United Peace Relief establishes volunteer base camp in Slidell, LA

[uppityperson]

http://neworleans.indymedia.org/news/2005/11/6407_comment.php#6528
11/22/2005, by Iggy
United Peace Relief (UPR) is an organization founded by veterans of the various VFP (http://www.neworleansvfp.org) relief camps in Covington, LA that disbanded after hurricane Rita.

These folks desire to continue providing assistance to the people of gulf region, while maintaining the larger peace and justice focus that VFP brought to this work.

To this end UPR has acquired use of a large (20+ acre) property on Bayou Liberty in Slidell, LA. UPR's primary mission is to provide a long-term base camp for volunteer workers to stay at. Volunteers with any of the many relief organizations in the area are welcome to stay at the camp and be fed, gratis. UPR may offer formal overflow housing for specific organizations, in addition to accepting campers ad-hoc. Returning residents are, of course, also welcome to stay at the UPR camp while they figure out their situations.

In addition to housing people who actively commute to volunteer assignments on a daily basis, UPR also hopes to offer respite for longer term volunteers who are facing burn-out. The location is stunningly beautiful, with lawn, trees, wildlife and bayou within sight of the camping area. For my own sake seeing hawks and hearing fish jump was a much welcomed change from the scene of all disaster all the time to which I had become accustomed to. There are canoes available for use, and Kevin, the owner of the property, offered to take me out to visit a 4' alligator he knows of next time I visit.

UPR is willing to house and feed up to 35 people right now, and will be increasing capacity as they build solar showers and composting toilets to take the load off of the aging septic systems. As fundraising progresses UPR hopes to be able to continue offering travelling clinics and reconstruction assistance throughout the gulf coast region. UPR also hopes to be able to reimburse volunteers for the fuel expenses they incur commuting from Slidell to their volunteer assignment.

Currently the kitchen is in a tent in the front yard of one of the homes on the property. There is a working bathroom with hot water in one of the other houses. The house with the bathroom was flooded and is pretty moldy, but Ken and Niki pressure washed the entryway and bathroom, so it is quite usable unless you are already sensitized to mold.

While I was there we gutted the smallest of the three houses on the property to remove the mold conditions. Once the floors get shored up and the plumbing reconnected this house will offer a (mold free) second bathroom as well as indoor kitchen facilities and a computer lab. New Orleans VFP is working on getting a satellite link out there for internet.

The property currently does not have power, but someone from Texas is supposedly on their way with an array of solar panels, so this may change soon. In the mean time there are several inverters available to power AC devices from an automobile.

If you are in the area and need a place to stay, or if you have been immersed in relief operation and are in need of a sanity break, I encourage you to visit the good people at UPR.

A couple more pictures at link.

[merh]

1. thanks UP

thanks for caring :hug:

[uppityperson]

2. we're one world, one family.

:loveya::pals::hug::loveya:

[EFerrari]

3. God bless these people.

Thanks for posting this. One more group we can try to support.

:hi:

[EFerrari]

4. Link up at KU. nt/