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Music everywhere!

New Orleans is a juxtaposition of life and rebirth with heartache and devastation. Enjoy the culturally authentic, sensory experience of this enchanting city. Hear live music, eat beignet and enjoy the markets. At the same time, you will have an opportunity to do some good work in the rebuilding of a city that still has tons of work to be done, years after Katrina. We know that a few days is hardly enough to make a difference in such a massive disaster, but our work will be twofold. We will be working hand and hand with the people who we are helping- giving them a sense of support and hope for a seemingly never ending task. Through this experience  we hope that participation will be the start or boost to return home with openness to the tackle some of the community building  issues that impacted the most while you are there.

We are offering an open trip over Memorial Day weekend, a track for families and a track for singles. If you would like us to arrange a special trip for your organization, club, school or company, let us know.

RESERVATION FORM HERE

Tentative Itinerary:

Thursday, May 27: We’ll pick everyone up at 2:00 from the airport, so please try and arrive before 1:15, so we can get everyone on the bus by 2:00. We will then go straight on a tour of the area so we get acclimated as to the area. The tour will encompass the sculpture garden, lake front, St. Charles Avenue, the Garden district and historic areas of New Orleans. We’ll have the special treat of being accompanied by Louis Shepard, third generation New Olreanian and Gail Chalew, a New Orleans volunteer and a writer and editor who is rebuilding a life in New Orleans after being evacuated to Baltimore and they will discuss the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans.

A year after Katrina Gail wrote, “Our first floor is now gone, stripped down to studs and concrete floor. Walk through the front door and you confront… nothing. Where the pool table once stood, where the Baltimore Orioles memorabilia was hung, where the detailed mahogany paneling graced the walls, there is nothing. Four feet of standing water will do that to a home.”

Afterwards will check into our hotel, walking distance to the French Quarter.  Our dinner will be at the Rock N’ Bowl bowling alley, which was one of the first establishments to come back after Katrina struck. It offers great  live music and has a homey feel. Afterwards, those who still want to head out to Bourbon Street for an evening filled with live entertainment on every corner.

Friday, May, 28 : An early morning wake-up and breakfast and then in the morning we will head to Second Harvest Food Bank which is part of the Feeding America network. Each year, the Feeding America network provides food to more than 25 million low-income people facing hunger in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. We will help sort and distribute the food that has been donated. Each Friday the Food Bank packs backpacks to give to kids so children have food for the weekend.  Afterwards, we will at Cooter Brown’s  (on your own). Since 1977, Cooter Brown’s has been a popular gathering place, watering  hole, grill and oyster bar.  Located near Tulane, in the historic Riverbend section of Uptown New Orleans, Cooter Brown’s is a local favorite.  In the afternoon, we will take a visit to Tulane University.  Hurricane Katrina decimated the healthcare system in the New Orleans area.  From this devastation, a new model for care delivery was born where the old had been destroyed.  A group of Tulane physicians came together to deliver care in New Orleans to first responders  and the citizens of the city who remained behind or returned early.  They practiced in tents, in shelters, in police precincts and in mobile vans – wherever they were needed.  This was the    beginning of the new clinic model.            We will visit a Tulane neighborhood clinic under the new model.  Health conditions are    managed continually in a neighborhood health facility, preventing acute health episodes and costly hospitalizations.

We’ll return to the hotel for a snack  and to hear guest speaker Catch Paton, UNITY of Greater New Orleans, an organization that works to end homelessness in New Orleans. Catch will discuss the work of UNITY as it coordinates partnerships to prevent, reduce, and end homelessness. UNITY employees and volunteers often work all weekend to staff around-the-clock outreach teams and the emergency shelters in Central City.  They help transition people into homes and will gladly accept toiletries (small bottles from hotels) which they prepare in welcome packets when they transition a homeless person into a new home.

Then we will depart for Temple Sinai to partake in their Sabbath service. Temple Sinai, founded in 1870, is the largest congregation in the State of Louisiana and the oldest Reform one.   Temple Sinai is proud of its history of inspired rabbinic leadership committed to community service, Tikkun Olam.  Optional Dinner at the Temple will follow services, where we will invite the congregants to join us for lively discussions. (families) Or dinner on own in town and time to check out the music scene, maybe at Maple Leaf or Carrollton Station.

Saturday, May 29 : With breakfast this morning we have a treat to talk to : David Hammer, staff writer,  at the Times Picayune.  David Hammer believes in “mitzvah journalism”. He will talk about how his use of the  media gives people the power to share and connect with each other and create change.  Then we will depart for a full day at our worksite at the Holy Zion site, where we will work for 2.5 days. We selected this site because of the opportunity to work with the people who will be living in the homes that we are rebuilding and you can see the result of your work on the people’s faces. The Holy Cross Neighborhood Association is a community-based nonprofit organization  headquartered in the Lower 9^th Ward, Orleans   Parish, Louisiana. Founded in after Hurricane  Katrina, their mission is to remove barriers for   families who wish to return to their homes.  By      utilizing volunteer labor and donations for building     supplies, they continue working with families to   rebuild their homes.

After a day of work we’ll return to the hotel to freshen up before we depart for dinner at  the St. John’s #5 Church and Social Ministry, in the St. Bernard neighborhood (in the 7^th Ward). We will join congregation members for a southern hospitality dinner at St John’s Church and Social Ministry.  St Johns Church helps low income families, children, unwed teen mothers, and HIV victims to improve or better cope with life in their current situation. Now facing the issues of unemployment and poverty, they continue to reach out and open their arms to people in need.  The Pastor himself is a reformed gang member who is doing what he can to help children in need. The Pastor’s wife and sisters prepare the dinner with the children of the home. Truly touching experience. Dinner will be followed by discussion with Pastor Bruce Davenport, a New  Orleans native who grew up in the St. Bernard Housing project.  Pastor Davenport will describe how St. John’s survived the harrowing days and    weeks after Katrina and continue today.

Sunday, May 30 Our guest speaker at breakfast this morning will beMark Schleifstein, Pulitzer Prize winning staff writer,  The Times Picayune and author  of “Path of Destruction”. Mark Schleifstein has worked at The Times- Picayune in New Orleans since 1984. His reporting during and after Hurricane Katrina was among the newspaper’s stories honored with 2006 Pulitzer Prizes. We’ll depart for the worksite, but before starting work we will attend services (with a lively gospel choir) at Greater Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church, a 100-year old shotgun-type building in the Lower Ninth  Ward that retains much of its historic fabric beneath contemporary alterations.. Following the church service,  we will return to volunteer at the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association. Like so many areas in their sense of community after Katrina, the Lower Ninth must deal with its own history of crime and violence. First, there were burglaries – then theft, arson, even architectural looting since the storm. The gradual increases in population over the last three years and more “eyes on the ground” have certainly helped to counter some of that. Now, Holy Cross and the rest of the NOLA have found ways to help rebuild. We will continue the work we had started the day before.

We’ll come back to the hotel where you will have time to explore the French quarter (optional bike tour of the neighborhoods)  or the Bayou Booglan Festival.   We’ll have dinner at Mulates This legendary restaurant is recognized throughout the world as the King of Cajun Dine and Dance hall, featuring live Cajun music and dancing along with great authentic Cajun food seven days a week

Monday, May 31: This morning’s breakfast is at the famous  Café Du Monde for beignets. Then we’ll head back to Holy Cross Neighborhood Association for the rest of the morning.  Free time and lunch on your own in the French Quarter. Our planned departure from the hotel for the airport is 3:30 Depart for airport.

Trip Details