NOLA Day 2:
By Chloe Wright
So far, the past two days have already been amazing. Even though they are long, tiring days, I’m so proud of what we have already accomplished. Yesterday, I had the privilege of working on Garden on Mars run by Ms. Janette. She is almost 75 years old and has this burning passion to help her community in the ninth ward have sustainable gardens that they can learn and share from. Age is just a number to Ms. Janette because she works day and night raising money and getting volunteers set up for her garden to become better and better. I cannot wait to go back to serve this Friday and see how much has changed throughout this week.
We also got to meet the owner of the only supermarket in the ninth ward, Burnell. He was on Ellen a few years ago and put his entire life savings into opening a store that had everything for people around the area would need. From toilet paper to milk and eggs, he even got laundry machines so people could wash their clothes. He recently bought the house next door to turn into a computer cafe so students who didn’t have the internet at their households, could go to the cafe and do their homework. It was an honor meeting him and listening to his story.
Today we served with Grow Dat Youth Farms, which is a non-profit that grows fresh vegetables and plants and employs students from low socioeconomic status who need jobs. This place was gorgeous and to see how it is environmentally friendly and sustainable, was truly amazing. We helped weed, plant, and pick vegetables and flowers. The people who worked there you could tell were very passionate about what they do and why. It is clear that although New Orleans has a lot of areas that are in poverty and still need rebuilding, there are a lot of good organizations trying to accomplish that goal. After Grow Dat, we went to the WWII Museum and I absolutely loved it. I love history and getting to see all the different parts in this museum from airplanes, to the workforce of women, to African Americans in the war, there were a lot of topics covered which made it very interesting. I also collect buttons and I’m super happy that I found a button in the gift store there to add to my collection. The videos were very entertaining and I’m so glad we had the opportunity to go. I can’t wait for the rest of the week and to explore more of New Orleans!