To every good trip there must be at least one Snafu, and no I am not talking about the yummy short-lived Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor. A snafu, like a rock thrown onto your smooth path of paradise. Well, a big ol' fat rock has landed right smack dab into my plans for New Orleans.
When we registered with Habitat we specifically chose them and the project at St. Bernard's Parish because they had transportation to and from Camp Hope. However, as of December 31, 2006 the funding ran out for said transportation, now this do-well volunteer trip is steadily rising out of our financial reach.
True splitting a car rental between three people technically would not be that difficult to swing for the week, but it is stretching the budget, and besides, it is wrong on so many levels. I place none of the blame on Habitat or any other organization in the NOLA area, no, this blame gets placed directly at those who have power over finances and make decisions for this piece of America that is slower to be rebuilt than many of the countries whom we send aid to. Its frustrating that there is not enough money in the area to take care of a little thing like transportation for the volunteers. People who are holding back monetary funds, conscious or unconscious, are harming a city's potential for regrowth, and the thousands of people who wish to call New Orleans home once again.
I wonder how many volunteers have been turned away because they can't afford the transportation. How much work could have been done had those volunteers been able to go?
Someone please tell me, where we go from here?
