A noteworthy last day

Our last day we volunteered at St. Bernard Community Center which was a great place that needed our assistance. The center is located in St. Bernard Parish which was hit harder by Katrina than New Orleans Parish, and the devastation is still apparent. The center has many different services we assisted with including a food distribution program, a clothing distribution site, hot meals on certain evenings, health care and food stamp counseling, and a common area where people can come check out books, go on the Internet, and just relax.
While at the Center we got to assist the staff in checking out the locals that came to pick up food, organize and put away 5-6 boxes of donated clothes in their little store, help some community members shop for clothes to take home, and some general maintenance they needed done around the center.

The staff was all very friendly and appreciative of us and shared their Katrina stories willingly. I feel we got a lot accomplished over the course of the day and we all felt the Center was definitely a worthy cause. The clients were all polite and thankful for the services so it was a pleasure to work there.

That evening Sidney treated us to a Southern delicacy, Craw fish and spicy potatoes. We all loaded into the 15 passenger van and headed to the store to pick up our lil fishy friends (with a few orders of Mexican food for the non-seafood enthusiasts) and then headed to City Park for a picnic with our spread. City Park completely under water after the storm, there is a sculpture garden, botanical gardens, museum, amusement park, and the oldest carousel in the country. It is really beautiful and a great place to have a picnic. The Craw fish is a 40 acre park that is the 5th largest in the U.S. and was were delicious and so spicy and flavorful at the same time...although quite a bit of work to get into. We decided that was half the fun of it.

After dinner we took a walk along Lake Pontchartrain to check out the levees and reflect on the trip. We are all sad to leave this place that has affected us deeply. It has been an amazing trip and I know upon returning home the memories and experiences will only grow more meaningful as we have a chance to process all we were able to accomplish. I want to thank Sidney for being such a gracious host, as well as Frank our driver & tour guide extraordinaire (pictured with us above). Another BIG thank you to Amber Tierney staff leader for being an amazing asset to the team, and the Student Life & Leadership staff that are so supportive of this new program. I also want to express my appreciation to everyone in our group, which turned out to be an amazing collection of people. Each and every student gave their all and was a pleasure to work with. I enjoyed getting to know everyone and all the distinct personalities we had that made the group whole, we worked as a team and I will truly miss them all...Team Cali will be a fond memory for me forever.

Rio Mar is my new idea of Heaven

Today the group had a free day to go explore and enjoy what the city of New Orleans has to offer. We started off taking the trolley down to the French Quarter which was super fun and convenient...hooray for public transportation! We walked around for a bit until it was time to meet Sidney and her partner Nick at his amazing seafood restaurant Rio Mar, ranked #3 restaurant in New Orleans.

We arrived at 12:30 hungry and excited, the restaurant is closed on Sunday afternoons so we literally had the place to ourselves. It was a true VIP moment when they arrived to unlock the doors and we all stepped inside our own private lunch party. We had no idea what we were in for, Nick asked us to take a seat and we eagerly waited for the meal to begin. What followed can only be described as un-describe able. Nick became the one man show in the kitchen wowing us with culinary delights that just kept coming, it was Southern hospitality at its finest.


There was a parade of food including ceviche, skirt steak, tapas, fried oysters, mussels, gnocchi, yucca fries, and so much more. Each dish was better then the last and the table was humming with enjoyment. For dessert it was mango cheesecake, flan, dulce de leche ice cream ad tres leches coconut cake...YUMMMMY! We all decided it was the best meal of our lives, and we could not figure out when we had died and ended up in Heaven...Thank you Nick & Sidney!!!!

After the meal we reluctantly left Rio Mar and headed back into the muggy streets of the FQ. We strolled around and saw the sights, taking in the beautiful architecture and history NOLA had to offer. The day was pretty much perfect...

Lacombe Crab Festival!

A true southern festival, the Lacombe Crab Fest was unlike any festival I have been too and soo much fun. We all loaded into the van with Sidney at 9:30 in the morning and started the hour long trek to Lacombe, which included a 25 mile bridge crossing over Lake Pontchartrain. This lake happens to be 1/2 the size of Rhode Island to put things into perspective, the second largest salt-water lake in the U.S. (after the Great Salt Lake in Utah) and the bridge is the longest in the world which was pretty impressive.


We had no idea what this festival would be like, and we were surprised to find carnival games, rides, a carousel, live bands on stage, and more southern specialties and seafood then we could have expected. There was everything seafood including craw fish, crab, shrimp, crab cakes, alligator on a stick, fried pickles, gumbo, jambalaya, etc etc. It was a feast! Sidney covered our entry cost and gave us a few tickets to enjoy the food, it was super nice. We were definitely the only Californians there, and we stuck out a bit...to say the least. It was a real southern cultural experience.
We all strolled about, enjoying the beautiful moss covered oak trees, and ate all the seafood we could handle. Amber and I made friends with a couple of older Cajun gentlemen that we ended up chatting with most of the festival. We sat with them while we enjoyed the live music and good company.

ARNO, Dragon Cafe & Tipitina's Friday Funk

Today the group spent the morning/afternoon at Animal Rescue New Orleans. Playing with the puppies, cleaning up cages, and doing other tasks that the organization needed. Everyone with a dog back home especially enjoyed this activity since we are all starting to miss our puppies while we are away.
After that the group headed back to St. George's to cook another meal for the community and enjoy the company of the staff. Once again, a great time was had for all.

That evening we watched act 2 of When the Levees Broke, and then ventured down the street to Tipitina's, a famous NOLA music joint. There was a free 18+ show so the entire group got to go out and enjoy the scene. It was a lot of fun, and we got to experience a real local hang out. Good times had all around!

what a day...

Today the group volunteered at the Louisiana Children's Museum as well as Dragon Cafe at St. George's Episcopal Church. It was an intense day, but rewarding.

The museum was really cool, it is 3 stories high, and filled with many different activities for the kids from science/educational sections to a toddler section, and even a Mr. Rodger's neighborhood. The group spread and and covered different posts; there was a face painting booth (VERY popular), a finger puppet station, craw fish creating table, a mini grocery store, and so much more.
We all settled in and had no clue what we were in for...about 5 different summer school field trips amounting to about 300 screaming kids running amok. it was intense to say the least! We handled the surges as best we can and enjoyed the eager faces of the many children, and the somewhat stressed out faces of the school chaperones. It was quite an afternoon.
Everyone handled the chaos really well, and had a lot of fun in the mean time. At one point there must have been 25 kids in line for face painting and 30 kids surrounding the craw fish station, so intense. At one point I even got to partake in story time, Rachel G. and I read the Cajun version of Little Red Riding Hood which was quite a task. Trying to figure out the accents and Cajun terms was comical, many of the kids were quite amused. We even got a few volunteers to come up to the stage and help me act out the story which was pretty funny, one young boy took on the role of the croc (AKA the wolf) and he was keeping the audience and Rachel and I laughing the whole way through. It was a whirlwind afternoon!















After the museum we headed to the church to help cook and serve a hot meal to numerous homeless and low-income residents as well as volunteers in the area. The staff and volunteers at Dragon Cafe were AMAZING, we felt so welcome and at home and had a blast. We cooked mac & cheese, tomatoes & okra (a southern staple!), and garlic bread and the dinner also included salad and dessert. They do this meal on Thursdays and Fridays every week and they definitely had their process mastered. There was a high school youth group from South Carolina there as well, and we had a lot of fun getting to know them throughout the evening. They were extremely energetic and helpful and one girl was quite the entertainer and spent her free moments dancing and putting on a show for us. Her energy after a long day of volunteering was admirable.

After dinner was prepped we braced ourselves for the mass of people that wait outside for the doors to open. At 4:30 we let the first wave in, there were about 50-75 people, and they rushed to the serving table. It was pretty crazy. The staff says the feed about 120-150 people a night, and provide seconds to whoever is left at the end. It was pretty cool to interact with all the locals, and we got to sit and eat with them and hear their stories which was a great experience.

Once we were done volunteering for the day, the group was pretty tired so we settled in to watch Act 1 of When the Levees Break by Spike Lee, which put a lot about Katrina and New Orleans into perspective. The movie is pretty intense, and I think impacted everyone pretty deeply. We all felt we knew why we were there, we felt our purpose and that was a good feeling. All in all, the day was great.

Project Green Light...Go team Cali!

Today we volunteered with Project Greenlight. We replaced old incandescent light bulbs with CFL's in people's homes, because they save energy, carbon output, and money for the homeowner. It was really fun and enjoyable because we got the chance to meet the people of New Orleans. These locals lived in the most intricate and beautiful historical homes. We learned about their lives and about the culture of the city by just simply coming over for fifteen minutes or so to change light bulbs while having a chat and even some homemade iced tea :)
-Lindsay
Our second trip to NOLA.....New agency, new group of volunteers, new volunteer opportunities - same fabulous New Orleans. It's great to return to one of my places on the earth. The need here for relief remains as does the kind spirit and unique culture of NOLA! Happy to launch into another week of service with such a great group of students!
-Amber Tierney

Back in the Big Easy with some of my favorite volunteers! Despite the slow progress that has been made since the storm, the town's spirit is still lively and everyone is full of southern hospitality. Today's Green light mission was a success and we all agree it needs to be implemented in every state.

We have arrived!

After a long day of travel we arrived in New Orleans, with our host Sidney ready to pick us up from MSY Airport. We went straight to our new home for the week, and it is quite a pad. We are in a cute area near Magazine Street, in a 2 story condo all to ourselves! There is a large downstairs with a family room, kitchen, and a large bedroom with bunk beds. Then, you go upstairs to a loft that sleeps a few more, and the best part...a good size deck outfitted with a table and chairs for hangin out. Sidney had a late dinner of chicken and salad waiting for us, and we ravaged the food like the weary travelers we were. The condo is very cozy and we all settled in immediately with a game of scattegories before bed. The group has quickly bonded and it feels as if we are old friends, possibly the Chumash Challenge team building we did in May paid off. We are all VERY excited to explore and start our work projects, the first being Green Light New Orleans, with a BBQ dinner planned for the evening. Already shaping up to be a great trip!

New Orleans Service Trip #2: A week with Relief Spark

The Cal Poly Alternative Breaks Program will be returning to New Orleans June 24th-July 1st for a second service trip. We are taking 10 Cal Poly students, and we will be staying in the beautiful house pictured above with the non-profit group Relief Spark. I have posted our schedule for the trip below, each project title has a link to the organization website if you would like to read more about the type of relief work we will be doing.
I hope to post along the trip, so stay tuned...

Wednesday June 25th:
Project Green Light New Orleans
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Our team will be traveling to homeowners around the area to exchange light bulbs for energy efficient light bulbs. Keep in mind that every homeowner we visit has signed up for this service.
Green Light does not discriminate on any level and this program is an environmental service to the city and a cost-savings to the homeowner.

Evening Activity – Jazz Preservation Hall for live music

Thursday June 26th:
Louisiana Children's Museum
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Today our team will be traveling downtown to the Louisiana Children’s Museum to assist the museum staff with children in various artsy and education activities. Some of our volunteers may have the opportunity to face paint, while others may be working with and guiding children through Mister Rogers Neighborhood, the upstairs art room, the grocery store or working with various summer camps.
Dragon Cafe: St. George’s Episcopal Church
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Dragon Café is a volunteer operated church kitchen that serves the area’s homeless population as well as volunteers from various organizations. Our team will be prepping food and assisting with cooking, as well as serving. We will join other volunteers and church staff at dinner and have a chance to chat with the locals!

Evening Activity: Mid City Rock n Bowl (bowling & live music)

Friday June 27th:
Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Our team will be working with ARNO in Harahan, LA. The opportunities to assist include: walking dogs, cleaning cages (dogs and cats), administrating meds and any special project the shelter has.
Dragon Cafe: St. George’s Episcopal Church
See details above

Saturday June 28th:
Lacombe Crab Festival
FESTIVAL DETAILS
Bayou Lacombe Crab Festival - P.O. Box 1573, Hwy. 190, Lacombe, LA 70445. Family-type festival with an excellent selection of seafood, entertainment, arts & crafts, rides and contests for kids. Held annually, under the shade of several hundred-year-old oak trees. (504) 822-5528. (It’s a good family festival unless you are a crab!)

Sunday June 29th: French Quarter Excursion
The group will have a chance to check out the French Quarter for the day

Monday, June 30th:
St. Bernard Community Center
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Today Our team will be working with The Community Center of St. Bernard in Arabi, LA. The executive director, Iray Bataroff is a dear friend of Relief Spark and there is no doubt we will all be kept very busy! Duties such as organizing distribution, to office work, to special painting projects and the opportunity to mingle with residents from the Lower 9th Ward as well as St. Bernard Parish.