FOLLENTEERS IN NEW ORLEANS: A service trip (adults) to NOLA is planned for November 7 – November 14. Volunteers are responsible for their transportation and lodging ($20/night) costs, as well as shared food & van expenses. We’ll be staying at the volunteer center at FUUNO. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Ann Schauffler: 781-861-7689 or at aschauffler@rcn.com
The Long Haul
Please raise your hand if you went on the rebuilding trip to New Orleans in April. Keep them up, please.
Please raise your hand if you’ve ever gone down on a rebuilding trip.
Please raise your hand if you made and sold soup at hospitality to raise money for rebuilding.
Please raise your hand if you bought soup to help raise money for rebuilding.
Please raise your hand if you intend to buy soup in the future to fund another trip.
Remember that our rebuilders are the just the tip of the iceberg. It takes a whole community effort to accomplish what Follen does in the Gulf Coast.
G’morning all y’all—-
Last night’s meeting in the courtyard was to give “props” which is always a good thing to do. We also talked about re-entry and read Ed Vail’s “Hand-Off of Love and Caring. “
It’s wonderful to see the friendships that have emerged and strengthened through the course of this week—between youth and adults, between adults, between youth. You can’t help it. Working side by side with a common purpose, knowing that every driven screw , cut sheet-rock, de-nailed piece of board, painted wall, etc. is contributing to the recovery of a city, and bringing people closer to being home.
Greetings all y’all—
Another gorgeous morning New Orleans!!
Yesterday was a terrific day for our crews. Everyone is feeling so good about their work. It’s so satisfying to focus on tasks and see results. In addition having contact with home owners and neighbors—(and even the nice folks at Home Depot) adds a much valued dimension to the day. Miss Jamillah came to her house on Joliet Street. She met (and hugged) all the youth and adults. She had called David earlier to tell him she’d be late because she was delivering a baby (in her role as a midwife). It was a healthy girl—and the baby’s father, a contractor, was commenting that he was kind of hoping he’d be able to put a tool belt on his child, but now…..at which point Miss Jamillah said, “You sure can! You should come over to my house and see what the girls are doing there!!!”
Day One: Saturday, April 15th, 2006
The vans were loaded last evening (thanks to Ann Schauffler who did all that work to acquire adequate transportation at affordable rates), and in the predawn hours of the morning, we rose and made coffee and made the misty drive to Lexington. And we were all there at the agreed upon Saturday morning departure time (!!!!!!), to meet, greet, and pack in those last few ‘personal’ things. The vans are full of people and stuff. Of the 13 traveling this morning, 6 are under 18, and the others a mix of middle aged adults.
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Believe those who seek the truth; doubt those who find it.
