The Shorthorn ran an article on the New Orleans trip
& Huffington Post College featured the New Orleans ASB trip as one of the Top 8 ASB trips!

So awesome & exciting!

What have you done since returning to Arlington to increase publicity about Katrina’s kids?

Watch a video on youtube posted by our volunteer coordinator, Amanda, in August 2009. She does a great job of talking about her experience volunteering & then moving to New Orleans. She told us these stories the other night, as well as gave us some information about the people that she works with here. The crime rate is increasing at astronomical rates since Katrina. There are already 23 murders this year. Most murders are under 23! There have not been playgrounds rebuilt, or any places for kids to play, so they play in the streets around the crime! The rebuilding was so necessary right after the storm, but now they’re realizing how the people have been hurt in so many other ways. Instances of ADHD & PTSD are rising, especially in children. Amanda reminded us that the work we’re doing with individual kids is important, but more important is showing the city that we CARE about it’s PEOPLE. She said that New Orleans was physically built up by volunteers, & now the people need to be rebuilt by us, as well

(Here is information about the exhibit that she mentioned – how inspirational!)

Our last day has finally come after what seems to have been the fastest week I have ever experienced. It amazes me how such a short time span is capable of changing a lifetime of thoughts, hopes and opinions.

The culture is beautiful and spirit of the city is as present as I could have imagined it but the devastation is still lingering. You may not be able to take a powerful picture of it like a staircase to nowhere left in the 9th ward where a family might have ran up and down but you can FEEL it in the work we do. The locals are strong in their faith but there is no other way for them to be! Our students were born in the midst of an insecure moment that is still present and they have no idea what “stable” really means. We kept saying, “They need love, they need to be spoken to gently, they need to play and be kids” but we weren’t realizing until the end how much of what we were saying was so unrealistic. How can you give love and calm a child who has only known chaos when you’ve never had the closure on why your house had 10 feet of water? How can you say it was 7 years ago and the people are fine? These kids are growing up in a time that parents are working more jobs so they can start again, when the parents are too tired to cuddle and play and when these adults haven’t been shown how to cope with the loss and confusion they have. Katrina wasn’t the damage, it was the beginning of a challenge.

Each person I have spoken with says, “The levies were weak and we knew it but we don’t leave. We never do. Katrina was God’s way of saying leave now so we could save more people and we did.” These people have faced vicious and horrible tragedies but they are strong and some are trying to stop the “chaos generation” from becoming another kid shooting and gang-banger. The teachers at our schools have been so kind to us and let us become part of their world and then THANKED us for it. We have left feeling like we should be thanking them.

I’ve grown in so many different ways and have been challenged on my schema of people and locations in a way that was very uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, that I fell in love with it and hope to come back. New Orleans get’s in your heart and makes it dance in the streets! How could I not come back? How could I not care for those beautiful babies and how can I go home to leave this week as just a memory of a really awesome city? I can’t! None of us can which is why we are dragging about packing, hoping the day is long and so sad we’ll all part into our seperate lives soon but we will always have NOLA and have even said we’ll one day move back. See you soon NOLA! Goodbye for now!

We had another busy day, but finally it was primarily rain-free! We were in charge of making sure the community center was clean for the day, which didn’t end up being too difficult of a task, but was a focus every time we were there. 5 volunteers went to the zoo with our school from 9:30am-1pm – what a long but fun day for the kids!

The other schools enjoyed their days, whether it was talks with the teachers or having fun with the kids! We went back & tried to nap after school, after cleaning the facility a bit, & then we enjoyed some jambalaya! A non-profit from down the road from the community center came & asked for volunteers to help build picnic tables for the mentally and physically challenged students, & our resident engineering student took measurements & drew up a great plan.

We headed off to Magazine Street to get delicious gelato, & we “oooh” & “ahh” at the great houses on St Charles!

On the way back we talked about our Roses & Thorns for the day – what a simply way to learn so much.

Roses

• How comfortable the kids were with us today
• How interested the teachers were in our lives
• How much fun we had at the zoo fieldtrip
• How the kids were just SO EXCITED to see us
• A great conversation with the older sister of a student (who went on the field trip)
• Getting to love on the kids when the teachers were ignoring them or being angry

Thorns:

• Seeing the Ninth Ward  – so many bare lots & stoops in what used to be a vibrant neighborhood
• The argument at the one school (parents (& some teachers) bought the kids food & souvenirs at the zoo when the policy does not allow it, & they were reprimanded when they got back to the school)
• Hearing that one boy’s dad is in jail & the other’s is deceased
• Having a parent get irate when they walked into the classroom & saw a volunteer & assumed she was the PD or CPS
• Teachers cussing in front of the kids

We continued the conversation long after parking the car, just talking about the cycle of poverty & low education that can happen after people have poor examples growing up. The teachers work hard & have VERY DIFFICULT jobs, but we find their discipline strategies strange, as well as feel some of them are inappropriate. But we also can’t imagine dealing with the situation day-in-&-day-out. Many of the teachers are currently studying to get their Bachlors degree, & we’re wondering if their teachers & parents set the same example for them when they were growing up. It seems like a lot of the teachers don’t have much hope for the kids, so it’s almost like we’re trying to have a positive influence on the kids AND the teachers. Basically, there are a lot of things that surprise us from the trip. We expected to be influenced by the kids, but didn’t realize the challenges that would come from the teachers, neighborhoods, city, culture, living experience, and the other schools would have on us.

We are excited to spend the evening in the French Quarter for dinner tomorrow night. As mentioned, I feel like we’re getting a lot out of the WHOLE experience, not just working directly with Katrina’s kids.

So, our first full day in New Orleans has come to an end. We started our day with a quick & efficient breakfast with 155 of our closest friends, & we were off to our 3 locations. We navigated our way through New Orleans traffic, & then Griselda & Erin went to Peace Head Start, Alysia & Bianca went to Hope Head Start, & Amir (Mr. A), Raegan (R-A-E-G-A-N), Daisy, Yara, & Sara went to Carrollton-Dunbar Head Start. We reconvened after lunch & naptime, & headed out in the rain to the French Quarter, where we walked along the foggy Mississippi & got beignets & cafe au lait/hot chocolate at Cafe du Monde. Dinner was at ACF – red beans & rice are served on Mondays in New Orleans because Mondays used to be the days that they did the washing, & it was easy to put on a pot of red beans all day!

After two rainy long days, we decided to stay in this evening. We got settled, took showers, & talked about our day. We had a great discussions describing our day in colors, emotions, and animals. We all agreed that describing the kids at school like “puppies” was the best descriptions. They’re always jumping for our attention, moving in front of us wherever we are standing, scrambling on top of each other, & showing off.

There were some other things that stood out to us about our first day in the Head Start centers. We were surprised at how well-adjusted some of the kids seemed, while others were stubborn. We didn’t expect the teachers to be so loud & get so angry. Some of the teachers were really open & interested in our lives – most did not understand we were in New Orleans for the purpose of volunteering. We were unsure of how to approach them about Katrina, if at all. Some already took the route of asking blunt questions about their experiences. The teachers boldly told their stories & were happy. Others did not mention Katrina because they didn’t want to make anyone feel like they were solely victims, like they couldn’t move on from the storm. Others took cues from the teachers & asked follow up-questions during our conversations that led to hearing stories about the storm, or relocating, or evacuating, or spending the week in the Superdome.

All in all, it was a busy, productive, and eventful day. One of the most shocking things to everyone was going to the French Quarter after spending the day in low income areas. It was so rich, affluent, and touristy, & just minutes down the road from some of the lowest income schools in the country. Some of us almost felt guilty sitting there enjoying beignets after coming from these neighborhoods. We did realize that this happens all around the world – juxtaposition of wealth, sometimes extremely drastic

It’s a rainy night in New Orleans, & we’re playing cards now & getting ready to head to bed. Hope all is well in Texas! For the next four days we’ll give recaps of our schools so that you all can experience

Just a quick iPhone update since we don’t have wifi yet. We’re excited to be here with 155 other alternative breaks volunteers! We’re staying in St Bernard Parish, the only parish (county) in US to ever be destroyed 100%. We learned some facts about this during our orientation by “pastor Randy” last night

Katrina/Rita disaster in St Bernard parish affected about:

70,000 people

26,900 homes

3,00 business

Countless schools, fire houses, hospitals

Everyone was affected, everything was uninhabitable. People returned to live in tents & pass out food. There was no food, water, electricity. The parish had been under  10-28ft of water – can you imagine?! We saw lots of pictures & some were moved to tears. We even heard a shocking story of a Habitat for Humanity rebuild project gone wrong, where sheet rock that was donated emitted a chemical when it touched metal that made about 20 families very sick. As Pastor Randy put it — they were just tired of the bad news

He refused to be called a hero after alllll he’d done & insisted the volunteers are the heroes of Katrina. He said they’re so happy were still remembering NOLA 7 years later, because the city is not just fun, but “vital”

Our group had a great discussion about our expectations for the group, the week, & ourselves. We also talked a little bit about what we remember from the time of Katrina, if anything. We had a long drive, busy day & night, & I just know we’re going to have a GREAT week

(From 3/18/11)

From Tina

Our experience at Royal Castle has taught us so much about the people of New Orleans. In the beginning, the children were shy but they gradually began to welcome us into their daily activities. Everyday, they would learn to interact with other students through playing in different learning centers. What surprised me the most was the fact that the children were provided a generous amount of food and they were always yearning to please the teacher. Over time, I grew attached to these children as I learned about their past and how the hurricane had made a significant impact on their lives. Though these children were born after the hurricane, the scars still remain on them because their parents have had to endure such hardships. Initially, our presence at Royal Castle seemed like a regular baby-sitting job, but our purpose gradually became clearer as time progressed. Even though we are helping the teachers with minor duties, we learned that every great accomplishment begins with a baby step, and we feel that we have helped the children become one step closer to a successful career as well as a better life.

The staff at this development center have also been very kind and generous. Ms. Harris, the director, explained to us how Hurricane Katrina had permanently changed their lives. For instance, many children have expressed their anger through violence instead of peaceful measures because their parents were frustrated about the situation. It was difficult to believe that one storm had caused so much damage, both physically and emotionally. Six years later and New Orleans is still devastated and struggling to leave the past behind. But we believe that this city is strong and resilient. One day it will rise up to the state it used to be prior to the hurricane, and the children will evolve into responsible adults because even though their parental supervision may not be as strong as before, there are people out there who care and volunteers such as us will help make that dream come true.

From Jeff

Initially, I came on this trip as part of my 2011 Challenge: to do as many things as I possibly can before I turn 21. But now that the week is over, I realize that this trip was much more than just a simple item to cross off a checklist. I have changed so much from this opportunity. This city and it’s people have truly grabbed a hold of me (much like the many times kids latched onto my ankles) and hasn’t let go. I doubt it will. Outside the lights, sounds, and smells of the French Quarter is a city that is slowly but surely coming back. The people are as hospitable as you can get outside of Texas and the city is just as breathtaking as it was before. But, the monster still remains. Hurricane Katrina is still a shadow that lingers in the alleys of neighborhoods throughout the city. Buildings still stand abandoned and the Lower Ninth Ward…well, it is something to seen to be believed.

Katrina’s Kids. The name of the organization we worked with means so much more to me now than when we first began this journey. The kids I spent this past week with are truly some of the most incredible people I have ever met. They are also some of the most angry and violent, which was something I hadn’t quite anticipated. But, who could? Like Tina mentioned above, this storm hasn’t quite left yet. These kids have come from broken homes and broken families. I would be angry too. But to see how the children changed over the week from just us being there was incredible. Seeing how much the staff was excited we were there also helped me to see why we were there. These kids need the stability these schools and the people who staff them provide. For a week, I was part of the most stabile thing in a child’s life. That still amazes me. It was hard to let these kids go. I hope the best for them. I see future athletes, businessmen and women, doctors…The sky is the limit for these kids. I hope they know that. I hope they won’t forget me. I only wish I could do more. And, I plan on that. Stay tuned.

When first approached about going on this trip, I jumped at the opportunity to go to Nawlins and work with these children we met over the past week. I can honestly say that this week, although emotionally draining and challenging, will be one I won’t ever forget. I have learned a lot about myself and grown a lot as a person. I have a renewed appreciation for this wonderful city, its colorful cast of characters, and most importantly, the work that still needs to be done. This city needs our help. These beautiful people, as strong and resilient as they are, can’t do this alone. I will be coming back to this city, sooner rather than later. You should too.

(From 3/17/11)

When we arrive the kids are finishing up breakfast and getting ready to start their day. Each day they go through a specific routine which includes interactive learning, two recesses, lunch, nap time, and snack. In all the classes majority of the children like to put on a performance by dancing and singing pop culture songs. The kids have a theme song “super fun show” which they love singing and dancing which is part of their educational curriculum. During their recess we taught them how to play duck duck goose, which has become the talk of the week. When the teacher calls them to go outside they are already choosing to be the goose. In the four classes we have noticed consistent traits that consist of kids who bully, kids who are shy, and kids who know the answer to everything.

The children are served nutritional and traditional meals twice a day plus a snack after nap time. The foods are made the same day in the school’s kitchen. The teachers are very welcoming and make us feel like we are part of their school. Also they are very curious of why we chose to come here and spend time with the children during spring break, instead of going somewhere more traditional.

Teachers participate in activities with the kids to encourage shy kids to be involved in the activity they are doing, which gives them the attention they need. Overall, our time with the Annette branch of Head Start was a wonderful experience. The heart-warming staff and overly enthusiastic children definitely left a lasting impression on us, and have a place in our hearts. We hope that they always remember their fun week with Alex, Jennifer, Winnie and Ify.

We all started the morning off with our 3rd day of grits and eggs.  Not exactly our first choice but we are thankful for the food that so many others may not have.  We were out the door by 8:30 and on our way to our sites for the morning shift.  Pretty much all the groups talked about how rowdy the kids all seemed to be today.  At our site, the MLK Hope Head Start staff lead the students in some new centers that turned out to be quite messy.  Sandbox and the water center don’t exactly mix too well, even though the children tried.  It was a lot of fun though to come back and be so welcomed by the students and staff.  Today’s lunch menu was spaghetti and meatballs which might be the messiest food ever to give a 2 year old child.  Many of the kids didn’t want to use the fork so they went for the hands in the food and try and find your mouth method.  Needless to say it was a mess and literally raining meatballs.

In the afternoon, our group decided to meet up at 12:30 for lunch for New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood. This restaurant was recommended by Alicia and Tawanda from the MLK Head Start center. Upon leaving the center to go eat, the teachers gave us a hard time about leaving early and that they were jealous we were getting to go eat such good food- all in good spirit.  We left our site to go pick up the Annette Center group and headed back to St. Charles area to eat at the restaurant. Once there, we all chose between a variety of fried seafood or New Orleans-style burgers. These large portions, paired with unlimited vanilla ice cream, made for a great meal. When we finished, we ran outside to steal some beads left over from the Mardi Gras parades that were all still hanging from the trees.  It was interesting and Ify was attacked by a tree- literally. Pictures to follow!

From there we drove down St. Charles to the beautiful Audobon park. Before we went to the park we pit-stopped at the 2010 Real World house where we took group pictures in front of the house and spelled UTA with our bodies (Wear your Maverick Pride photo entry for sure!) Afterwards, curiosity led Ify to leave a voicemail in the intercom system at the front gate asking the owner wether the house was really the Real World house. Then we cruised through the neighborhood to get to the famous Audobon park. We found an amazing tree that must have been over a hundred years old. Most of us climbed and straddled the tree for a group picture. We had an impromptu team builder where we helped one another climb up and down the tree. Even Destiny, who was wearing a dress, decided to come up for the picture. While on the tree many of us discovered a fear of height however, after coming down we realized it wasn’t all that far up there after all. So many beautiful and historic homes are along  St. Charles all with nice gardens and lots of flowers.

We cruised down St. Charles until we got back downtown and then headed off to the canal in the Lower 9th Ward.  We ended up finding a nice deck where you could look out over the bayou and see where all the water came from.  It was an interesting transition, going from the richest neighborhood to the site of so much devastation. Even after nearly six years since Hurricane Katrina hit, much of the 9th Ward was still left in pieces. The two main thoughts that were held while visiting were of the tremendous amount of water that it must have taken to pour over the levee and how being there felt like walking around a graveyard, since so many lives were lost in the storm at that very location.  As we drove around many of the lots were vacant; some of the homes in the same condition now even 6 years after the storm had hit them. These homes were identified with an X which told the date the house was checked, whether or not the gas and electricity was shut off, and sadly about the number of human and animal deaths. There were homes people were now living in that still had the X on them.  It was depressing to see the devastation but we were hopeful for the community when we saw the homes that had been restored and the people that were living in the area now.

For the remainder of the day, we were given free time to explore more of New Orleans. Most of the girls went shopping and walked down to the River Walk. Some folks came back to work on homework and go to bed early.  We have another long day ahead of us and will all need the rest to keep up with the energy levels of our kids tomorrow!

Night-
Eurika, Gabriel and Lauren

Day 3 is coming to a close and we had a great day.  The general opinion was that it was far less overwhelming for us today now that we understand more about what we are doing and the schedule the kids are all on.  We were able to really regroup and talk about ways we can be more helpful and effective in the classroom.  For some of our college students this has been the first time they have really worked with students in this age group and I am so proud of the work they are doing.  It has been a struggle to find games that all the kids can play and to keep them focused with the differences we see in each kid’s motor-skills and development.  Just in our group we have 5 and 6 year olds that can’t count and 2 year olds that can tell your their moms cellphone number.  So many of them struggle to identify colors or even just count to 5.  I think this is really reaffirming that we are here to help with these things but so much more important that we have programs like this for kids and teachers that are incredibly dedicated to helping and working with this very important population.

On our way to the Annette Center and MLK Hope site we saw a parade/protest and then later found out that is was actually a group of actors for a movie they are filming here in N’awlins.  Rumor on the streets is it’s a Brad Pitt film, which might make sense that he would be doing a film here, given the amount of relief work that he does in the city.  Either way, it was an exciting start to our morning.

The kids at the Annette Center have already formed close bonds with our college students and were really excited to see them return. Ify, Winnie, and Alex all taught them games yesterday, and so many of the students requested them again.   The kids all know the girls names and really love all the singing and dancing lead by Ify.

The MLK site was so welcoming to us yet again.  The other 2 teachers that were off yesterday were back today and I must say it made a huge difference is managing the kids.  Alicia, one of the teachers, talked to us about the students’ backgrounds and really helped explain the missions of the program and how much this really does help give these kids a head start.  The best part of the day was when Gabriel was wearing a Mavs for Unicef shirt that had a large Blaze on it.  Several of the students were curious about Blaze, and one was convinced that Blaze was a motorbike. Explaining that he was a horse was not really making sense… either way a funny moment to our day.

The Royal Castle crew – Jeff, Jennifer and Tina – did a lot of work really helping the teachers.  The kids were very loud when they first got there, but calmed down as the day went on.  It was nice to see a lot of the kids share and work together during center time.  Jennifer has had the job that is really the least like the rest of us.  She is working in the infant room where the interaction level is not as intense but she has really handled it all so well.  There were several observations this group had including helping teachers prepare for lesson plans that have really impacted their appreciation for our teachers.  These teachers really are so thoughtful and many of them purchase things for their classrooms out of their own pocket, all because they believe in these kids.

Carrollton Head Start worked with new staff and students today and had a great day. They also did some projects for the teachers and helped do new bulletin boards in the building.  Sara, Breanna, Sophia, and Destiny were all in different classrooms during the day, but were able to come together at the end of the day while waiting for the parents. There were several students in these classrooms that said a number of things that really paint the picture of how sad their story really is but yet how hopeful we are for them.

After we all got back from the day and took our mini-naps, we were able to grab some dinner and have discussion and reflection time.  We talked about our Roses and Thorns for the day and shared some of our highlights.  There were a few common themes to this conversation, including how hard it is going to be leaving these kids on Friday.  I’m not sure any of us really expected to bond so quickly with these kids and manage the empathy we have for their situation.  We also talked about the fact that there were just a number of variables for us that were not exactly what we were thinking they were going to be, but we are trying to remain positive and still focus on the importance of the work we are doing.  As we closed the discussion time Ify had brought up and interesting comment for the group that was really helpful.  She shared that what we are really doing here is planting the seed but we wont be a part of watching it grow.  And all though watching it grow can be so exciting someone has to plant the seed.

After our discussion time we had free time in the city or the St. Jude’s Center.  Several of our students went to get gelato and Lucky Dog hotdogs and there were a few that chose to work on homework and spend quiet time reflecting.

As we close out for the evening, I think we are all excited for our day tomorrow.  We are volunteering for a half day tomorrow and then spending the day exploring a few things in the city.  We are planning to tour several areas that were affected by Katrina, so I am sure we are going to really understand more as it becomes more real for us.