By Megan Ma

COURTESY OF DOUGLAS ROBERTS A vital bridge linking Mississippi communities was completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August. The debris remains virtually untouched more than six months later.

Six months after hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast region, cleanup efforts are still challenged by the magnitude of the devastation. On Feb. 18, local volunteers traveled to Biloxi, Miss., to witness the efforts firsthand, and provide what rebuilding help they could.

For one week, the 30 missionaries from Los Altos United Methodist Church, in partnership with the ministry organization CORE (Christians Organized for Relief Efforts), were at ground zero.

“Being on the ground and seeing it close up is a totally different experience from what you might see on the six o’clock news,” volunteer Douglas Roberts said.

When the crew arrived at the CORE base camp the first day, they were given a short time to absorb the scene. Biloxi, a coastal city on the border of Louisiana and Mississippi, was one of the hardest hit spots, and its economic infrastructure was totally wiped out, Roberts said.

Photographs from a detailed digital library - compiled by Roberts - tell the story of complete neighborhoods leveled and uninhabitable structures. Huge piles of smashed debris - lumber and concrete - fill the once-bustling streets. One photograph shows a boat, washed inland from the bay, mangled amid branches in a yard more than a mile from shore.

“It’s overwhelming when you first see it. The only thing you can do is to take one house at a time, one day at a time. It’s going to take years to rebuild this community,” Roberts said.

In many cases, home and business owners do not have the financial means for a major cleanup, Roberts said. Many have abandoned the city but still make mortgage payments on homes that no longer exist, he said.

Volunteers worked hard all week on two houses, providing much-needed facelifts. In a local pastor’s home, the crew cleaned water-damaged floors and mixed a bleach solution to scour away the mold.

Another woman’s home was in far worse shape. Submerged in water for months, the walls and ceiling were deteriorating with mold, and her possessions were ruined.

By the end of the week, the 87-year old woman’s belongings had to be removed and thrown out - “her life basically laid out on the lawn,” Roberts said.

While the volunteers did not have direct contact with the woman, their connection to the locals they did speak to was rewarding, he said.

“Our most important mission was to look into their eyes and listen to them tell us about the tragedy and share their grief,” Roberts said.

Despite their circumstances, Biloxi residents were receptive and welcomed the volunteers. Their resilience was admirable, he observed.

“The fact that they lost all their possessions didn’t seem to be that big of a deal. They were just happy to be alive and grateful people were helping them. I would hope someone would help me if I were in the same position,” he added.

The local pastor and his wife, whose home the crew helped to rebuild, were eager to relay their experience and point to where local landmarks once stood.

The church volunteers plan to return to Biloxi for two more missions April 8 and 15.

For more information or to organize a volunteer group, visit www.corebasecamp.com

out - “her life basically laid out on the lawn,” Roberts said.

While the volunteers did not have direct contact with the woman, their connection to the locals they did speak to was rewarding, he said.

“Our most important mission was to look into their eyes and listen to them tell us about the tragedy and share their grief,” Roberts said.

Despite their circumstance, the local Biloxi people were receptive and welcomed the volunteers. Their resilience was admirable, he observed.

“The fact that they lost all their possessions didn’t seem to be that big of a deal. They were just happy to be alive and grateful people were helping them. I would hope someone would help me if I was in the same position,” he added.

The local pastor and his wife, whose home the crew helped to rebuild, were eager to relay their experience, and point to where local landmarks once stood.

The church volunteers plan to return to Biloxi for two more missions this April 8 and 15.

For more information or to organize a volunteer group, visit www.corebasecamp.com