Goodnight NOLA

I'm a little late in joining in the blog, but I thought I would just wait until the end of the week. We began our Alternative Spring Break journey last Saturday, March 13, at 3AM! The good thing about not getting sleep the night before a plane ride is it is so much easier to sleep on the plane, which I certainly did. When we arrived in NOLA, we got lunch at the Winn-Dixie, a big supermarket in the southeast and toured where we would be staying for the week: Camp Restore. Camp Restore was established in 2006, in what was once the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and School. Other groups from throughout the country and Canada came this week too. About 150 people in total were there. I have to say it was pretty tough living in a room with over 20 other people, but definitely doable.

That night we headed over to Bourbon Street. Craziness was going on all over the place. This was a great place for souvenirs. I got a New Orleans themed purse and a mask. Then for dinner, I had Popeye’s with Roshel, Ashley, and Triny. It was yummy.

On Sunday we spent the day at the French Quarters, which is home of America’s oldest public market. Here we went to the famous Café Du Monde which is French for Coffee of the World.The thing to get here coffee with an order of beignets, which are square pieces of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar. It was SO good. Roshel, Triny, Ashley, Jess B, and I enjoyed our beignets on wooden stairs that led into the Mississippi River. Powdered sugar went everywhere.

Back at Camp Restore, we had a great dinner made by chef Brenda, who made all of our meals at camp. After dinner there was a church service where they showed an amazing video that showed pictures of a beautiful home before Katrina, and what was left of it after the hurricane.

Monday was our first day of service. Every morning we had a 6:30am wakeup call of Matt, the camp’s minister, singing Christian songs. It really resonated throughout the place. Breakfast was at 7am. Monday and Tuesday were spent at the NFL Youth Education Town/Boys and Girls Club. This was a nice place. There was a room with flat screen tv’s and wii’s and some other cool stuff all donated by the Saints. I spent most of Monday with Tina and Ashley cleaning the center’s kitchen. We encountered some nasty cockroaches. I’m so glad I do not live somewhere where cockroaches are all around. On Tuesday Jess B, Tina, and I put together a soccer net and then I helped Ashley put up a volley ball net. I also helped pick up debris from a patch of a lot that was being cleared out by Megan, Emma, Triny, Tina, Ashley, and Roshel. We also got to play a game of kickball with the kids. They won the game J.

Going to New Orleans, I was hoping for labor intensive service. I got my wish on Wednesday. We spent the day in the Lower 9^th Ward clearing out a lot where a house once stood. It was very overgrown and had random objects throughout it. If a lot has growth taller than 18”, the owner of the lot is charged hundreds of dollars a day. So it was very important for the lot to be cleared. It was some hard work. I have a bruise on my hand still. I helped move debris to the sidewalk, gather bricks, and dig up plants. Some things found in the rubbish were diapers, oyster shells, snakes, frogs, geckos, part of a binky, parts of old tools, and exposed wires and pipes.

Wednesday was St. Patrick’s Day so we went back to Bourbon Street. I went with Triny, Ashley, and Tina to get ice cream at this create-your-own-bowl place called Blue Penguin Yogurt. It was delicious. We decided to head over to Bourbon but instead got distracted by a taping of a show in front of the St. Louis Cathedral, which is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States.

The show is called Treme, which takes place 3 months after Katrina hit, and will be airing on HBO starting in April. One of the stars of the show, Steve Zahn, took a water break and we got to take a picture with him! That was very exciting, especially for those of us who knew who the actor wasJ.When we made it to Bourbon, we saw the parade and got bead necklaces thrown from the parade cars. We got so many of them. It was a fun night.

By Thursday it was getting extremely difficult to wake up, especially being sore from work the day before. We spent the day working in classrooms at J.A. Craig Elementary. This school just reopened in January and is in need of a lot of help. I couldn’t believe some of the children’s’ home life stories. It was a little scary going into it, but at the end I wanted to go back and help as much as I could.

On Friday, our last day of service, we went to a pre-kindergarten school. There were little kids younger than 5 years old already reading small words and learning to write their names! I was impressed. They were so cute and very full of energy. One of their favorite books is Goodnight Nola by Cornell P. Landry. It was a very cute book.

Later in the day we took a tour around St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9^th ward with Kathy, who is a native to the area. It was nice taking a tour with someone who lived in the area before

the storm hit. On the tour she told facts like the water coming in was so powerful the power lines were left standing at a 45° angle. People were not let back into their homes until 7 weeks after the storm, and when they were starting to be let in, there was a lot of security to keep looters out. 26,000 homes were deemed unlivable. The water that flooded was not just from the hurricane. Levees broke which caused the flooding. The water rose in minutes, and took months to clear out in some places. 20% of St. Bernard Parish did not evacuate.

NOLA had about the same percentage. On many houses there were X’s painted. In the upper part was written the date the house was inspected, the left was who did the inspection, and the number represented how many people were found dead. Most of the homes with that number greater than 0 were painted over. Red X’s on houses were to mark which houses were going to get knocked down. Going through some of the neighborhoods

you can see just a few homes built back, and the rest stay empty. Kathy took us to a levee in the neighborhood that is being built by the Make it Right Foundation, which is the foundation whose goal is to build 150 green storm resistant homes in the Lower 9^th Ward and is fronted by Brad Pitt. They were pretty cool looking homes.

For dinner we went to a local place called R & O’s. They had really great food. I had a seafood platter and tried craw fish for the first time. It was weird. It was so filling I could not finish even half of it. I was sad to throw it out, but unfortunately food is not allowed past security at the airport.

This brings me to today. At the layover in Cleveland, a few of us actually came across an alumna from our university who graduated in 1990. She was interested in our trip. This has been quite the exciting week in the Who Dat? Nation. I had fun at the hot tourist spots, enjoyed amazing authentic food, got a slight tan, and found joy in helping the New Orleans community. I can’t believe it is already over. This week went by so fast. Back to school and loads of homework. Coming home was very bittersweet. I had been looking forward to this trip since it was first announced. My mom went to Louisiana in September 2005 to help get food, water, and shelter to people who could not evacuate. She was there during Hurricane Rita. Her service rubbed off on me. It's nearly five years later and I learned that even though a lot has been built back, a lot more is still in need of a lot of help in New Orleans and the surrounding areas. I hope to go back and do more in the near future.

*Photos by Roshel Vas and Ashley Katon-Donegal and Google images

~~Amber

This week so far :)

So this has truly been an amazing week. From helping around the Southeast Boys and Girls Club, to clearing out an unpleasant lawn. This week has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to give. I have learned that giving comes in many forms. One can give with love, one can give with helping hands and most importantly, one can give with understanding. I believe the people of New Orleans appreciate not only the fact that we came to help rebuild their broken down buildings, but that we came to understand what they having been going through in the past five years. I can go home knowing that I saw first hand what it is like to live in fear and darkness. I meet people who gave their hearts for our service, and i will forever be thankful. I will definitely be back to New Orleans to give and to continue to spread awareness.

Thank You NOLA,

I am forever grateful :)

P.S Big Mama's Chicken and Waffles was amazing!

Work in the Lower 9th Ward

Wednesday's service work in the Lower 9th Ward is beyond words. But I'll do my best to elaborate.

Our UHa crew arrived at the Lower 9th Ward Village Community Center (read more about the fantastic work of the Community Center and its Executive Director Ward "Mack" McLendon at http://www.lower9thwardvillage.org/new/) at 9:30am. Partnering with another student group from Camp Restore, we took on a major clean-up project at an abandoned property with a no-longer standing house; all that remained of the space were weeds and dead foliage that stood at least three feet high, bricks, and debris galore: wrought iron doors, oyster shells, chip bags, diapers, beer and soda bottles, jewelry, cds, tools, and much more. I honestly felt as if I was unearthing an ancient civilization, discovering lost artifacts that remind us not of our disparities but rather of our commonalities and shared humanity. It was an eerie, unsettling experience that shook me to the bone. The same feelings--along with great anger and frustration--overcame me when I saw abandoned homes with the spray-painted X's, which signifies the date that the house was searched by a rescue team, the rescue team who searched the home, and the number of dead human and animal bodies found within the home. Our raking, hoeing, cutting down of trees, weed whacking, and picking up of bricks and debris lasted for over five hours, making the before and after of the space as distinct as night and day. The transformation was certainly clear, and the aches we've endured from the strenuous work were absolutely worth it. This was, to say the very least, an AMAZING experience!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Debriefing with the Lower Ninth Ward Village Community Center Executive Director Mack was truly enlightening and touching. We asked him several questions regarding clarification on the existing conditions after New Orleans, and we were left even more shocked and disgusted than before. It really moved me when he shared his heart-wrenching experience with Hurricane Katrina, and how he expressed how genuinely inspired and full of hope he was by volunteers like us. He himself is a tremendous inspiration, and for him to say that was wonderfully heart-felt and special.

The fact that there is still an incredible amount of progress to be made, even five years after the disaster, is unreal, inhumane, and terribly disheartening. But people like Mack, the long-term volunteers from restoration camps such as Camp Restore, and all those who are working on a daily basis to re-build and re-invigorate this great city are the true leaders and heroes of our time.

Later postings!!

Tuesday, March 16th-Boys and Girls Club: Part 2

So, our UHa crew returned to the NFL YET Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana on Tuesday with more of a focus on working on outdoor tasks. I was excited about working outside because the weather was quite sunny and beautiful. I volunteered to untangle and, with the help of Amber, put up a volleyball net. I enjoyed doing the untangling and assembling of the net because, due to the center's lack of supplies, it took a good deal of problem-solving and teamwork to put everything together, skills that are always very useful to continue to hone. When the net was up, I moved on to first sweeping the front entrance of the center and then picking up and throwing away debris found around the premises. I then volunteered to do some major curbside landscaping across the street from the center--pulling out weeds larger than my head, raking and bagging mounds of dead vegetation, and much more. Back-breaking work to say the least!

Around 3:30pm, the school children began to arrive. They're an definitely a spirited, ebullient bunch! We played an intense game of ultimate kickball with the children, with our UHa crew as one team and the children as the other? The winner--a no-brainer? Absolutely not--those children whooped us something awful! They were crushing us like it was their job! Quite embarrassing on our behalf, but fantastic, hilarious fun, no doubt! Those children are so bright and gifted, and it was a pleasure spending the near two hours that we did with them.

When we left the Boys and Girls Club, I felt worn out, but delighted. We as a team had made tremendous improvements with the center the two days we were there, and I was left with a feeling of great satisfaction and a hope for success and fulfillment with future projects. I wonder what's in store for tomorrow...

Later postings!

Lower 9th Warde

The Lower 9th Ward Village is a community-driven, community-led, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and neighborhood center based in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana. The main goal of the Village is to bring together the entire Lower 9th Ward and to empower community members to be self-sufficient and to sustain an equitable quality of life. The Village focuses on connecting the elderly and youth, with services and providing care and guidance from the community as a whole. It takes a village…

On every corner on every street houses like this are still board up. It was a very eerie feeling as we drove to our work site to see how much of this neighborhood is still devastated even after 5 years.

As you will read in other blogs, today our task was to clear a double wide lot that has not been touched since August of 2005 when the homeowner was last there. Here we are clearing out the cement foundation bricks as well as trees that we cut down. I will post more before photos as we upload them so you can see what 5 hours of weed pulling, cement block carrying, and tree cutting down can do!

Day two of landscaping

So after two days of weeding and landscaping type tasks, I feel that I can become a professional landscaper!! The tasks have been grueling and hard work as we continued to clean more areas that were filled with debris today. We worked in the lower 9th Ward at the Village Community Center and helped by clearing a lot where a two family house once stood. When we arrived at the lot, we all were stunned by the trash and overgrowth of weeds/trees in the lot. The space being cleaned was located amongst other homes that were fixed up and are currently inhabited by families. The day went by very quickly as we moved hundreds and hundreds of bricks out of the lot....on top of weeding and cutting down of trees that had grown sporadically throughout the property.

This day of work was truly humbling as I saw homes that were still abandoned and many properties that were beyond repair. This area was the most devastated area and even today (5 years later) only about 25% of its previous inhabitants have returned to live there again. The most tragic thing I saw were homes that were marked by the agencies that came and inspected the house after the flooding and actually saw that either dead people or animals were found within the home. This area truly is in need of many more years of help from volunteers as there are many homes beyond the point of any repair that are still abandoned.

On a better note, since it was St. Patrick's Day, we all decided to meet up with the Uhart Hillel group and meet at the Cafe du Monde. We watched the parade and collected many Mardi Gras beads that were thrown around Bourbon Street! We also stood on the set of a new HBO show called "Treme" starring Steve Kahn, with whom we got our picture taken. The night was a blast and a perfect ending for such a hard day of work!!

Lower 9th Ward

What can I say about today? At the very least it was one of the most fulfilling/heartbreaking days of service that we have had so far.

We were placed at the Village Community Center in the lower 9th ward. For those that do not know, this area (along with St. Bernard's Parish) was the heaviest hit by the hurricane. To make matters worse, the area was already at an economic disadvantage pre-Katrina. Houses and buildings were destroyed- some even completely disappearing altogether. Sadly, close to 5 years later the 9th ward resembles that of a ghost town. Over 75 percent of its residents have not come back and those that have, are left without grocery stores, gas stations, and more. For the most part the 9th ward has been completely neglected. Houses are falling apart, overgrown, boarded up and broken. Mac, the leader of the Village Community Center informed us that little to no help has come to the residents of the lower 9th ward.

For our assignment we cleaned out a lot (that had previously been occupied by a house). Though the house was abandoned by its owner, he still had ownership. Therefore, legally he still was responsible for the upkeep of his property. In New Orleans there is an ordinance that if your grass gets over 18 inches the resident is forced to pay a fine of over 500 dollars. For many, this fine has doubled and tripled- leaving the owners with absolutely no reason to come back.

Though we only cleaned out a single lot, I know that our service has made a difference. Mac stressed to us that beyond the actual physical act that we did, the volunteers that have come down to the lower 9th ward give its inhabitants HOPE. This hope is what is getting many of them through this difficult time and showing them that people actually do CARE and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Of course I wish I could do more- I wish that I donate a million dollars and hug every child and save every stray dog but of course that is impossible. Instead I am happy that I am making a small difference in someones life.

On a happier note- Happy St. Paddy's Day to everyone! I am being hurried off the computer as we make our way down to the French Quarters and Bourbon Street for the evening.

:-) Emma

Getting older....

So I don't think that anyone truly believes me but I really feel like I'm getting old. One of the main personal reasons that I wanted to organize this trip was for me to personally dedicate myself to others. It has been several years since I have been able to fully participate in a service project. I know that I routinely donate items, food, and money, however as we get older our personal time decreases to fulfill our passions.

Over the past several years my weekends have been completely consumed primarily with work commitments, going to classes, and visiting with family and friends. Its amazing how something that was so special and important to me when I was in college can slip away so easily when we become consumed with "life" and not always taking the time to put others needs first.

I had fabulous mentors, primarily Phyllis, while I was as student at Sacred Heart who showed me that service should be an equal part of our lives to be a complete person. I know that my work and education are very important but I do feel like something is missing, however, seeing as I don't have more than 24 hours in one day I'm not sure where to fit everything in.

This week is the first time that I have been able to feel satisfied at the end of the day knowing that I have been able to do all that I can do and that my best is all that I can give. Its much different performing service compared to working because no one complains about the work we do here, they are extremely grateful for all that we do and they let us know. They don't ask for more, they are just thankful that we have come to help.

It is such an opportunity for us to be working and serving the people of New Orleans especially that they are still in such need of our help. Everyday we are learning and seeing more of New Orleans and our understanding of what happened is growing. It wasn't until I saw the personal photos and driven by the houses that the devastation has set in.

For myself I ask that when I return I keep myself focused on my passions and continue to find balance, and for my loved ones, I challenge you to examine your life and make sure that you are fulfilling your passions in life and taking time for yourself.

Thank you for all my family and friends, I'm truly blessed to have you all in my life, stay tuned for more!

Megan xox

Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana!

Day Two!!!

Today was a grueling but very fun day!!! We continued our work at the Boys and Girls Club for our second day. I started out my day by taking a shower before we left....which later proved to be worthless because of the work I ended up doing throughout the day. I first helped to set up a soccer net for the kids at the club. I then went and worked on the landscaping task of the day (this was a bigger task than it originally seemed). I pulled weeds from the side of the sidewalk as others were raking and cleaning the grassy areas. There was a lot of trash and debris on the grass which had to be cleaned up so that the center would have a better appearance and so that it would be safer for the children. The most exciting part of the day was when Emma and myself removed two large tree stumps with just a small (dull) hatchet and our determination to remove the stumps. I wanted to give a shout out to Emma for her incredible skills with the hatchet as she really did a number on that tree stump!!!

We spent most of the day working outside on the landscaping task. When it was finally finished, we got to enjoy some time with the children (who had arrived around 3ish from school). We ended up playing a kickball game of volunteers vs. kids! We thought we were going to blow them away...seeing as we are the adults...but it turned out they beat us 26-20!! We had so much fun at the club with the children. Seeing them at the end of the day made all the work we did even more meaningful because it was all for them and their center. I am looking forward to doing more landscaping work tomorrow as we will be working at a community center in the lower 9th Ward.

First day of service work!

Today marks our first official day of service work and even though the past two days have been so much fun- I think today really made us realize why we are actually down here. (and no not just for 75 degree weather and Bourbon Street ;-).

As Tina has explained we spent our day at the Southeast Louisiana Boys and Girls Club. Our supervisor there, Mike is a fellow AmeriCorps member- so it was fun to see one of my own :-). We all had a variety of different jobs in and outside of the B&GC- including cleaning, organizing, landscaping/gardening, and more. Tomorrow we will go back to clean off a neighboring field that has been donated to the Center but is still littered with concrete, litter and other sorts of debri.

I'm starting to completely fall in love with New Orleans and its unique but amazing culture. Though I will admit I'm still trying to get used to how SLOW things are done down here (like 2 hours to rent a car), the strength of this city amazes me. It is hard to imagine that many of the areas we are driving through and working were under 10 feet over water less then 5 years ago. Nevertheless like many of us have already posted, the devastation of Katrina is still extremely apparent. Tonight at dinner we watched heartbreaking home movies that people shot during the worst of the hurricane. We learned that there are STILL people living in FEMA trailers and many who lost their homes in the lower 9th ward did not have flood insurance- leaving them completely homeless.

Looking forward to what's to come!

Monday, March 15th-Boys and Girls Club: Part 1!

So I'm pretty exhausted from my group's work at the NFL Youth Education Town (NFL YET) Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana. To give a little background, NFL YETs are education and recreation centers constructed in Super Bowl host cities. Together with the Boys and Girls Club of So. LA, the program provides children ranging in age from 6-18 years in the local area with a safe, engaging place to go after school. Unfortunately, although there are television/Wii, game, and computer rooms, the rooms themselves--and the facility as a whole from inside out--were poorly maintained and were in great need of restoration and revitalization.

Our UHa crew was assigned to this location on Monday, and we were divvied up to take care of different restoration tasks at the center. Tina, Amber, and I worked in what one of the center's staff members Mike referred to as the "multi-purpose-ish" room. It was a space that served as kitchen/classroom/homework center. The three of us sanitized and wiped down the space's sink, tables, chairs, counter tops, cabinets (with dead cockroaches!) and window ledges (with tiny dead insects galore!) with less than half a roll of Clorox antibacterial wipes. With the creative help of Megan, we re-arranged the tables and chairs to make the room more conducive for interaction and learning, and we took out items that were not fit to be in the room (old posters, charcoal and a grill, toilet bowl scrubber and cleaner, etc.)

The most arduous task that day in the "multi-purpose-ish" room was mopping the floor. The first time around, we were given a mop and with a bucket full of water that we learned after had been sitting around for two days. We hadn't known the water was foul and sour until the floor began to dry. Since the smell in the room was so unbearable and rank, we had to mop again. Although we washed out the mop head and rinsed out and filled the bucket with clean water and a good deal off scented floor cleaner, the overwhelming odor remained! Desperate for this room to once again be inhabitable, we went for a third round, repeating the procedure from the second round with the addition of two cap-fulls of bleach. The third time was indeed the charm; the smell had completely gone and room smelled and looked wonderful!! By the end of our day, our team felt felt very satisfied, yet pretty worn out. It was all for the children, and knowing that made our work very worthwhile!

Looking forward to what Day Two has to offer! Later postings!!

First Day of Volunteer work!!

So this morning started at 5:40am when I woke up and decided to try and beat everyone else for a morning shower. After expecting to wait for my turn (since there are over 100 volunteers and only 14 indoor showers) I found that there was no one even awake at that time so I was lucky enough to have the place to myself! Breakfast was at 7am sharp and we had a truly Southern breakfast!! We were served grits, eggs, sausage, sausage gravy, and biscuits. For those of us that are not too adventerous with trying new foods, there was also cereal and banana's.

Following a brief orientation from the directors, we drove off to our site for day one of our volunteer work. We were sent to help out at the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast New Orleans. This building was rebuilt in 2006 after the Hurricane had devastated the area. The neat thing about this place was that the NFL team of New Orleans (the Saints....for those of us who are not football fans) partnered with the boys and girls club so that the facility could be properly built. They also donated three widescreen HD TV's for the "Saints Game Room" in which children can play Wii games as a new interactive exercise program to help enforce staying active for kids.

I was assigned to help clean the kitchen out while others were assigned to a variety of different tasks (some being landscaping outdoors, cleaning bathrooms, and cleaning/organizing different rooms in the facility). At first the kitchen didn't seem too bad, but once we started we found that there were some problems that needed to be dealt with right away. After taking everything out of the room and cleaning everything down, we rearranged furniture and made the space more practical for its many uses. We discovered that this space was not only used as a kitchen but also as a study lounge and sometimes it was used as the music room in which the children learned music theory. Cleaning the room proved to be a daunting task because we had to wash the floor three times before it was actually clean!

In the end of the day, all of our tasks had been completed and the facility seemed to have a HUGE improvement from when we had arrived to when we left. I am looking forward to returning back there tomorrow at which time we will help with major landscaping issues outside the facility. Tomorrow we will also be staying later in the day so that we can help with the children when they arrive after school....we also promised them a game of Kickball, which they claimed they would win (we will see about that!!). I am having a great time here and cannot wait to help out some more!!

We're here...............

I still can't believe that after 9 months of planning and fundraising that we are finally here in New Orleans. We have spent the past two days traveling around New Orleans and getting acquainted with this fabulous city. We couldn't of planned it better today spending the day down by the Riverfront and the French quarters with beautiful 70+ weather (sorry to all those back home in the Northeast.)

Camp Restore is a fabulous host site to us and all the volunteers that will be working along side of us this week. We have already met several incredible individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving here permanently. Their dedication to service is incredible inspiring and what I believe will continue to motivate us this week.

This evening at the reflection service I made a promise to myself this week to not be a rubbernecker and instead just to serve thinking of others first. By submerging ourselves into this environment I believe that we will be able to commit and give more of ourselves. In return I truly believe that I will never be the same. Words can't describe the work that has been done by all those that have come before us, they have helped pave a beautiful path which I hope our group will continue.

A day in the city!

This morning started out with some much needed sleep...we all slept in a little before heading out for a fun day in the French Quarters. We started out by walking down decatur street until we finally arrived at Cafe du Monde!! The beignet and frozen cafe au lait were an AMAZING treat for the beautiful 70 degree weather that we walking in! We then proceeded to walk on the boardwalk and enjoy the great view/weather. The French Quarters was very fun as we all went to different shops and enjoyed the fun atmosphere of the "laid back" city. A quick walk through the French Quarters lead us to Bourbon Street....which was much different during the day than it was last night. The places are all filled with so much culture! We are now back at Camp Restore awaiting the first dinner that all the volunteers will have together. We seem pretty settled into the area as we have had almost two full days to roam this area and have some fun in the city!!

Fun in Nawlins: French Quarter!!!

Today, we strolled through the streets of the lower end of the fabulous French Quarter. The sights, smells, and sights--oh my; everything that the Quarter had to offer was intoxicating!! There was so much to take in that the 5 hours allotted us to explore this vibrant area flew right by!! By far, my favorite spot was Cafe Du Monde--an eatery known for its absolutely delicious beignets (a pastry made from deep-fried dough sprinkled with confectioner's sugar) and refreshing coffee au lait (the near hour-long wait was definitely worth it!) But I certainly can't discount the memories created as the day progressed: sitting on the dock of the Moon Walk, taking in the gorgeous sun and breath-taking view of the Mississippi River with great company, coffee, and beignets; ooo-ing and awe-ing watching street performers pop and lock and perform moves that defy gravity; buying my first fedora from an outside marketplace vendor; taking silly photos with a Woldenberg Riverfront Park statue; and much more! Despite the slight stinging from the bit of sunburn I acquired from today, I have to say that today was an absolute blast!

While last night's adventures on Bourbon Street and today's journey around Decatur Street and beyond were fun times, I can't wait for the true joy and pleasure that'll be derived from the service I'll be engaged in over the next five days.

Nawlins, I'm here, ready and willing to be inspired!

Today was a great day. We woke up around 10:00 AM and started our day off with a day trip to the French Quarter. The French Quarter is one of the most cultured places I have ever been to. Every square foot is covered with art, music and people. People from all over journey to the French Quarter. There is so much to do! My group, which consisted of myself, and my two friends Jessica and Jasmine, are all from up North so we could not wait to get our hands on some classic cajun food. For lunch we ate at the Cafe Market. My friend Jasmine and I enjoyed shrimp Po-boys. For dessert we had famous beignets at the World renound Cafe Du Monde. Overall, our day was amazing! Tomorrow starts out first day of service and I cannot wait!

We made it!

As apparently the only "morning" person on this trip, (besides for Triny:-) I am doing a quick little update while everyone sleeps in. However, after our day yesterday they all well deserve it!

After a pretty chaotic EARLY morning we made it to Bradley and caught our relatively painless flight(besides for Julie's poor ears) to Ohio and then NOLA. Thanks again to my Mom, Dad and Megan's fiance Michael for bringing us. We are all thankful that we even made it out of Connecticut- from what we hear the weather is absolutely awful. (FYI- It is 70 and sunny here!) Hopefully the Hillel group was able to make it out this morning.

We arrived in New Orleans around 10am, rented our cars and spent the day settling into Camp Restore and exploring the surrounding town (East New Orleans). Camp Restore is adorable- we are so lucky to have found such an inspirational and accommodating place. Besides the short term volunteers like us (there are going to be 150 here this week alone) there are many people who have permanently moved here and reside in the back in their trailers. Their commitment does not go unwarranted however- even though there has been obvious growth we all could not help but notice how many businesses and homes still boarded up close to 5 years post-hurricane. I'm sure as our week progresses we will continue to see the devastation still present.

After exploring and trips to Winn Dixie and Walmart (a story which I won't even go into) we freshened up and spent the evening down in the French Quarters/Bourbon Street. Today we plan to do more sightseeing, hopefully make it down to the 9th ward area (where the hurricane hit the hardest) and more of the city. Tomorrow morning starts orientation and work!

More to come...

P.S.- Staci- you are missed and we all hope you are resting up and feeling better!

:-) (Most) of our group!

Hawk Hall ASB Group

As we have stated this ASB trip is made up of freshman students residing in Hawk Hall. Hawk Hall is divided between 8 different themed communities and we are coming together to form one community to provide service to those in need.

Listed below are the incredible participants on this trip! Please think of us during the week and wish everyone well before they leave!

Megan Houlihan & Emma Henze-Goldberg-Chaperone's

Ashley Katon-Donegal & Tina D'Annibale-Student Leaders
Amber Van Cleave, Triny Vargas, Julie Jones, Roshel Vas, Jessica Powers, Jasmine Kindred, Jessica Brey, Staci Bechard, Elissa Katz

Almost Ready to leave!!!!

The day of departure is quickly approaching and I really can't wait to leave!!!! I have been looking forward to this trip for a while and now that it's finally here!!!!! Just packing a few last minute things and waiting for my last class to get over so that I can truly be on Spring Break!!!

More updates to come soon!!

Camp Restore, Our New Home Away From Hartford

When looking for the perfect location to stay in NOLA we came across Camp Restore, RAI Ministries. Camp Restore will host us for the week of Saturday, March 13 to Saturday, March 20th. We will be one of 9 college groups plus many other volunteers completing service that week.

Here is some information about Camp Restore:

In the summer of 2006, plans were made to open Camp Restore in New Orleans on the once-flooded campus of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and School. Laborers for Christ [LFC] (a ministry of Lutheran Church Extension Fund) under the leadership of LFC President Dan Baker, began the process of renovating the campus and converting it into a volunteer construction camp.

Camp Restore was opened in October of 2006 with Pastor Ed Brashier as Camp Director. Designed to accommodate up to 300 volunteers, Camp Restore is equipped with a large RV trailer park, indoor showers, air conditioning, and a portable restaurant kitchen custom-built on a semi trailer by Orphan Grain Train.

In September 2007, RAI Ministries assumed operation of the volunteer hospitality operations of Camp Biloxi and assumed full operation of the camp in April 2008.

Through its volunteer camps, RAI Ministries has hosted over 30,000 volunteers and managed construction efforts to complete over 6,000 projects (2,750+ major home repairs and 4,000+ minor home repairs and other projects). Additionally, three churches and one school facility have been restored.

For the individual, the recovery process has had many obstacles: obstinate insurance companies, unscrupulous contractors, material shortages and endless government bureaucracy, just to name a few. In 2009 only a few volunteer camps remain open, yet thousands of families are still struggling to return home. Estimates place the recovery effort at taking a decade or longer.
In New Orleans alone, the number of blighted properties and empty lots are estimated at 65,000.

Mindful of the continuing need, RAI Ministries was transformed in 2008 from a short-term disaster-relief organization to a long-term, sustainable ministry that continues to connect volunteers from around the nation with opportunities to help restore faith, home and community in the Name of Jesus to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

http://www.camprestore.org/

and here we gooo...!

On August 29th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans, destroying almost everything in its path. It has been called one of the worst natural disasters to ever hit the United States. Many people lost their lives to the storm, while thousands more were forced to re-locate due to the loss of their homes. Over four years later the poverty that has stemmed from this disaster is unimaginable. Despite the help from many, New Orleans is still in desperate need. Many homes and buildings are still in shambles and poverty runs rampant throughout the city.

Our goal with this program is to take an intentionally built community at the University of Hartford (the RLC) and give back to help re-build another community that needs our help. Due to the fact that this is our initial run of this program we unfortunately had to keep the number of students going small. However our hope is that we will well represent the University of Hartford and have a successful week, giving the opportunity for the program to grow and give more students a chance to go next year.


So I have to admit this is my first attempt at a "blog." Though I feel a little awkward starting out with this, I think it's important for all of us to document the journey that we are about to partake in. One of my one real regrets from college was not being able to participate in a real "direct service" or Alternative Spring Break trip. When approached with the opportunity to help organize one, I jumped at the chance. So ASB'ers don't hate me when I keep nagging you all to blog/post pictures. I promise you will all thank me when we finish :-). It's also a great way to show your friends and family the great work you will be doing!

Thank you to you Megan for all the work you put into this trip. I know that it has been a labor of love (especially that 4am score with the flight deals). Secondly, thank you to the entire University of Hartford community, especially our donors. You are the reason that this trip has even been possible. Hopefully you will all be able to enjoy this experience along with us through this journal. (Yay technology!)

I can't wait to spend a week with all you wonderful people and I hope everyone enjoys our blog!

Emma

5 Days to Go!

Its been a long 11 months since I first thought to take a group of amazing residents down to New Orleans for Spring Break. This Alternative Spring Break (ASB) Trip will be like no others, nor is it your typical Spring Break trip, its structured so each of the participants that will be helping to rebuild New Orleans also lives together here at the University of Hartford in Hawk Hall.

Hawk Hall is unlike no other community that we have here on campus, it is designed to help students engage and becoming active members of our Hartford community bridging the academic and student life components. We are essentially creating a ninth community within Hawk Hall to go out and fulfill our mission to be Committed to Community and help others rebuild. This trip is not only being sponsored by the Office of Residential Life but the Center for Community Service. As a co-chaperone with Emma, its going to be an awesome experience to travel with our students to witness them on this amazing journey.

We have been very busy over the past three months fundraising so costs will be kept low for participants. We are extremely grateful for all those that donated money to help support this trip. We are truly fortunate and blessed to have amazing family and friends as well as our University of Hartford community that has supported us along the way.

We are t-minus 5 days from our departure and I think I need to start thinking about packing and the beautiful 70 degree weather!