort on their own. Jim & Elizabeth Berdeguez had 5 feet of water in their house and did have flood insurance so they have been able to afford to bring in contractors to make the repairs. Jon & Jill have spent hours waiting at home stores, getting supplies and repairing a home they know they will eventually sell. Jim & Elizabeth have many tales of shoddy workmanship, days wasted waiting for contractors to show, and the list goes on. Both families have been deeply impacted by this storm and yet, they all show such resiliency, humor, & spirit. I really admire their determination. I truly enjoyed sharing the evening with our good friends and wish I could do this more often. I know that in the years to come, Jon & Jill will also retire to the Texas Hill Country and we will be able to have more frequent contact. I look forward to those days.
As we drive back to Gulfport, I think how the destruction has become the norm for me. I have been on the ground just 5 days and I can't say that I don't see it anymore but I can say that it no longer surprises me or shocks me to see things like just a roof, no house; a huge boat washed up in the front yard of a home; 12 foot piles of rubble laying curbside waiting to be hauled away. I now look at a store and say "Great! They opened up again." Little by little, it happens. Every day is a new day and all you can hope for is that it brings something better than the last.
Rhonda Honegger
Operation Colonial Friends Coordinator
colonialfriends@cox.net

Mississippi Experiences 4

2006-01-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

INSTALLATION DAY! All my hard work comes down to this day. Dozens of logistical issues have been ironed out, all the equipment, goods, services, volunteers, are in place on this day. I wake after a fitful nights sleep, surprisingly refreshed and raring to go. After a quick shower, I head out the door with a cup of coffee and a banana in hand. I am greeted by a blanket of frost that coats every surface in sight. Frost in Southern Mississippi? The temperature reading on the car thermostat reads 37 degrees! BRRRRRR! After loading up my bags at 6am I hit the road for Waveland, a 40 minute drive. I arrive at the school just as the sun is brightening the clear blue morning sky. Given the multitude of things that could and may go wrong, I am surprisingly calm and very excited. Volunteers begin to arrive one by one around 7am and I am somewhat concerned because we only have about 10 people when we were expecting 25 or so. It's still early and I figure that the local residents will wander out as it warms up. For the first hour and a half, I am the only woman on site and the ribbing I am taking from the guys reminds me of my Navy days where I was more often than not, the only woman around. I am amazed by how quickly the structure takes shape. By 8:30 we actually have platforms to stand on. My friend Jill Johnston calls around then and reports that they are on their way. As I am on the phone with her I look up and two large passenger vans pull up and these young college students begin pouring out of them like ants. Holy cow! There must be 20 of them! They descend on us like angels sent from heaven. Turns out they are from Doan College in Nebraska and they came to the Gulf region on their holiday break to lend a helping hand wherever it was needed. They are lively, fun, energetic, and extremely hard working. They brought light, humor, and passion to every task. I was never able to get a straight answer as to how they heard about us and choose our project to assist but I am so thankful that they did. We couldn't have done it without them. Eventually we end up with about 40 volunteers...way more than we need, so a natural rhythm develops where folks work a bit and then let someone else step in. The Doan students make us laugh by playing football, baseball, & volleyball with pinecones and other improvised things in the schoolyard. By 11:30 the structure is 98% complete and we begin to pour the concrete. The flight Harold, Riley, & Madeline are on is due in around 2:40 and it is looking like we will be pretty much done by the time they get out to Waveland. The Seabees with their front end loader have arrived and we are ready for the engineered wood fiber to be loaded into the play area. Unfortunately they are having a problem getting it to start. It takes them over an hour to get it going so the many of our volunteers have moved on,taking their shovels and hoes, including the college kids. I have about 10 people left and quickly realize that we don't have enough equipment to spread the surfacing with. This could be a real problem. As we are loading the wood fiber into a bobcat, one volunteer says "We really need more shovels and rakes" as I reply "What we really need is those college kids back!". Then I look up to see them pouring out of the van and walking towards us. Thank you GOD! Even with our energetic helpers, it takes us nearly as long to spread the wood fiber as it did to build the structure. The engineered wood fiber is so light and fine it keeps clogging up the intake on the front end loader so they have to stop, clean it off & let it cool before they continue. Harold, Riley & Madeline arrive and help pitch in. Despite the fact that we have been hauling this surfacing for nearly 4 hours now, we still have a small mountain left and the playground is about 3/4 full. We make the decision delay loading the rest of the wood fiber in until next week. Most everybody there has put in 8-10 hours of back breaking work and the front end loader is not sounding so good. The Seabees offer to come back and finish the job later in the week. I get lots of hugs from the weary volunteers and they make their way home. Alone for a moment, I stand back and take in how beautiful this playground is and how smoothly things went. As tears stream down my face, I thank God, that Angel on my shoulder, and lean back into Harold's arms, accepting his supportive embrace. How lucky am I to have fulfilled this dream? How fortunate that I have had the time, the energy, the resources, & the skill to bring this gift to this tiny town in need? I know, without a doubt, that I was destined to do this. I know that at this time in my life, this is exactly what I was supposed to do. I could have sent a check to Red Cross, packed up blankets, or sat reading all the achingly painful web entries of those in need... but that would not have felt right. Everybody doesn't have the ability to do what I did, but most everybody has the ability to do more than what they are doing. Never once did I say to myself that I could not do this. NEVER! As you read these journal entries, I hope that among the over 130 people that I send this out to, YOU are the one I inspire. While I appreciate the admiration I have received along this journey, my true hope is to inspire people to make a difference. Whatever way you chose to do so, it fine. But step out of your box, your comfort zone, and reach out to someone in need. Don't be afraid that you will fall into a vast wasteland of charitable needs. Don't let your abilities in life be stifled by fear. I can guarantee that you will be rewarded a thousand times over for your efforts and at the end of the day when you are staring at yourself in the mirror, or right before you drift off to sleep, a tiny smile will begin to creep across your face and your heart will sing. This is what makes you a successful human being and fulfills your purpose in life.
Year's ago I found one of those inspirational signs at some store and framed it. I still keep it despite the fact it does not match any of my decor and the cheap plastic frame has seen better days. It says "Be the most enthusiastic person you know". When I found that sign, I made up my mind that I liked that idea and you know what.... I AM! Now that's the power of choice!

Mississippi Experiences 3

2006-01-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

Day Three in Mississippi started out with an early morning phone call from our installer, Mark. He was on the road, headed towards Waveland and wanted to make sure everything was ready. He asked me if I had gotten the 1x8 pressure treated wood blocks needed for the project "Oh #%!*! I will get them! I can't believe I dropped the ball on that!" So I head out to find the wood. Not your standard size board and I'm praying that I can find someone to cut them so I can fit them in my rental car. As I am leaving, Jim Dawson, the Gametime distributor and Mark's boss calls to tell me that Mark's truck broke down outside of Mobile so they were sending two other trucks, one for him and one to tow the other truck back to their base of operations in Fort Payne Alabama. GREAT.... anything else Murphy is going to toss my way? I head out in search of this special lumbar in a town that is slightly short on just about anything related to building! My first stop is Lumber 84... lots of customers, but no 1x8 boards or the alternative 3/4" plywood. Next stop Home Depot... LOOOOTTS of customers, and just a few folks with their trademark orange aprons. Everybody is very short on staff. I search and search to no avail. Finally, I snag an employee and stick to him like glue. "No Ma'am, we do not have pressure treated 1x8 but we do have 3/4" plywood" Yea! "Can you cut it for me?" I ask. "No Ma'am, our saw is down and we don't have any equipment to cut it." So I tell them that I'm building a playground for Waveland Elementary and need the boards for the project. I ask if they know of another store that might carry the 1x8's and they actually give me phone numbers of another Home Depot and a Lowe's! Gotta love it! It's Macy's Santa all over! I call them both with no luck. I am so stressed, so I call Mark, who is stuck on the side of the road waiting for the replacement truck and tell him I am having a bear of a time finding the boards. He tells me that he remembered that he had several boards on his truck. Remind me to give him a noogie when I see him! I can breathe now so I head out in search of food. I come upon a fast food restaurant and can't really tell what they sell. I get inside and discover it's fried chicken which I have not eaten in several years.... waaayy too much fat and grease.... yuck! I have to suck it up though because the pickin's are slim and I need to get out to the school. So I order the smallest thing they have and manage to choke down 1 1/2 chicken fingers while ignoring the grease slick building in my mouth! Eventually I give up and start for Waveland. Once I get there, I head out to uncrate and unwrap the equipment with the help of 3 energetic college kids from Wisconsin. They make very quick work of the effort and have the small crate done in 45 minutes, start breaking down the side of the large crate and then have to go. I am hopping around in excitement like a kid on Christmas morning at the vivid beautiful colors! Mark Boston, my volunteer coordinator from Commander Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command arrives to help me out. It is great to meet Mark, as I have only dealt with him via email and phone calls. We jump to it and Mark the installer plus his boss, Gametime Distributor, Jim Dawson show up. They go right to work laying out the lot and drilling the holes. Mark Boston and I get done with the equipment and I tell Mark & Jim I am going to check on the hotel rooms I reserved for them at the Ramada Limited on Beach Blvd. Last month when I saw that Ramada Limited had rooms listed online at a hotel on Beach Blvd, I was skeptical so I called their 1-800 number and asked if there was really a hotel... the answer.... "Yes ma'am, would you like to make a reservation?" The reservation agent told me I would have to call the property directly and give them my credit card to pay for the room. So I called several times and got nothing but a busy signal. I figured that I would just go by the hotel when I was in Gulfport and take care of it directly. Well, I turn onto Beach Blvd and get to the 900 block where the hotel is supposed to be.... no hotel, no structure, nothing but a small pile of rubble. I think, well sometimes hotels will actually be a block back but have a sidewalk leading up to Beach Blvd so that they can list that as an address, so I circle back a block and begin driving on the parallel street. Pretty quickly I realize that this is a residential area and there is not going to be a Ramada Limited. Up ahead I spy a couple in a pickup truck with Mississippi plates and a construction sign on the side. I decide to pull up next to them and ask. The woman replied "Aw Honey, there is no Ramaaada Limited! It got washed up in the storm!". Oh #%!*! I am so screwed! Panic stricken, I reply "But I have a confirmation number!" Turns out this lady, Teresa, is the assistant manager at the Holiday Inn up the street and it is open and has rooms! Her husband turns the truck around and they lead me to the hotel. She sends me inside to ask for Debi the manager to tell her my tale. I walk in and tell Debi in the makeshift office on the 2nd floor of the hotel that I ran into Teresa on the street. All of the hotel staff bust out laughing and Debi says "Let me guess, you had a reservation at the Ramada Limited!" YES... they tell me that they are getting several people in a day in the same boat. DAMN Ramada Limited! This could be a very, very bad situation for some folks who have no other recourse. I pour out my tale of building a playground and needing a place to stay for my installers and Debi and another woman pipe up and say "Hey, I read about you in the Sun Herald last week!". "Yes, that's me!" I reply as I whip out the newspaper article folded up in my purse! So Debi gives me a break on the room and begins asking me about how I came to do this. By the time I left several of them were in tears and giving me hugs of thanks! You just never know who or how you are going to touch people along the way. When I left Teresa in front of the hotel, she told me that I have know idea of how much this playground will mean to the whole town of Waveland and all along the Gulf Coast. So many people are promising things and not delivering that they are afraid to hope for anything grand... "this is grand" she says "and that just one person made this happen for our children just touches our soul". I tell her that I had a lot of help and that things like running into her is proof that I have an angel on my shoulder.
With the hotel situation resolved, I head back to my friend Randy's in Biloxi. First I stop at the grocery store to pick up something healthy to fix for dinner. I still need to get the slick of fried chicken out of my mouth! After a nice home cooked meal, Randy and I sit and talk like only old friends can. I went to high school with Randy in Japan back in the mid-70's. We lost touch for about 20 years but we are closer than ever now. He is one of those people you know you can count on when the chips are down to be supportive, warm, and loving just when you need it. I think I am really lucky to know him. Just as I am nagging Randy about his dietary choices (he doesn't have a wife... I feel an obligation!), my phone rings. It is the XO from the CNMOC Professional Development Center (PDC), he tells me that he talked to the XO of the Seabee unit and they are sending over a front end loader and two Seabees to help with the project. WOW this is fantastic news! I have been begging, pleading, whining, anything for the last 6 weeks to get this piece of equipment for our project. All with no success. I had stopped by the PDC the day before to visit with my friend AGCS Jill Johnston and CDR Jim Berdeguez the CO of the PDC. Jim had called in his XO and told me to tell him what I needed. Now I have it. This is huge and I am hugging that angel on my shoulder!
I fall asleep with my mind racing. Tomorrow I will build a playground! Tomorrow is not just another day. Oh my gosh, this is actually happening! The major hurdles have been cleared and tomorrow culminates this project of hope, of the love of and by children. A million little details rush at me but finally I drift off to a fitful night of tossing and turning. Tomorrow I will smile all day long!

Rhonda Honegger
Operation Colonial Friends Coordinator
colonialfriends@cox.net

Mississippi Experiences 2

2006-01-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends,
Day two in the region devastated by Katrina's wrath brought new images which left a powerful impression on me. I headed out to Waveland Elementary to finally meet the Principal, Dr. Becky Ladner, and supervise the delivery of the equipment and the engineered wood fiber surfacing. So many challenges exist for the people in this region, one of them being that most buildings do not have traditional entrances. So figuring out where to go in, can be tricky. That was the case when I arrived at Waveland Elementary. Eventually I ignored the "school personnel only" sign and walked through the makeshift cafeteria to ask where to find the Principal's office. It was apparent that most everyone I encountered knew that I was building a playground for the school. Becky Ladner, the teachers and support staff could not have been more warm and inviting to me. Given the struggle they have endured for the last 4 months, I was really surprised by their positive attitudes. Once we finalized the site and had the equipment off loaded, Dr. Ladner took me to the makeshift cafeteria for a chili dog lunch. The poster of the playground I had sent last month hung on the wall so the students could look at it while they ate their lunch. Classes were extremely small and I was very impressed by how well behaved they were. After lunch, we drove down to the beach in Waveland. Regardless of where you are here you see signs of devastation, but starting about a mile from the beach, the scene switched from devastated to decimated. Literally, not one recognizable structure could be seen. For block after block after block, I could stand in one spot, pivot 360 degrees and not see anything that resembled a home, a building, nothing, nothing but rubble. Among the rubble an amazing number of lots displayed the American flag; sometimes tattered, tacked to a tree, nailed to a plywood board once intended to protect the windows of a home, all kinds of innovative ways to give the statement that this symbol gave them strength no matter how impacted they were. We drove through the streets and I was rendered speechless, numb, shocked, totally unprepared for the level of devastation. I frequently heard before I came down here "You can't imagine how bad it is unless you can see it". Photographs, newspapers, 3 minute news stories, do not do it justice. Some of the snapshots that haunt my mind are; a blanket that once gave warmth and comfort hangs in tatters 20 feet in a tree, half of a headboard sticks up out of the rubble, a once beautiful Corvette smashed down like cardboard, lots strewn with debris, rubble, brightly colored pieces of plastic which were once a child's playset...shredded, and a lifetime of memories all in tatters. Despite the fact that I had just met Dr. Ladner and had some irrational desire to maintain my composure, I broke down and cried several times. It is beyond painful to see. Not even the violent destruction of the Pentagon or hole in the ground of the World Trade Center in New York prepared me for what I saw. These are the personal lives of families, mom's like me, children, pets, memories, all gone. Among the wreckage, sat the now famous FEMA trailers and an occasional tent or Quonset hut. One lot that had been mostly cleared by comparison, had a small maybe 20 foot trailer, a white picket fence, and a little red barn. It was the prettiest thing and made me laugh through the tears! As we drove back towards the school along Nicholson Ave. there was this one house that stood out like a sore thumb. It did not appear to have a scratch on it. The lawn was lush, manicured, free of debris or the chaos that surrounded it on all sides. It made me wonder how they had managed to either survive or recover, when so many have not. As we moved North where many houses survived but had significant water or roof damage, I noted the spray painted house numbers or frequent warnings "Looters BEWARE I have a gun and will SHOOT" right on their siding, brick front, or slab. Multiple variations of this message exist on every block. Teachers told me of the chaos that reigned in the days that followed the hurricane and that many of them were afraid in Waveland for the first time in their lives. Order was not restored for nearly 5 days when the National Guard came in. Everybody in Waveland can tell you the amazing survival story (covered by The Weather Channel) of the police and fire department personnel who spent 12 hours clinging to trees as their station, cars, trucks and ambulances were washed away before their eyes. Brian, a neighbor whose yard backs up to Waveland Elementary, told me about how his family crawled up to the attic of their one story ranch home as the water rushed in. He and his family got their 40 foot FEMA trailer the day after Thanksgiving and lived in their house without electricity or running water for the previous 3 months. Despite all he has lost, and the hardship he and his family has been through, Brian still walks toward you with a ready smile and hand outstretched in welcome. His dark skin, black hair and bright green eyes reflect his Cajun heritage before he even tells you. His little Chihuahua, Shadow was in the attic with them for nearly a day before they were able to climb down again to survey the wreckage the storm had left in their home. Shadow won our hearts with his sweet playfulness and spirit of survival. He was given the title of "playground guard dog"! :-)
Brian is typical of the people I met in Waveland. Everyone has a story to tell, everyone lives in hardship, everyone knows that for the indefinite future, even the best days are worse than anything they knew before August, 29, 2005. Despite all of this, their Southern charm shines through and they welcome everybody with warmth and grace. They have unknowingly touched my soul and forever linked me to their tiny town.
Rhonda Honegger
Operation Colonial Friends Coordinator
colonialfriends@cox.net

"Children Helping Children"

Mississippi Experiences 1

2006-01-13T07:16:00.000-08:00

My family and I lived just outside of Washington DC right after the attack on the Pentagon on 9/11/01 and I worked with the Salvation Army for 5 weeks feeding rescue workers involved in the operation. At that time, I started a journal which I shared with nearly 100 of my family & friends spread throughout the country. It was very cathartic for me and I got terrific feedback indicating that it allowed others to see the tragic events through a more personal viewpoint. So, with that in mind, I have done the same with my journey to Waveland, Mississippi. I would have liked it to be more timely but unfortunately, I had issues with sending emails when I was on the Gulf Coast so I have had to wait to send them out now. So, over the next few days I will send out what I have written about my trip. Please feel free to share this with anybody you choose. I got feedback from people I did not know as far away as Japan after my 9/11 writings.
For those who do not know, last September I undertook an effort to raise funds to send to child victims of Hurricane Katrina. These efforts culminated on Monday in Waveland, Mississippi where I presented a brand new, beautiful playground to the students at Waveland Elementary. The drive to assist the children of Waveland has been titled Operation Colonial Friends and has raised over $23,000 to make this dream come true for a very deserving community. I am in the process of raising the balance of $5,000 to pay off the equipment. Every dime taken in by Operation Colonial Friends goes directly to the playground fund with zero overhead.

Written on 1/5/06:

Dear Family & Friends,
Yesterday I embarked on the 1000 mile journey from Williamsburg to Waveland Mississippi to install a brand new state of the art playground at Waveland Elementary. I was excited to head down and meet the people I have worked with in Waveland, excited to meet the kids, and excited to see several good friends. I was also somewhat nervous about what I would see, how I would react, and how I would feel. With every seat filled, our plane circled over the Gulf Coast and I looked up to see nearly every head straining to get a birds eye view of the destruction. You could tell the locals who have seen it all before, lived it every day, and who sat, forcing themselves to sleep, read, anything to ignore all the curiosity surrounding them. I was kicking myself for agreeing to give up my window seat to a young unaccompanied minor traveling back home from the holidays. Around 12 years old, she was leaning her head up against the window, with one eye occasionally popping open to peek out and see if she was home yet. As we glided in, before I noticed the destruction, the blue roofs caught my eye. First one or two, then a few, then many, side by side. I followed a large roof of what appeared to be an office building or maybe a hotel that somehow looked intact but odd. When it was nearly out of sight, I realized that the odd thing was that it was just a roof, no building beneath it, just a roof! The landing was pretty rough as if the pilot had to force the plane to go where it didn't want to. As we taxied in and I noted several large airport hangers that sat with sides caved in, roofs blown off, leaning precariously to one side. I wondered as we disembarked the plane how the crew would say the usual farewells "Welcome to Gulfport! Have a great day!". Do you force the cheeriness? No welcome, pretty clean, "Thanks for flying Airtran" big smile! Entering into the terminal, I was greeted by a sort of organized chaos. Floors are bare with no carpeting, large portable industrial sized air conditioners stood about every 25 feet, and airport seating in a multitude of colors was arranged chaotically around the small space. Plastic sheeted hallways guided you to the baggage claim, which had two conveyor belts identified as A and B. No neon signs telling you where your bags would arrive so people were just milling around until the beep would sound and everyone ran to that belt to see if their bags were coming out. Airport officials would appear periodically and yell out updates on whose luggage was inbound but told us they would come on both belts! To further complicate matters, several of the planes (ours included) were filled with Army National Guard members returning to Camp Shelby to help with the reconstruction of the area, so they all had the huge green duffle bags that stacked up like timber and fell off the belt at nearly every turn! After some of the crowd thinned, I found my bag and ventured out to find the rental car agencies, who it turned out were in trailers in a fenced parking lot. As I left the airport building, I could see that about half of the building was gone and undergoing reconstruction.
Once in my rental car, the phone began to ring, welcoming me to Mississippi. First the City of Waveland returning a call I made nearly 3 weeks ago. No they don't have a front end loader, it got washed away. Sorry! I asked if a utility crew either had or was going to mark the site for the playground installation. "I've got the work order" the man replied. "Can you ensure that it will be marked say, by midday Friday?" "Well, I've got the work order and they'll get to it as soon as they can. I can't guarantee when." "We are drilling the holes for the posts Friday afternoon. The installer will only be in on Friday or Saturday so I don't have a large time window to work with." I replied. The poor man just came back from holiday break and still sounded weary and has probably dealt with "urgent" issues like this 10 times before lunch each day. I have gotten the sense over the last few weeks that nothing moves very fast down here because they are so overwhelmed, so tired, and so desensitized to these energized "helpers" coming in to do what they can. Don't get me wrong, they appreciate it, but they are just so burdened. All I can do is hope that we will get the area marked so we don't hit any of their utilities and cause more problems for them! Next came a phone call from a reporter from the Sun Herald. "Rhonda are you here yet? We wanted to put out another call for anything you needed in the newspaper tomorrow and Friday." Wow, energy, helpfulness. I find myself wondering what exotic isle she escaped to over the holidays? Great to have the media backing our efforts! "I'll know more by midday Thursday and have to get back with you. Thanks so much for getting the word out."
After the phone stopped ringing, I ventured out towards Highway 90 otherwise known as Beach Blvd for much of it's route because before the casino's arrived, it was solid unobstructed beach all the way down. For much of it, Katrina has left the view unobstructed again. The closer I get to Beach Blvd, the more intense the signs of destruction are. Exiting the airport, there are businesses operating, the Home Depot has tents filled with lumbar and other building supplies in the parking lot, signs are ripped, roofs are off, but life is struggling to return to normal. On Beach Blvd, I pass mile after numbing mile of destruction, a few reconstruction efforts but mostly shambles, roofs stand proudly intact with merely columns below to support them, no walls. Wires hang in a tangled mess from the rafters with the scattered remains of a family's life lying below. It strikes me that as bad as this looks now, this has been cleaned up! On the other side of the road, the beach shows signs of erosion, like the pebbles and shells you see when the tide goes out, only the small bits and pieces you see are not shells or pebbles, it is debris from the homes and personal things ripped away inland and dragged out to sea only to wash up on occasion with the incoming tide. I am headed towards Biloxi to stay with my old high school friend, Randy Soboul. He has given me interesting instructions to his apartment just off Beach Blvd which involve driving through the coliseum parking lot and going through a temporary opening in the fence. I pass Edgewater Mall with many cars in the parking lot and then off to the left, a huge 6-8 story casino barge sits like a beached whale. Randy tells me later that it broke loose up the road about 2 miles and landed there! Next I weave my way behind the coliseum where I notice homes still boarded up with numbers on the plywood so they would know where to nail them in. One business has a handwritten sign near the road that advertises "Katrina Video Sold Here". Capitalism reigns! Back in the residential areas, the destruction on personal lives is so apparent and raw. I am happy to see Randy and we settle into catching up and go out to have a great meal at a Japanese restaurant that looks like nothing ever happened.
Today I will head out to Waveland and work on some last minute issues for our playground installation on Saturday. I'm sure I will have a lot more to tell you then about how life is 4 months since Hurricane Katrina.
Rhonda HoneggerOperation Colonial Friends Coordinatorcolonialfriends@cox.net