By: Laura Williams
My Alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans, Louisiana was an experience I will never forget. From the road trip there to the road trip back we had a packed week of service, learning, fun, and friends. Our first day there was Mardi Gras and we got to experience first hand this awesome celebration in the heart of it all. The city was alive and full of families, parades, awesome floats, and of course beads! It was an event I will never forget.
The next day we started our service. The group went together to a local synagogue to help set up for the Limmud Fest, a discussion based learning conference that brings new perspectives and ideas to Jewish learning and the Jewish community of New Orleans. It was cool to explore their beautiful synagogue and connect to Jews from other parts of the nation, one even went to Tamarack Camps here in Michigan! We also have the opportunity to work with UNITY of Greater New Orleans, this organization supports community member deemed chronically homeless and places them into permanent housing. Our service included organizing boxes of supplies that would be given to participants in the permanent housing program. These packages help them begin the process of creating a space into a home and ensures a higher level of success in maintaining housing. We also handed out fliers to the community surrounding the organization asking for donations, it was a fun and meaningful organization to work with.
My favorite of the organizations we worked with was Project Green Light. We went around the community and replaced old light bulbs with CFLs to help both the resident and the environment. This project was my favorite because we were really able to spend time with the people of New Orleans, hear their stories, and make real connections, all while helping the environment! In the evenings we would have great discussions where we Asked Big Questions. I learned a lot about New Orleans and the people that live there. I learned about the struggles they went through and how there was a lot more to the story than most of the nation believes. We talked about their community, our own community, and what the most appropriate ways we can lend a hand to others. The service was meaningful, the discussions were meaningful, and the time spent with old and new friends was truly unforgettable.
A special thanks to Repair the World for supporting our week of service.
