On Sunday we started the morning with beignets at Café du Monde. This is a staple of New Orleans that brings people in from near and far to try these delicious French pastries and amazing coffee. The line is always long and the tables are always covered in a thick white blanket of powdered sugar but the deliciousness is worth it all. I tried these amazing pastries last year for the first time and I could not wait to go back!
After a nice sugar rush, a bit of a wander to check out the art in the surrounding area, and a few group photos, we made our way over to the Lower Ninth Ward. This was the area of New Orleans that was hit worst by Katrina and even four and half years later, the devastation is still there. Last year I had the amazing opportunity to come on this trip and work in the Lower Ninth with seven other students from Santa Clara. We cleared a yard that had not been touched since the hurricane and the rest of the week was spent painting a home. Not only were we able to give back to this family that needed our help, we were able to create a lifelong friendship with the family’s close friend Wayne. Throughout this past year, I have kept in contact with him and when I decided to help lead the trip this year, there was no question about the fact that I was going to reconnect with Wayne.
Wayne met with our group at his mother’s home, the place he was when Katrina hit. He shared with our group how him and his brother fought for their lives during the storm, pulled themselves through the water across the street on a telephone line to get food at their neighbor’s house, and remained on the roof of their childhood home for three days until they were rescued. After we heard his story, he kindly drove around with us pointing out different places in the Lower Ninth. He also showed us where the levees broke and a swamp that he used to get crab from when he was a kid.
He spent his Sunday afternoon letting us take a small glimpse into his life. The images that he described of his experience will forever remain in my mind. Although I knew his story from last year, it was incredible that he was willing to open up to the whole group and let us all feel the reality of the disaster. All of us know that Katrina was catastrophic. All of us saw the pictures on the news and read the stories of the thousands of victims. But, it is not real until you have a chance to hear someone speak candidly about their struggles during and after the hurricane.
This part of the trip was a priceless experience that I will forever be indebted to Wayne for making the situation real to all of us. He is and always will be a lifelong friend and I can only thank this beautiful city for letting me have the chance to create this friendship. He gave everyone a memorable experience that they will take with them as they continue on this week and that will remain long after we head back to California.
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