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.

In Jamaica they don't say goodbye, they say "lata mon"

Ah Sunday, our last day in Jamaica, where to even begin...
This day was absolutely incredible. It was our day to relax and take it all in, and wow was there a lot to experience. We began the day at YS Falls, a beautiful nature preserve with waterfall and natural pools, it was beautiful. You can hike to the top, swing from a rope swing, or just relax in an inner tube. Chris even got to zipline over the falls, which was quite an adventurous opportunity. We spent our morning there, in awe of how beautiful it all was.

After the falls, we headed to the Riverside Dock restaurant for lunch. Unfortunately it started pouring, and our trip down the river was in great danger of being canceled. We had planned on traveling up the Black River a ways to see if we could spot some crocs, but the weather was not very accommodating. At Stephanie's suggestion we decided to wait out the storm, and thank goodness we did! We finally boarded the lil dingy and headed upstream, spotting a few shy crocs along the way.
After the river tour, we headed out to sea with Captain Dennis. Our trip was almost over but we had one last stop, The Pelican Bar, and I have to say it was quite possibly the coolest place I have ever been. It is hard to describe how special this place is, but lets just say it was a magical spot. We were greeted warmly by the 3 man staff, I'm sure they don't get a whole lotta traffic way out in the middle of the ocean!
Picture a bar a mile offshore in the Caribbean ocean, made of palm leaves and crude wood branches. You pull up in your boat and dock by the stairs, then venture inside the small hut for a refreshment. Because the bar is located on a sandbar, if you get hot you can walk right down the stairs into the water with your beverage and enjoy the view.We were fortunate enough to be in this amazing locale for sundown, and the sunset that day was the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen in my life. Even the locals agreed there had not been a sunset like that one in a long time. As we realized the trip was quickly coming to an end, just as the sun was quickly disappearing into the ocean, we all got a bit nostalgic. Stephanie had told us at the beginning of our week in Jamaica that our goodbyes were going to be teary eyed, and now we could see that she was right. it has been an incredible journey, and none of us were quite ready for it to end. But, as the sun must set, we had to say goodbye, and to make it less sad we said what the Jamaicans say, "lata, mon" until next time...

A day for the children

After a much needed free day on Friday, Saturday was a day committed to the local children of Treasure Beach. We decided to do a mock day camp, with activities, crafts, games, face painting, dress up, and refreshments. We had children of all ages, from lil Cassandra who is 3 yrs. to some older kids in their early teens. They trickled in slowly, but by mid day we had a good group and started having some fun.Some of us made Johnny cakes, a traditional Jamaican snack, for the youngins, while others tried to keep up with the kids in games such as kick ball and red light green light. Our German friends, Ursula (pictured dancing with the little ballerinas on the beach) and her son Max, helped us coordinate the day as Ursula was a school teacher back in Germany with many good ideas.

The face painting was a particularly big hit, with the line never getting any shorter, once they had their faces painted they wanted artwork on their arms, too. Neven & Sami (pictured), the artists of the group, spent half the day painting whatever the kids wanted until their arms were sore.

At the end of the day we revealed the best surprise yet, a bounce house!!! Stephanie had told us that for a little bit of money we could rent this wonderful attraction, and the kids just go wild for it. We decided to go for it, and before we had a chance to argue a certain group member decided to cover the entire cost and sponsor this activity. For this, Chris, we thank you and commemorate your generosity! Although it proved to be a great challenge to keep all the kids in control and limit the numbers in the bounce house, it was definitely worth it to see so many ecstatic faces. It was a day none of us will soon forget.

Also not to be forgotten, that night Zahlia turned 22, and we celebrated with cake and music provided by our friendly hotel hosts. We danced the night away with our new friends, both German and Jamaican.