This is the media centre we helped establish in the house next door to the Common Ground. Inside there are numerous computers, both owned and donated, all hooked up to a wireless modem card. There is also a VoIP phone which allows long distance calling but isn't very clear likely due to the lack of bandwidth. Geoffrey spent several days here helping people fill out FEMA forms and locating loved ones.
As Hurricane Rita was just picking up steam, tensions around the common ground were getting noticeable. Algiers was still pretty much abandoned and curfew was being tightly enforced by both our hosts at Common Ground and the Orleans police. There was one guy who came in about an hour before curfew to fill out his FEMA forms and try and find a loved one. We got through his FEMA forms and were not having any luck finding the guy's sister. At precisely ten to seven, he suddenly jumped out, said "I gotta go its curfew and I gotta get home safe" and suddenly ran out mid way through trying to find members of his separated family.
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