Diary of Local Teens in New Orleans: Day 2

NEW ORLEANS—Welcome to The NOLA Tree's  New Orleans blog. The NOLA Tree is a Larchmont based non-profit organization that operates teen volunteer community development programs in both New Orleans and New York.

For the next week, we're here in the Lower Ninth Ward with a group of teenagers, many from the Larchmont-Mamaroneck area. We're going to be sharing our experience on a daily basis right here. Read us each day this week.

DAY 2

Hey All...

What a Sunday! We packed about a week's worth of activities into a single day.  Mother Nature cooperated fully, giving us clear blue skies and temps in the 70s.

We were up early, of course, and after a quick breakfast at Camp Hope, we piled into our vans and headed off on our tour of the Lower Ninth Ward.
After driving the side roads of the area, our first stop was along the Mississippi River- Gulf Outlet.  We found an old friend, Johnny Taylor, a local conservationist who told us all about the marshland and erosion of the wetlands.  It was a great way to start the morning.

Our next stop was the levee.  Standing atop the levee along the Industrial Canal truly takes your breathe away.  You see what once was, and what one day will rise again thanks to young volunteers like the ones here today.  We took some amazing photos and then walked along the Florida Avenue Bridge.

Following that we headed over to the Brad Pitt "Make it Right" homes.  From an architect's perspective, they are stunning.  But there is no shortage of opinions. Wait until you see some of the photos of these houses.  We played on a playground nearby (Najzali and Wesley got super dizzy) and then checked out an art installation on the median of Claiborne Avenue.  Adrian and Alvaro showed off their climbing skills.

Next, we headed over to the House of Dance and Feathers on Tupelo.  Ron Lewis, a life-long resident of the Lower Ninth, has created a museum in a trailer in his backyard.  The place is a treasure, and it shows off the rich culture and history of the community.  As always, Mr. Lewis was a gracious host and an inspiration.  He definitely gave us a lot to think about.  We took a group picture with him at the end of our visit.

Lunch was at the Winn-Dixie on Paris Road in St. Bernard Parish.  Well, we didn't eat there, but we picked up our food from there.  We're a big fan of supporting local businesses, and this supermarket was one of the first to re-open after the storm.  We had a picnic along the levee that looks out toward downtown. Another scenic setting.

Next, we crossed over the canal and headed toward the Uptown neighborhood. First we found the historical marker for the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case.  That was pretty cool.  Then we visited the Zeitouns. Wow!

Abdul and Kathy Zeitoun are the type of heroes they make movies out of.  In fact, that's what Johnathan Demme is doing, turning Dave Eggar's bestseller into a film next year.  We spent over an hour with Abdul and Cathy.  It was powerful and moving.  They answered all of our questions, took pictures, and even offered to order in pizza!  One of our summer groups will also get to meet them.

On the way back to Camp Hope, we stopped at Musician's Village, the Candyland-like homes built by Habitat for Humanity. 

Dinner was back at Camp Hope.  Jambalaya, BBQ Chicken and Mud Pie.  They sure can cook here in the southland.

Then after catching our collective breathes after an amazing and exhausting day, we had a powerful de-brief session.  We talked about people, race, citizenship, and what it means to be a volunteer.

Now the work begins!  Our orientation is at 7:30 tomorrow morning.  That means we need to have 15 teenagers rolling by 5:45.  It's dark until about 6:30, so we'll see how that goes. Clearly, The NOLA Tree likes challenges!

Peace,

Phil Bildner and Ana Galan Co-Executive Directors

The NOLA Tree