Blitz Build begins early:
Getting a head start on a sunny Saturday 

By David Westerfield
Director of Communications
Shreveport-Bossier Community Renewal

The Blitz has begun! It was an "unofficial" beginning, but it was definitely a beginning today in Shreveport for the second annual Millard and Linda Fuller Blitz Build. I joined several dozen volunteers this morning with a camera in one hand and a hammer in the other.

Our goal: Raise the walls (made by volunteers in Minnesota) and roof trusses on two houses. Under a beautiful blue sky, we reached that goal by mid-afternoon.

We assembled our houses like kids playing with building blocks. OK - the walls are trusses are A LOT heavier than building blocks. But we still had just as much fun as any group of kids - and a much more rewarding day.

In case you don't know, Building on Higher Ground was started to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees from New Orleans. Two years later, it is still doing that, but is also helping local residents who have never owned their own home. The project is led by The Fuller Center for Housing, in partnership with Shreveport-Bossier Community Renewal. So far, 24 houses have been built. By this time next week, the number will be 33.

Under the leadership of a young bearded man named Joel, who came to the blitz by way of Atlanta and Mississippi, we stood the wall sections and secured them to each other and the concrete slab. We wrapped the house - like wrapping your sandwich so it won't spoil, someone said. But I like the image of gift-wrapping it better, even though the house is not a gift. The home owner pays for it with a zero-interest loan and 350 "sweat equity" hours.

I worked part of the day with Diane Haag, a reporter for The Times. For those who think journalists only write about what others are doing and never get involved themselves, you obviously did not see how long and how hard Diane worked today.

About 3 p.m. a large bus pulled up next to the build site and more than 40 men and women filed out. They had just arrived from Orlando, Fla., and were eager to help. That's one reason why I find the Blitz so exciting - you meet some of the best people in the world.

Monday morning, some 300 people will fill the build site to continue the "extreme neighborhood makeover" in the Allendale community. I will be there, too - with my hammer, my camera and my sunscreen. Forgot it today. Got sunburned. But that's OK - it was a small price to pay for such a wonderful start to what will surely be a most remarkable week.