I
recently traveled back from an Alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans,
Louisiana. We drove 17 hours down south in a car full of people I did not
really know. I was equal parts nervous and excited, not knowing what to expect.
Little did I know this was going to be an experience of a lifetime. As a
dietetics major, I was ecstatic to work where our food comes from and integrate
what I learned into my daily life. The first day of volunteering, we worked on
an urban farm called Hollygrove Market. Not only did I enjoy the experience
weeding, composting and gardening, but I learned so much to bring back and
share. I learned about sustainability on a much deeper level and desired to
practice what volunteering taught me. I plan to implement these concepts into
my daily life. Not only did I learn about food at the garden, but the church we
stayed at had wonderful chefs who prepared us gourmet meals using vegetables
from Hollygrove Market. The chefs made us homemade Jambalaya the first night. I
had never tasted anything like this! It was very awakening to see that they too
were implementing composting and the use of fresh vegetables into their meals
for everyone staying with us. The second day of work was a little more
challenging. We volunteered at ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans). As an animal
lover, I knew this was going to be difficult because I would want to adopt all
the cute animals. At ARNO, they maintained a great environment for the animals,
keeping them safe, healthy and clean. We sanitized the cages, food and water
bowls and walked and played with the dogs. I saw how much work really goes into
keeping the animals well nourished and happy. It was very sad to see how afraid
of people some of the animals were. I’m used to seeing little kids run away
from big dogs, but at ARNO it was the other way around. As we finished up
there, we ran to the French Quarters of New Orleans and explored the city. This
was my first time in NOLA and there was so much to see! From beignets, to
magicians on the street, to live music everywhere, to the southern culture: the
city was bumping! It was very cool to see all the love everyone had for this
city. I too felt the love that night when we got to see the Grammy-winning
band, Rebirth live. The brassy band lifted everyone’s spirits and helped
us all connect to something important to New Orleans and ourselves- music.
Music helped us introduce ourselves from the car ride on. We all learned a
little from each other by our eclectic music libraries. Thanks to our friend
Tony from the Magellan Community Garden, we also got to see George Clinton live
at the House of Blues. This whole trip was an unbelievable experience with
amazing people who were full of an undefined energy. We are all so fortunate to
have been able to connect and relate so well to each other. This was my first
spring break out of town in college and I look forward to experiencing new
adventures for years to come.
~Shayna Danto
