Herbert Gettridge is a craftsman. His 47 years in the Plasterer’s Union are evident when you see his home. The structure has weathered several big storms since he built it in 1949. He and his wife of 69 years, Lydia, raised 9 children there. He rebuilt the interior of the home following Hurricane Katrina, but needed help repairing the roof. We knew that our work had to meet his meticulous standards. Luckily, we had an ace roofing crew, led by Dickie Niedospial. He and Petie Sydello ran two crews to get the job done efficiently. The hard working crew included Ted Ferris, John Christeson, Bob Perry, Teri Niedospial, Mary Hason and Anna Albrecht. The view of the Lower 9th Ward from the rooftop gave a new perspective to the scope of the devastation that remains, however, signs of renewal are evident. The only break the crew took was to enjoy a Second Line Parade that wound through the neighborhood. This event is essentially a funeral march, but in true New Orleans style is a celebration of life, complete with a brass band. Mary Hason was so inspired by the beautiful costumes that she joined the parade!
Since one of our projects got pulled at the last minute, we were able to help Mr. Gettridge with a few other important projects. To remain eligible for homeowner’s insurance, Mr. Gettridge was required to replace the railings on his front porch and back steps. Naureen Loftus, John Cox, Julius Sherrill and his wife Ruth salvaged wrought iron gates, which the men repaired, welded and painted. They were able to turn what looked like rusty trash into beautiful, durable goods. It was recycling at it’s best – and saved hundreds of dollars! Mr. Gettridge enjoyed watching fellow craftsmen at work.
Naureen, John, Julius, Ruth and Teri Niedospial then turned their attention to the fence surrounding the property. First they repaired a chain link fence. Then they began the project of replacing damaged pickets on the picket fence. The following morning, Ron and Mary Hason, Lisa Sparagna, Jill Koester, Sue Lenihan and Kathy Gumbel consulted on the project. The fence was completed to perfection by Sue and Kathy, under the watchful eye of Mr. Gettridge.
Our entire Volunteer Group participated in working on this home. Everyone worked hard cleaning up after the roofing crew, hauling supplies in the rickety old truck, carrying shingles and tiles to the roof (ugh!). Many, many thanks to Sammy, Tank, Mike and Attilia of Common Ground for all of their help. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Herbert and Lydia Gettridge expressed their delight at the work done by the Global Hope Volunteers. We were graced by Herbert’s hard-won stamp of approval, “Y’all do good work! Any time y’all are in town, you stop on by, there’s always a place for you here.”
