Hi,
I coordinated a Seattle group that just got back from New Orleans last week. Before going I researched about 12 different organizations in New Orleans and decided that Katrina Corps best fit the needs of our volunteers. We really appreciated the hospitality of the Katrina Corps coordinators. They were willing to drive us anywhere we needed to go and made sure we had amazing cultural excursions while we were in New Orleans.
Our first-hand experiences definitely had a big impact on all of us. We blogged our trip on our Seattle Works website. One of our volunteers did a radio broadcast from with a local radio station while in New Orleans and also got a local newspaper to publish a story on our trip. King Five News (a Seattle news station) wrote a blog about our trip on their website. We are having a re-orientation with the group to talk more about our experiences and how we’ve passed on what we have learned to others.
…The trip was an experience of a lifetime and I wish everyone could experience it first-hand. The issues in New Orleans are so complex… there are no quick fixes. It’s just going to take a lot of hard work and caring people in order to restore the community. Once people experience New Orleans and fall in love with the city it’s hard to turn away from what has/ is happening there.
Thank you Katrina Corps for opening our eyes!,
Tara
Tara, Volunteer Coordinator