A Few Words From New Orleans!

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Apr. 15th, 2009

hard & worthwhile day

Hi it's Donna<
I encountered the largest spider I have ever seen today while emptying a recycling container that had been outside for a while, I sort of screamed.... Well, fortunately it didn't get me. Sue, Libby, Dane, Mita and I were at the far end of New Orleans near the arts district helping out a woman who recently moved back into her home after living in a NENA trailer for 3 1/2 years. She recently suffered a stroke but managed to show us around her backyard. She is an artist and does pottery work, fabric art and is very sweet. She was informed recently that her trailer would be removed from her backyard and we were there to clear the driveway for a clear PASSAGE OUT for the monstrosity. It was grueling work, packages of roof shingles had to be moved to the back yard and they were heavy, lots of lumber, chairs, old tarps and various items needed to be moved. Luckily. it is a beautiful day. While we were there the woman received a call saying that the water & sewer lines would be unhooked today from the trailer. Now we're back at the church and we were told that the trailer was actually removed today!!! I am so glad we stayed "long enough to :almost" finish the task. If there were no volunteers how in the world would she had managed to clear the driveway????Would that nasty trailer still be there?
It has been an amazing experience for me to be here so far, lots of emotions that are running the gamut. We have met a ton of people and they are sooooo nice. I met 2 homeless people yesterday and received lots of hugs from Pastor Josephine, & Pam from the food pantry. The food pantry is a very happy place doing wonderful things for the children and people of the community. This is all for now, thanks to all who have helped us to get here, the youth and adults are getting experiences that will truly last a lifetime, really!!!

Apr. 14th, 2009

Tag ZWEI (Day TWO!!)

location: Dining room corner

music: Screams from the courtyard.

Tuesday has come, and almost gone. And I have become a paint monster.....quite literally. Today I went with Melissa -of course- Stephanie, Julie, and Jessie to the Treme Recreation Center to peel and place paint. Anna and Molly from the NJ youth were present too. I enjoyed being crouched over on the floor with them, all of us desperately attempting to peel the stubborn crimson paint off a stage. It was very amusing. After about an hour and a half of 'prying' paint up w/ some tool of scrapeage we managed to clear the entire Rec center stage, which was conveniently open to the gym, so we could watch locals kids come and play basketball as we worked. Gerry Pizzi of the New Jersey group was in charge of the painting activities. I was assigned to paint the bottom layer of the walls encasing the stage, with an adorable little brush. Before doing so however, I took the liberty of scribing "I <3 NOLA" in white paint on my pink tank-top. It looked great. After we finished painting the walls and ceiling Jesse and I began to repaint the floor in the same irking red. We then proceeded to coat our hands in bloody-looking paint and press them all over our clothes. Pure genius. We looked like we had just murdered someone, our hands were SO red. After finishing at the Rec Center our group headed to an organic/non grocery store to buy breakfast for dinner makings. We slaved in a hot, humid, and crowded kitchen for an hour plus to make enough bacon, omlettes, pancakes, and cantelope slices for enough people. (And Daddy, I learned how to make an omlette!! YAAAAAAAY!!) Reverand Josefine came by to visit and she is a most delightful woman. Currently the youth are gathered in the courtyard playing Mafia. I'm so dead. Quite literally.

See you in the afterlife
*Erika M.W.*

Tags: mafia nola fuuno dinner rec center

Apr. 13th, 2009

Hello jello...

mellow fellow pello bellow.

Hey guys
It is Monday. We began working today. There were four different volunteering sites worked on today. I myself went to NENA (an acronym whose words escape me at the moment - it's Neighborhood something, I think). We had been told that we would be doing flooring, but plans changed and we ended up doing painting in a house in the Lower Ninth Ward. It was fun. I got pain all over my clothes, which I had not intended, but it was all right. They're just clothes anyway, right? And...yeah. Not my favorite shirt or anything. I turned one of my splotches into a heart, and then ended up finger-painting on the rest of my group member's shirts (minus Deane). Jesse got wings on his back, Mifta got hearts, and Leo got chess pieces. There was a broken glass chess set there, sitting on a table on the porch, and we utilized it during our breaks. Jesse formulated a new, unique, and creative strategy, which consisited mainly of getting his king out quickly and attacking with it. It is a mark of my ineptititude at chess that I lost to him. Leo won every game, of course, chess fanatic as he is. It was awesome.
When we got back to the church, the two volunteer center staff led debriefings, with all of the goups together at once. There are so many people here! It's a tad cramped at times, and some people's tensions are high. In our group, that is - I don't know about the others. I think we have not yet acclimatized to being so close together all the time. Yeah. There's a lot of stress.
*sigh*
In any case, it's so great to be back here. I love New Orleans so much. This year, however, I'm beginning to realize that I think about things differently than I did two years ago, and even last year.
Well. I'm not in the best of moods right now. Sorry. We are soon to embark on a walk along the riverside, near the French Quarter.

Peace out.

~Kelly

Tags: asdfghkjl;

All work and no play? I don't think so!!

location: The dining room corner

music: Laughter as people attempt to eat crawfish....it's not working

Monday came, whether we wanted it to or not (of COURSE we wanted it to....) I was in a group with Libby, Ben, Alyssa, Lauren, and Dane. We joined Green Light to replace peoples' energy wasting lights with more effective ones. We visited around eight houses, in seven? or so hours....we were delayed by a incompetent GPS, people not being at their houses, and random misdirection. But it was an amazing experience ^_^
We stopped at a local cafe and I purchased a Minismoothie, Banana w/ whipped cream. And carrot cake!!. We drove to a park to eat lunch, and while everyone was seated near, or in, a tree, a little raccoon came down from the higher branches to say hello. We cooed, took pictures, screamed, then ran. Turns out the little fella was totally harmless, he usually gets fed by the locals, and wasn't expecting New Yorkers who only know that racoon+daylight= run away!! cuz it's probably rabid.
But visiting all the different houses to replace lightbulbs was a surprisingly comforting/disturbing experience. Some houses were very nice, others lacked in class and style. People were mostly pleasant as we wandered through their homes and switched out bulbs. It was disheartening to see how many houses still need so much help.
Dane, Ben, and I rocked out to non-stop hip-hop (102.9 FM) All throughout the day....it was tiring.
At FUUNO we met five teens from Wisconsin: Liz, Amy, Rudy, Jason, and Foster. They were all nice, and probably figured I was insane, but most people do. Dinner was prepared by some of the FUSS people, pasta, bread, salad, and -of all things- crawfish. I can't eat them....their little beady eyes stare you down the second you pick up your fork.

Worship is soon, and I have to help plan it...I think, so I'm going to let you all (is there an all here?) go.

P.S: Quick question: How many UUs does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
The answer? Seven. One on the ladder, one holding the ladder, one handing up bulbs, one doing the paperwork, one running to and from the minivan, one to organize, and one for moral support. That's my discovery anyway ^_^

Later Y'all
*Erika M.W*

Tags: raccon nola green light gps fuuno

Apr. 12th, 2009

Easter....continued

location: Dining room

mood:

calm

music: chitter-chatter

Well, now that it's after morning...actually it's late evening, I can chill out and resume blogging. Yayyy!!!
We attended a service held by the FUUNO group. We were made very welcome and it felt nice to be surrounded by Unitarians from another state, they weren't that different from us, granted that they're UUs. For lunch Melissa made DELICIOUS tacos and Thom led us in a musical masterpiece of tapping the table, cups, using spoons as drumsticks, and just drumming what was available. I went partially deaf, but it was beyond worth it. Afterwards our group went to the ninth ward, music ward, and the levees. It was a bone chilling experience to see how empty the 9th ward is....it's so devoid of life. But there are a few families who are holding on. I'm glad that they are still there, if only because it makes me see that not everyone has given up on/in New Orleans. Our youth and adults took part in a racism discussion for over two hours...it was quite informative....FUUNO served dinner tonight, and it was nice; rice, beans, salad, and bread. Sweet. Simple. Filling.
Everyone is winding down now, no one wants to be tired on our first day of work tomorrow. Especially me.

Guten nacht mein freunden.

*Erika M.W.*

Tags: fuuno dinner 9th ward

Happy Easter - the Unitarian way :)

location: FUUNO eating/common room

Hello hello! Hope you all are having a fantastic Zombie Jesus day. (No offense meant, of course.) It is our second full day in New Orleans, and things are going well. Yesterday we went on a nature walk through the wetlands, about an hour's drive (or less?) from FUUNO. It was fantastic and very relaxing. The air was so clean and smelled wonderful, and everything was so beautiful. We saw some interesting creatures, including alligators, multitudes of lizards, an egret, awesome snakes, as well some fantastic and exotic vegetation. At the end of the trail, there was a wooden platform, overlooking a large expanse of treeless wetlands. There was such a huge sense of space, and the only human development to be seen were wires in the far, far distance. It was simply fantastic, and I think that the feeling it imparts is near impossible to capture with a camera.
Upon our return to the city (in our four rental minivans which, by the way, are quite nice), we stopped at a FANTASTIC ice cream store. I think it's pretty well-known, but I forget the name. They must have had....forty different flavors. I got a six-flavor mini scoop sampler, and the ice cream was delicious.
Then...back to FUUNO, to find that the group from New Jersey had arrived and moved in. This companion group is comprised mostly of elderly persons, with about three youth. One of them is from Ireland! But her accent is American, strangely. They seem cool, although we haven't really talked to them or anything very much yet.
Later, we went out to dinner at Mona's, a middle-eastern restaurant that has excellent falafel. We went there last year and the year before as well. Yum yum yum! I think everyone enjoyed their dinners. Erika got an especially delicious lentil soup, most of which was eaten by her table-mates (including myself). Whoops. :)
Oh, and this morning we went to the Easter service in the sanctuary here at FUUNO. It was very nice and they made a specialy effort to recognize the volunteers. At noon we are going to go meet their senior youth group and hang out with them during their normal youth group time. Actually it's three minutes to noon so I should go.
Thanks for reading!
~Kelly

Tags: fuuno dinner mona's ice cream alligators

Posted at 10:11 am | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Easta Bunny-Wabbit!!

location: The dining room

mood:

crazy

music: adults discussing schedules, but not mine.

The EASTER BUNNY came!!! How I do not know, seeing as how at 6:30 there was no egg....and at 7:30, there was! And I am not a heavy sleeper...much. But yesterday was AHMAHZING!! -Yes my sense of spelling is deteriorating as we speak.-
After a half an hour or so of 'touring' (I claim Randy was lost) we went to the swamp/reserve? and I saw geckos and gators!! But the gators were small, but cute....cute with big teeth....I was soooooo tired after our walk through the swamp...but Randy and Dean suggested the whole group go out for Ice Cream!! Yaaay!!! I had a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of cake batter. Yuuuuuuummy ^_^. We hung out at FUUNO for a couple of hours, and met people from Wisconsin....well I didn't, but I met an Irelandian and a New Jerseyian. Whats the craic?? I love that saying!!! For dinner all the FUSS kids went to Mona's Cafe. I learned that love comes in a bowl of Red Lental Soup!! When it's shared with several people, anyway. Chicken salad is awesome!! Not that it wasn't already, but Mona's is reeeeeeeally good! I really hope we can go there next year, if we come back next year, if I come back next year. Meh. Too many variables... IT"S EASTER!!! *happy dance* We have a church service today...so I have to wear a skirt. Meh.

Ta Ta For Now ^_^

*Erika M.W.*

Tags: new orleans trip easter food monas

Apr. 11th, 2009

TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

location: FUUNO!!

mood:

bouncy

music: The sound of lunch-making. I'd better go join them.

Since Kelly has successfully covered our landing and what-not, I'm not left with much to say. But wow, this has been a long day/night/morning/I have no idea. I managed to do nothing much more than sit on my behind for seven plus hours (in the car, on the plane, the other plane, the rental, a cot.....) So my energy levels are through the roof this morning (much to the dismay of my fellow churchees. Oh well -_- We slept on cots last night, and I was very afraid that mine was going to fall, and I would fall with it. (The others would have laughed, I know it.) This morning I was the second kid up (7:00ish A.M. or so) So I took a shower. Feeling clean makes me happy. ^_^. We moved from our downstairs cots to the bunk-beds upstairs. I snagged a bottom bunk very near to a window, so I get a view. YAY!! Today we're going to visit the parks and NO I AM NOT WRESTLING AN ALLIGATOR!! (Dad. Lol.) Because if it doesn't kill me, I've been promised that the others here will.....and I value my life. FUUNO is very homey and I'm enjoying lounging around doing all of lazyness this morning. But soon we have to leave, so I should probably make a lunch.....or go hungry. Just kidding.
Wow...for a first blogging experience, I did okay. Love you Oma, Grandpa, Josh, Heather, Lil Heath, Mom, Dad, and everybody who made this possible for me. (Sorry if I didn't put your name. You know I love you all the same!!)

Until Soon, I hope....granted I can re-access the computer today.....

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
*Erika M.W.*

Tags: arriving moving in new orleans fuuno tou

Posted at 09:46 am | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Hemos vuelto (we have arrived)!

location: FUUNO dining room

mood:

excited

music: the lilting voices of my fellow youth

Finally, after almost twelve hours of traveling and transfers, we are in New Orleans. Our plane landed last night around eleven pm or so, but we didn't get to the church until almost two am. It took a long time to get out of the airport, catch a shuttle, and obtain our rental vehicles (four mini-vans). At the church, we found that since we had arrived early (the normal schedule for the FUUNO volunteers goes from Saturday to Saturday), there was no free space in the bunk-beds upstairs, and temporary cots had been set up for us in some of the R.E. rooms. Right now we are in the process of moving in to the upstairs rooms (normal volunteer housing - there are three rooms with a multitude of bunk-beds), and waiting for the remaining previous occupants to move out. Unfortunately, unlike last year, we cannot all fit in one room, as the maximum capacity is eighteen. Oh well. A few of us (including Melissa, Sue and my mother (Donna), I think) woke up early to go food shopping, probably at Whole Foods. They haven't returned yet, but when they do we shall embark on some tourist adventures. According to Randy, first we'll go to a nature walk that we also did last year (alligators, snakes, egrets - oh my!) and then we'll return to the city to see some sights. A woman who was here for this past week (and who will soon be leaving) kindly advised us on some interesting and cheap things to do. I overheard something about Preservation Hall... :D :D :D :D :D
HOORAY. Now Jesse is reading my entry aloud in a crazy voice. I think that's a sign to cease and desist. :P
Later, gators!

<3 ~Kelly

Tags: arriving moving in new orleans fuuno tou

Apr. 9th, 2009

We're leaving tomorrow! TOMORROW. :D :D :D

location: Home...not for long!

mood:

ecstatic

music: Going Back to New Orleans - John Deacon

tomorrowtomorrowTOMORROW.
So much excitement! WOO-HOO!
Tomorrow morning, we are meeting at FUSS at eleven a.m. (if you feel like giving us a send-off, feel free to show up.) We are then driving to the airport in Newark, NJ for our 5:26 p.m. flight to Chicago, where we will transfer to our final direct flight to New Orleans!
YEAH YEAH YEAHHHH

~Kelly

Tags: new orleans departure leaving flight air

Posted at 08:18 pm | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Apr. 4th, 2009

ABOUT FIVE DAYS.

location: home

mood:

excited

music: JAZZ.

We're leaving on Friday! This is so exciting! Everyone is really pumped. We're having a car-wash at FUSS tomorrow, because we still need more money (oh dear.) Hopefully it will go well! Not much else to report, other than the disbelief that six days from now, we will be IN NEW ORLEANS. OH MY GOODNESS.
~Kelly

Tags: anticipation

Posted at 11:22 pm | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

goin' back to New Orelans!

OMG! I can hardly believe it! in 6 days, we'll be in New Orleans again! We've got our tickets & housing all set. Fundraising still in progress. Still so much to do...
peace, - Randy

Posted at 12:44 pm | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Apr. 22nd, 2008

Habitat

Hi! some of us had the opportunity to work on a Habibtat for Humanity house for FUNNO member Cherie leBlanc. She is keeping a blog (and updating it more dutifully than we do our own!). it includes a photo of us on the front steps with her and the volunteers from a local courthouse.
Try http://www.yetmoreminutiae.blogspot.com/ to see Cherie's blog.
peace,
-Randy

Posted at 09:28 am | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Apr. 19th, 2008

Last day

mood:

indifferent

Hello to the people back home from the group!!!!
alright, so we have been really bad at updating our livejournal
but we've been incredibly busy and we're all exhausted at the end of each day.
I would like to say thank you to all of our supporters!
we are now spending our last day in new orleans.
we are planning on going to a natural park to see crocodiles and pretty things!
then we head to the airport for a four hour flight to newark
then a two hour drive back to our lovely home of schenectady.
I'm sure everyone will have amazing stories to tell you all based on the ones we told
at last night's worship as we reflected back on our experience.
alright, i must go we have some last minute cleaning to do around the church
and some last minute packing.
we will see you all when we get home!!!!!

peace&love,
Leigh! <3

Tags: last day in nola

Apr. 13th, 2008

>>Life In New Orleans at 11:42 at night<<

location: computer desk in the co ed bunk room

mood:

drained

Hey guys! Its Leigh again. Ill be the main person updating
simply because i love me some livejournal!
I guess ill give you an update on things that happened today.
We woke up at about 9 to get ready for the FUUNO church service that started downstairs at about ten thirty
after that we met up with emily danielson who is now the youth group adviser here at FUUNO
and helped with the Earth Scouts to get their next badge.
we then kinda chilled out for a little bit to eat lunch, take naps [we're exhausted all the time]
and talk about random teenage stuff??? then we piled in our two vans
[we have an almost exact replica of the randy van...we call it randy van n.o.l.a...well, atleast i do]
we then took the self guided tour of the flood sites. we actually managed to finish it this year,
as appose to last year where we had to bale out half way through.
i guess i started to realize how much i've matured since last year during this time.
I wasn't jumping at every photo opp. and for the most part i didnt really even get out of the van to walk around
when given the chance. i think i just kinda wanted to soak it all in this year and not worry about pictures.
People actually walked into houses in the lower ninth ward with no invitation or anything which kind of angered me.
But as someone who knows i cannot control others' actions, i decided to step back and keep on walking.

by the way, i can't talk long. i had an incident earlier tonight and hit my head quite hard, so i'm
feeling kind of tired and dizzy so im only gonna update for another ten minutes then go to bed.

anyways. so we then came back to FUUNO at the end of the tour and at about 4:15 we started
a discussion with a few visitors who specifically came to talk to us about the race and class issues in New Orleans
it lasted two hours and was incredibly interesting. It was nice to get the full and naked truth about the situation
and not the edited, covered up, sugar coated crap that the media has been feeding us.
after that we had dinner with another group of volunteers and talked to them for awhile.
other than that we basically had the rest of the night off. we took advantage of that
and a bunch of us went down to the church gymnasium and played a series of games.
[i. e. ghost tag, dodge ball, etc.] which then turned into some sort of gladiator fights????
heh i dont really know. Kurt, amber, and i lead worship tonight where we did a series of amazing ice breakers.
where, during one of them, i hit my head on the floor trying to act as a rainbow? haha that sounds
rediculous but hey, it is me. plus, what do you expect from a bunch of teenagers at 11 o clock at night
playing games in a gymnasium? yeahhhhhh. alright well i must go to bed. I get to sleep in tomorrow
due to the fact that i dont actually have to go work until 1:00.
I'm working at the animal shelter tomorrow which should be quite an experience.
I will update you on that at a later time.

peace&love,
Leigh
that of

Tags: ouch. tour. mature.

>>Reporting From New Orleans!!!<<

location: co ed bunk room

mood:

accomplished

hey guys its leigh here!
okay so we have officially spent our first night in FUUNO
yesterday was incredibly intense. we arrived here at about noon and had no time to stop from there
we had lunch and had our orientation and stuff then went out for a night on the town
we went to the french quarter festival and then straight to the V Monologues
which were absolutely AMAZING! they were halarious and SO true and helped me admit to things
that i haven't been able to come to terms with yet. It was awesome.
that lasted until about midnight then we all came home and crashed.
I'm also overcoming my fear of heights here to =] i am sleeping on the top bunk
[being high up is one thing. Sleeping high up is something COMPLETELY different and possibly freakier!]
alright well i must go take a shower before the lines start forming for it
Plans for today consist of worship, the FUUNO church service, and the self guided tour
[a visit to the lower ninth ward. it should be interesting to see the changes or lack there of]

peace&love,
Leigh

Apr. 9th, 2008

t-minus 2 days...

Wow,
fundraising goals are met!
flights are booked, tickets purchased,
vans reserved,
space to stay reserved at FUUNO,
UU on site coordinator arranging our work assignments this week,
and the extended forecast looks perfect!

I'm so excited!

See ya' in the crescent city,
-Randy

Apr. 6th, 2008

>>Beginning of the last week in town<<

mood:

anxious

We are officially leaving for new orleans in 5 days about
we are meeting at the church on friday at 10:30
and out of there about 11...then we will drive to newerk [sp?]
we will actually get on the plane on saturday and head off
i will be sure to update the minute we get things set up
at FUUNO ^-^ <33333

Tags: 5 days till departure!

Posted at 09:29 pm | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Feb. 9th, 2008

>>newest updates<<

mood:

ecstatic

Okay, so the expected count has gone down. There will be about 17-19 people embarking on this great journey.
We have now had our first fundraiser which was a bake sale in the back of the great hall last week.
We did AMAZING on the funds. If I am correct, we made 350 dollars with just the bake sale.
As of right now, we are working on our letter writing campaign and we are doing Sundae Sunday tomorrow.
We are doing wonderful as of right now with everything & couldn't have gotten this far [350 doesn't seem that much but it is!]
without the help of all of our supporters in the Glens Falls & Schenectady congregations, along with
those of you who are supporting us from out of state!
Thank You SO Much!!! ^_^

<3always&forever,
Leigh Reineke

Tags: bakesale. 350. thankyou!

Posted at 02:03 pm | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend