Basin Street Blues

“Beyond the incredible loss of life and obvious destruction of Katrina, is the less visible damage to the arts community, which includes the large majority of semi-professional and professional musicians who labor, even in the best of times, to create a modest living with their craft.

By Christina Aranguren, visual artist, and Bob Aranguren, musician
Displayed in Katrina: Treating the Wounds, exhibit in Kendall Hall during February.

Photos from New Orleans

By Cheryl Thomas

Background:
I’ve been a Red Cross volunteer for 11 years. Locally, I am a DAT (Disaster Action Team) supervisor, a teacher,  shelter manager, and ERV driver. I have been teaching courses in CPR, Automated Electronic Defibrillator, and First Aid, also CPR for the Professional for the Red Cross and two medical modules for the California Emergency Response Team course, through Butte County Operation of Emergency Services.  I was the shelter manager on the POE fire and the Cohasset fire to name a couple.

Katrina:
I had a very different role than with hurricane Charlie where I went out as Family Services and provided Outreach services, going door to door, checking on people and finding out what they needed, then finding ways to meet them. I went out both times during Katrina as an Emergency Resource Vehicle driver and took hot food and supplies to the people.

I was in Gulfport, Mississippi, from 9/23/05 through 10/4/05. Being in Gulfport was like entering a third world country, the stores were closed and boarded, the water was contaminated, there was no power, and it was very, very, hot.

I was in New Orleans from 12/16/05 through 1/9/06, much better living conditions, but still there was no power and massive devastation in the areas we were serving.