You hear about a community's need to pull together on a common project, but never has the concept been more real than in New Orleans in the six months since Hurricane Katrina.

The images most seen in newspaper photos and on TV news shows in the storm's aftermath are the piles of trash and litter where once a proud city stood.

The task of cleaning up that mess first fell to the federal government, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dug in until the end of February, when it turned over trash pickup chores to local and state authorities.

The problem, of course, is that Louisiana and New Orleans agencies are overwhelmed by other Katrina-related issues. As a result, the trash and debris remained strewn throughout New Orleans' residential and some business districts - until recently.

A group of volunteers calling itself the Katrina Krewe is scouring neighborhoods every Wednesday and Saturday, picking up trash and debris and putting it in roadside heaps, so state and local agencies can haul it away.

The Krewe started with about 15 people but has grown to more than 500. Mostly they are New Orleans residents whose homes escaped major storm damage, so they're still living in the city and willing to help. But the Krewe's reputation for high energy, hard work and accomplishment has attracted volunteers from all over the nation.

While the destruction caused by Katrina seems to have overwhelmed local, state and federal agencies, it has not dampened the spirit of volunteerism and the American value of simply putting your head down and getting things done.

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Another small victory for humanity.

March 27, 2006