The force and fallout of Hurricane Katrina resulted in the greatest natural disaster in US history.

Within days, armed with heavy machinery, disparate skillsets and an experience borne of creating community from a vacuum, participants began a journey to the Mississippi Gulf Coast that would last eight months. During this period, over 200 volunteers gave their time, energy, and a commitment to help the hurricane's shocked survivors navigate the overwhelming obstacles of having everything they called 'home' swept away.

The team gained the moniker 'Burners Without Borders', reflecting their own rite of passage as independent couriers of goodwill, and highly practical, creative community builders.

In the end (which was really the beginning) Burners Without Borders gifted over $1m worth of free debris removal and construction, distribution of essential food, water,
clothing, bedding, building materials, and left behind a lasting legacy of friendship, co-operation and artistic expression that would resonate far beyond the desert landscape where it was born.

Tp see blogs, photos, and other artifacts of our time on the Gulf Coast, please click here.

-Chrissie Wilson