Our journey began with a group of
13 students from three different Universities: Michigan State University,
Central Michigan University, and Grand Valley State University. It was so heartwarming to have a group of
students, many underclassmen, open up so quickly. Through the words of Sarah Shulman, “I feel one of the most valuable lessons we learned was not
from the farmers but from each other, going on a trip such as this one with 12
other 'strangers' is something that not everyone would do. I mean, I am so
thankful for this trip because no matter what problems and stressors we
encountered, support was always exuded by all, meeting each other was a
learning experience because we all have different personalities and lifestyles
and it was awesome to learn about and from others and within a few hours become
comfortable enough to be our true selves”
Whether
someone needed motivation to get through the physically exhausting workday or
applying aloe to a heat rash back at the center, we became each other’s support
system. This support system gave us the
opportunity to give back to the community at our highest potential. These
experiences were ones none of us will forget. It is
amazing to hear the inspirational stories and the dedication of all the community
partners. Especially the farmers we were
able to get close with.
After canvassing for political
justice in New Orleans, the volunteer coordinator, Gahiji, took us down to the
lower 9th ward where Hurricane Katrina hit the hardest. What really
amazed the group was how much devastation was still present. Gahiji explained
to us that a lot of people did not have enough money or did not receive
appropriate refunds from insurance companies to properly rebuild their homes. It
was really sad to see the spray-painted Xs on the homes stating how many people
in the house were still alive; it reminded us of the Jews in the Holocaust who
were singled out, not having the power to do fight for their freedom.
The
racism dialogue helped us become more understanding of the racial battles that
are still prevalent in all of society, especially New Orleans. This was a structured dialogue led by two
professionals who stimulated conversation between the two groups residing at the
Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal
Green light was a unique
opportunity because we got to enter homes all over the community with various
different socioeconomic statuses. This
is an organization that doesn’t discriminate by income. It helps install Compact Fluorescent Light
bulbs in any home in the Orleans Parish that wishes to become more
sustainable. It was touching to witness
the raw emotions exposed by revealing the amount of money that would be saved
by the simple change of installing
While navigating
through the city, we drove past Tulane University’s Hillel house. As a Hillel
group, we instantly felt excitement and were eager to go in and visit. We entered
the house, and immediately, our jaws dropped in awe. It was such a beautiful
place with great resources for students on Tulane’s campus. They were
implementing the ‘Green Revolution’ that New Orleans is aiming for; they
provided meals for students using local ingredients and had sustainable energy
sources throughout the building. The house was homey, and had beautiful
portraits on the walls, Macintosh computers, and a lovely dining area for
Shabbat dinners and other meals. The Hillel house also provided yoga classes
and Krav Maga classes to help ease the stress of being a student. They invited
us for dinner, but we already had plans to indulge in the authentic southern
cuisine.
We would like to Thank ASMSU and
Repair the World for granting us with funds for this unbelievable trip. We could not have done it without their
financial support. We would also like to
extend our thanks to The Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal
for their gracious accommodations.
This alternative break is supported in part by Repair the World, to learn more about Repair the World, please visit www.weRepair.org.
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