URBAN RENEWAL [New Orleans, LA]

[NEW ORLEANS, LA]

This Spring Break we will be going to New Orleans, Louisiana where we plan on volunteering in projects related to urban renewal. We have a fun trip planned ahead of us in which we are going to be working with Youth Rebuilding New Orleans; we plan on helping with landscaping, framing, carpentry among other similar activities. We will also volunteer at Luke’s House Clinic where we will be providing medical services to people who were hurt by Hurricane Katrina– many of which are currently homeless. Additionally, we plan on providing similar service with the American Red Cross. Due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the American Red Cross provides shelter and food to all those in need of such services. UNITY is another great non-profit organization that we are planning on volunteering with. UNITY provides a large array of volunteering opportunities that range from restoring houses to job skill training, all in effort of reducing or preventing homelessness. Lastly, we plan on eating at Cafe Reconcile, which provides jobs to young people who may live in poverty or in violent communities.

Cost: $450

MEET YOUR SITE LEADERS!

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Hello there! My name is Elsie Andrade, and I am currently a third year. I am majoring in Psychology and minoring in Accounting. I guess this is the part where I tell you a little about myself. I was born and raised in Los Angeles. In my spare time I enjoy going to the beach, hanging out with my friends, and watching shows on Netflix. I also love traveling, volunteering, and making new friends, which is why I loved Alternative Breaks. Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to participate in the San Juan, Texas trip. Although we were only there for a week, I was mesmerized by every activity that we participated in. Every person we met and every story we heard was an eye opening experience, and it allowed me to realize that there is a lot of work to be done in our community. This year James and I will be leading the New Orleans site, and we are working on a trip that will hopefully provide a distinct experience to you all.

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Hi, my name is James Le and I am a fourth year MIMG major. I enjoy eating good food, listening to good music, and playing video games. I play a LOT of video games. Aside from Alternative Breaks, I’m also part of the Mobile Clinic Project at UCLA and I am in a research lab studying C. elegans. For spring break last year, I went to San Juan in Texas to learn about immigration issues at the Texas-Mexico border. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and taught me many valuable lessons. More than anything, I’d like to work with people in any way I can, so urban renewal in New Orleans will be exciting! I’m not the most outdoorsy person, but I’m excited to get my hands dirty and eat some gumbo when I get to NOLA!