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R-L New Orleans Trip

This July 30th through August 4th, the Rollins Luetkemeyer Leaders traveled to New Orleans to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.  This year, we had the opportunity to work on a new build.    It was physically demanding work made more challenging by a heat index near 110 degrees each day.  But it was also very satisfying to see the daily progress as we installed siding, shingled a roof, installed a fence and laid sod.  The eighteen student leaders and five faculty chaperones demonstrated incredible teamwork and determination.  They met homeowners working to fulfill their 300 hours of service so that they could buy their Habitat home.  The students were touched by the homeowners’ stories of resilience and their commitment to create a home for their families against staggering odds.  In addition, our students met neighborhood children and began packing extra lunches for them. 

Of course, we also found time for play! In the evenings, we traveled to the French Quarter, shopped at the French Market, ate Beignets at Café du Monde, and listened to live Jazz music at The Market Café.  We learned a lot about the city of New Orleans, but more importantly, we learned about the power and importance of giving of ourselves to others.  No community is more emblematic of this than the Faith Presbyterian Church community.  McDonogh School groups having been staying at Faith Church in Harvey, Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina struck seven years ago.   In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many churches rallied to help the victims of the natural disaster.  Faith Church only had 47 members and many were unable to help with the clean-up and rebuilding.  So the church decided that they could give what they had…which was the space to house volunteers and their unconditional love and generosity to make those volunteers feel at home and appreciated.  A sign hangs over the church door, “Nothing is Broken beyond repair.” The quote has always made me think of the homes and neighborhoods we have helped to rebuild over the past seven years.  But this visit it occurred to me that Faith Presbyterian Church has helped to rebuild our belief in the basic goodness of people.  A wonderful group of people that taught our students that using their talents to serve others can make a positive difference in the world.