By: Hannah Rockers
This week I have had the opportunity to serve in New Orleans with an amazing group of individuals. We have been honored to meet some of the most passionate, caring, and hardworking people I have ever known. Burnell runs a grocery store/laundromat/ barbershop and soon an internet cafe to help support his community which is located in a food desert. Jeanette runs Garden on Mars with the aim of educating the lower Ninth Ward on how they can produce their own healthy food. The staff at Grow Dat Youth Farm work to provide an educational and work experience for young people by growing and selling produce. Sustain the Nine focuses on making the ninth ward more sustainable and eco-friendly. This week I have gotten to paint, pull weeds, harvest kale and collard greens and make connections with great people. Today we worked with Sustain the Nine on clearing an area for a park by the bayou. Personally, I believe that the messiest jobs are always the most fun. This is one reason why I was thrilled to spend the day wading through the bayou to remove invasive plants. The experience I have had serving New Orleans so far has been unforgettable and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the week has in store.