WHAT HAPPENED AFTER NEW ORLEANS (Days 6 & 7)
As told by Diana
Thursday morning the alarms started ringing and we all begrudgingly left our warm cocoons we had formed out of sleeping bags. The mid-week slump was hitting us, but as our minds started working again after a long Wednesday, we remembered how much we had to be excited about today, and before we even knew it we were bright eyed, bushy tailed, and ready to go.
Thursdays at Love In Action are makeup days, which means those who missed their scheduled date to pick up food could come in. It is also the designated new sign-up day, despite the fact they now take new sign-ups every day. We didn't know what to expect since every other day we had a set number of appointments ahead of time and knew pretty much how busy it would be. With little to no preconceived notion of what the day would hold, we walked through the doors ready to tackle whatever the day might throw at us.
We all split to our respective tasks; Lauren and I took the desks in the front office and everyone else headed to the back to start helping customers. Sitting at the desk on makeup day gave me a really neat insight into the amazing stories these people had because I got to talk to everyone who walked through the door. People, almost apologetically, explained to me how they had been sick, injured, working, had no ride, and so many other situations, as to why they had missed their scheduled appointment. This hurt my heart because we were grateful that these people got to come in and get the help they needed, I didn't want anyone apologizing, nor did I or any other volunteer care one bit they had missed their assigned date. As I continually told them, that's what make up days are for, all those situations you can't control.
One of the coolest moments of this trip thus far, in my opinion, was when a family of Spanish speakers came in. I was the first to talk to this group, as I tried to pull out my high school Spanish and failed terribly, our participant Robbie walked out. I didn't know that Robbie was fluent in Spanish, but as he started speaking to this family it became very clear. We all got to see something very cool happen as this family who explained they literally had no food got to go through the pantry, chat with Robbie, and get the groceries they so needed. As Robbie said later in the night, had we not been there, the two kids with them would not have eaten dinner. What a thought that is. If not for Love in Action and what they do, children would go to bed with empty stomachs. Robbie speaking Spanish and getting to have a real conversation with this family and help them out was such a blessing.
After our day at Love in Action we decided to go downtown to explore and eat dinner. We had the really great idea of taking a streetcar around to see what New Orleans had to offer…or so we thought. As we boarded the streetcar (a trolley on train tracks more or less) and took our seats we noticed it was a lot of locals. We then noticed the streetcar was taking us directly away from downtown and towards the house we are staying at, pretty much indicating this was a commuter streetcar. After a long ride that was much less scenic than we expected, we ended up in a cemetery and the conductor announced "Everyone off!" Now this was troublesome to us because we had paid our tickets already and expected to take this trolley directly back to where we had got on because that is where we were eating dinner and where our cars were parked. After some confusion and explaining we are from Missouri, we re-boarded the streetcar and got back to our start point. We then went to Deanie's, a local restaurant that serves potatoes instead of bread on the tables before dinner and got some authentic Cajun. All in all it was a good night. We then went home, had our reflections, and passed out, with the knowledge that tomorrow was our last day at Love in Action weighing heavy on our minds.
This morning we didn't have much of an issue getting out of bed because we were all excited to get back to Love in Action and put everything we had into our last day. We walked in with optimistic attitudes ready to work. We spent our day sorting, cleaning, and doing everything we possibly could to help Love In Action prepare for the coming week because the pantry does not actually serve customers on Fridays. Whether we were sorting clothes, spray painting coolers so they didn't look rusted, scrubbing freezers, or re stocking shelves, everyone was busy. We shared laughs with the workers who started as strangers at the beginning of the week, but are family now. We took in every moment and soaked in all the love and grace surrounding us in this amazing place that had become so much more than just a service site. I don't think I could even begin to put into words how much Love in Action has impacted each and every one of us on this trip, I can however say I don't think any of us will leave this week the same person we were coming into it.
The person who embodies Love in Action more than any other is Ms. Gail. This woman is everything everyone should strive to be. She knows every person who walks through the door by name. She showed us what it means to serve with a happy heart this week. Ms. Gail puts everything she has and more into this cause, this organization, and every person around her. I admire her in so many ways and I know I am not alone in that.
We all knew the clock was ticking and the end of the day was coming, but none of us wanted to accept it. Pretty soon Ms. Gail was telling us it was time to leave. There was this heavy feeling in the air, as we knew when we walked out those doors, it wasn't just for the night. The people we worked with had become family. The people we served had become family. We as a group had become family. This all happened because of Love In Action. The goodbye was tear filled to say the least.
As a group we keep talking about how we don't know how were going to convey to the people back in Columbia what this week, this organization, and these people all meant to us. How can you explain an experience that changed your heart in this way? I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell them exactly what Love in Action means to me, but I do know I can show them the love I felt in that place. I know I can keep Ms. Gail in the back of my mind and strive to be more like her in everything I do. I know I can carry this week in my heart, and I think that will convey what it meant more than anything else. As we drive away from New Orleans tomorrow and arrive home in Columbia, the week may be over, but the service is really just beginning.
No comments:
Post a Comment