I grew up overseas so I never really had what most people would consider a traditional hometown, but each summer I returned to New Orleans where family is, thereby adopting the Big Easy as my own. So when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, I experienced the disaster as a personal affront. Extended family evacuated to my parents’ house located in Virginia, and I had to witness the emotional toll that the effects of the storm took on my grandparents, cousins, aunts, and friends. I will never forget how we sat in front of the television for days, united in horror and choking on helicopter footage of drowning highways, heart-heavy rooftops, and the Twin Span’s missing pieces.
During my third year at the University of Virginia, I finally felt ready to return. I spent my Spring Break gutting houses with Student Advocacy for Equitable Recovery (SAFER), a Tulane University organization founded by two students who, like so many of their peers, had returned to New Orleans to volunteer before the school’s doors were officially reopened. Upon discovering how therapeutic it was to swing a sledgehammer at the unholy mess left by Katrina, I made the decision to return to New Orleans after graduation and devote my first year as an independent to rebuilding the only American city I’ve ever loved.
In August of 2008, I began my 11-month service term as an AmeriCorps volunteer for the Phoenix of New Orleans (PNOLA), a federally recognized 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization devoted to the rebuilding and recovery effort of the centrally located Lower Mid-City neighborhood. Very quickly, I learned that one of the biggest challenges facing local recovery non-profits today is dispelling this misguided notion that the city has been rebuilt. Three years have passed since the storm, but there is still a lot of work to be done, only now with even fewer resources. Despite these challenges, PNOLA has hosted roughly 3,500 volunteers from across the United States, contributing a total of more than 65,000 hours of service to New Orleans' residents and providing the equivalent of over 2 million dollars in labor costs.
When Asif first contacted me about the Vampire Film Festival and expressed his desire to bring the event to New Orleans, the nerd in me kicked into high gear. I had taken a class called Dracula through the Slavic Studies Department at UVA and grown fascinated by the folklore and history that has influenced traditional and contemporary portrayals of the vampire. Then when I learned of Asif’s goal to support PNOLA and our rebuilding efforts, I found myself unable to find words that could possibly convey both our gratitude and excitement. Asif, I promise you that I will find the right words before the launch, but until then, PNOLA and I will eagerly await what is sure be the most fan(g)tastic Vampire Film Festival yet.
