Diary of Local Teens in New Orleans: Day 7

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.

Hey All...

What an extraordinary last full day here in the Crescent City!

Like each morning, we were up and out early, reaching our job site by 7:45 a.m. (yes, we're talking about your kids). We were back at St. Margaret's Nursing Home, and everyone worked extra hard. Our site manager, Tommy, was so supportive and instructive. We boarded up windows, demo-ed ceilings and walls, hauled out trash, and continued to prep the site for future renovations.

We worked straight through lunch so that we could enjoy the remainder of the day in the French Quarter, which we still hadn't yet seen. It goes without saying our French Quarter experience far exceeded expectations. To start, we found on-the-street parking! Then we walked down the streets, checking out the sights and sounds. We stopped at Cafe du Monde for beignets, checked out the levee system in the tourist area (not all levees are created equal, that's for sure), and then stopped for souvenirs. We ran into Grandpa Elliot, a world famous street musician, on the corner of Royal and Toulousse, and he sang "Stand by Me" for the group. 

But that was just the start...

We had a great dinner at Felipe's Taqueria before heading over to Preservation Hall. Thanks to Karen Strauss and Peter Fleischer, Leroy Jones, the trumpet player and leader of the Masters' Band at the Hall, met with our group prior to the concert. He was so kind and gracious. We then sat first row on the floor for the show. What an incredible experience. Our feet still won't stop moving.  That was a good thing for our walk down Bourbon Street to close out our experience.

Now we're back at Camp Hope.  We're all voting for The Pepsi Refresh Grant, and so should you. Then we're going to be chilling, playing Kung Fu, and getting ready for tomorrow's trip home.

Peace,

Phil Bildner and Ana Galan

Co-Executive Directors

The NOLA Tree