2009

2009 New Orleans Service Travel

In late July 2009, 123 volunteers traveled to NOLA. Our goals were the same as the previous 3 years, to help the people of New Orleans and its surroundings to rebuild their community and to have a good time while doing it.

Some trip highlights include:

Expanding our network of non-profits that we worked with to include Rebuilding Together, Projects with Purpose, and HandsOn New Orleans. Rebuilding Together and Hands On placed many of our volunteers in the Upper Ninth Ward to renovate homes destroyed in the storm. Projects with Purpose placed volunteers at a school to help with final preparations before school opened that week!
Many volunteers returned to Plaquemines Parrish yet again to help a struggling town still trying to get back on its feet. In the fall of 2008 two more hurricanes flooded this area. Our volunteers continue to work hard to help the wonderful people of Plaquemines.
Most of our week was spent volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. Unlike in past years where we stayed in Musicians Village in the Upper Ninth Ward, we had volunteers placed at many homes throughout the Upper Ninth Ward and the West Bank. This gave us the opportunity to really expand our sense of the work being done throughout New Orleans by Habitat.
The team celebrated our work on Thursday night with a special visit from one of our favorite Habitat workers, Terry. Terry entered the party with a salute to our team on his bagpipes!
For four years now we have adopted two local establishments as our own. This year we again visited the Blue Angel Lounge in Plaquemines Parrish where they spoiled us again with a shrimp boil and beer “specials.” Copper Monkey, on Conti, also served once again as our “meeting place” for the French Quarter.