Work Days

Our first day building was awesome. My group ended up insulating a house's ceiling and walls, which I never imagined I would be doing. After that, a few of us leveled the front lawn. Doing this type of physical work really impacted me because I felt accomplished. I felt like we were doing something that was slowly rebuilding, while communicating within ourselves something that we could not learn without coming here ourselves and experiencing all that New Orleans has to offer. Seeing the city at its best really increased my expectations of this trip, which were already high to begin with.

The site leaders Leisl and Megan were from Americorps, we worked with Saint Bernard's Parish and they were really great people. The organization prides itself on its list -- they bump those in need to the top, which I thought was pretty smart. When I heard the woman talking about the initial hurricane and how Mr. Frank created this organization because of those people who had not been rescued for days after the National Guard was supposed to come. This was the first story that really touched me.

The second story that put things into perspective for me was the work we did today. Although we came here to build, going to the Arc today (a recycling place for Mardi Gras beads and outdoor garden that employs those with disabilities) was an amazing experience. Not only did we get to work with these people who are so friendly and positive, but their organization was extremely organized and their purpose was wonderful. Sorting through Mardi Gras beads was different and exciting -- never would I have imagined there were that many different kinds of specialty beads of all colors, shapes, and krewes. Their garden was plentiful and the place raises chickens for their eggs and are eventually used to make all sorts of gourmet soup. I haven't worked with people with disabilities before, and today really opened my eyes to their world, along with a New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition.

Overall, this trip has been great so far and I'm learning a lot about New Orleans as well as my fellow Bonners.