Planning and attending service projects comprise a central part of a Literacy*AmeriCorps member's service year. All members are required to engineer a community service project during their year of service. Additionally, members are required to participate in at least one service project per month, but full time members are encouraged to participate in two or more.
Beach Clean Up in Cameron Parish
by Sarah H. Hall
Several Literacy AmeriCorps members woke up around 3:30 am on Saturday, June 5th, to drive
several hours to Cameron Parish, south of Lake Charles, to participate in a Beach Clean-up. The
Clean-up was a preemptive action in response to the potential landing of oil to the area. GRIT
and BP provided all volunteers with required equipment (gloves, trash bags, shovels, bug spray,
sunscreen, etc.), a 30-minute safety lesson prior to the event, and disposal for the trash collected.
Once gathered, members were transported via 4-wheelers to different “stations” along the beach.
The day consisted of removing debris, both natural and anthropogenic, from the shoreline to
make the removal of oil less difficult and reduce the amount of hazardous material that would
have to be disposed of once affected by the oil spill. In addition to picking up trash, members
participated in raking and moving the organic debris from the waterline to past the high tide line.
There was no handling of any oil contaminated material or wildlife by the volunteers, due to the
intense training and safety hazards associated with such tasks.
The beach cleanup, as we all know, was an effort among many in the oil spill disaster. The
Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion, which occurred on April 20, has been described as
the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. The effects, while obvious, are still vastly
unknown. The magnitude of this crisis will haunt not only the Gulf Coast region, but all life on
this planet, for years and years to come.
Play Date at the Urban League Early Head Start Center
By Esther Alexis
On Friday, May 21 several AmeriCorps members met at the Literacy Alliance headquarters at Loyola to wrap books and decorate goodie bags to distribute to students at the Urban League Early Head Start center.
Soon after on Friday, May 28 AmeriCorps members Sarah H., Jan, Jonathon, Gail, Kalynd, Jennie, Laura joined Esther and Melissa, as well as the staff of the ULEHS and its students for a pajama jam and service project. Adorned in Toy Story, Thomas the Engine, Princess and the Frog and striped pajama wear students were eager to show Corps members a typical day at the Urban League. Grasping the adult-sized hands of Corps members and embarking on the day’s events, the toddlers enjoyed story after story, hugs, dancing and hopping around. After exhausting the indoor activities the group made way outside to the yard to ride bicycles, honeybee cars and trucks. While Corps members chased students through the maze of mobile mechanisms the service project goals of providing students with an unforgettable play date was successfully attained. Thank you to all AmeriCorps members who participated in this 2-part service project, to the staff at the ULEHS and to the families of the ULEHS for providing us with the opportunity to work with your incredible children.
Hope House Apartment Painting
By Laura Klein
On Saturday, May 27th, Literacy AmeriCorps members participated in the Hope House Apartment Painting service project. Several members spent the day painting the outside of Hope House's low-income apartments, including Kathy Bailey, Antoinette Spillers, Ethan Seabury-Kolod, Jan Jugran, Domonique Dickerson, and Laura Klein. There was also one non-AmeriCorps volunteer. All the participants found the project to be quite therapeutic. The project was led by Patrick Stevenson, a lively Hope House employee who maintains the organization's properties. Due to the hard work of AmeriCorps members, Hope House can soon offer the apartments to low-income neighborhood residents.
AmeriCorps members lend Habitat for Humanity a helping hand!
By Kathy Bailey
On May 8, a group of seven AmeriCorps members and spouses (Chris, Esther, Ethan, Jonathan and Nancy, Catherine and Andrew) joined Kathy at a construction site in New Orleans East to help build a house with Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Orleans. Kathy and Nancy installed siding on a house that was almost complete, struggling with hammering over their heads. The others started by clearing an adjacent site of construction debris and mixing mortar in large batches. This was hard, rough work in the hot sun, but once the mortar was ready, work got much more precise. Laying concrete blocks for the foundation required lasers and levels and a lot of patience. For AmeriCorps members used to reading and teaching, it was a humbling, but fun experience.
Fifi Island Tree Planting
By Laura Klein
On Friday, April 16th, three AmeriCorps members, along with three other volunteers, drove down to Fourchon Beach. The group had decided to camp out the night before participating in the Fifi Island Mangrove Planting service project, right off of Grand Isle. Participating AmeriCorps members were Esther Alexis, Jennie Merrill, and Laura Klein. After spending the night on the beach and sleeping in tents, the members woke up the next morning and drove to Grand Isle, where they would catch a boat to Fifi Island. At Fifi Island, the volunteers trudged through the wetlands, planting mangrove trees and other native species. Members got dirty and worked hard, and we could see the progress we had made when we had planted everything. The project, which was organized by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, provided lunch and a brief education about the island and plant life. Overall, it was a great project.
Build-A-Book Workshop
By Kalynd Kryza
Saturday, April 10th 2010 10am - 2pm
Project: A hand-sewn book construction session to benefit the YES! Learning Center and participants. The book build was an artistic outlet for Literacy Americorps and benefited the learning center by having handmade journals donated to inspire students creative writing, journaling, drawing, etc.
What we did:
I gave a basic tutorial on hand sewn bookbinding. Participants each hand sewed and glued new bookblocks into recycled, gutted book jackets. They either donated their book to the YES! learning center or took it home along with the bookbinding skill to pass along to others.
Those who attended:
Esther Alexis, Kathy Bailey, Phyllis Gallagher, Margaret Hull, Jan Jugran, and Laura Klein
Why it was fun:
The book build turned out better than I could have imagined. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun and enjoy learning the new skill. It was great to be in a small group doing something
creative and getting to know my fellow americorps members in a relaxed setting. Even if participants didn’t donate a book, it felt great to pass along this skill with the hopes it may be
able to connect future learners to the book creation process. The only thing I would change in the future is to have students involved. It might be difficult as it’s a very hands-on project
and the group needs to be kept small, but it would be wellworth it!
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 2010
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has been one of the brightest jewels in New Orleans's crown since its inception in 1970. In addition to its wealth of phenomenal music and food, the festival generates invaluable revenue for the New Orleans economy as well as an inestimable pride for its citizens. AmeriCorps members participate annually because JazzFest is not just a festival but an important community event that employs residents, local businesses, and members of the arts community. Volunteer support is essential, and AmeriCorps is happy to meet this need. This 2010 JazzFest saw participation from fifteen of the twenty-three members of Literacy*AmeriCorps who all worked shifts in one of the three official JazzFest t-shirt booths. After a relentlessly rainy opening day, the weather cleared, members got the hang of t-shirt tossing, and many hours of food, fun, and more food were enjoyed by all -- inside and outside of the booth. Perks included free entry to the festival on shift days for all volunteers as well as free t-shirts and commemorative drinking glasses for members who volunteered at least fifteen hours throughout the duration of the festival.
Community Gardening Day
By Margaret Hull
On Friday, April 2, members helped out at Mid-City Community Garden from 9am to 1pm. The members present included Margaret, Kathy, Kalynd, Jan, Antoinette, Jonathan, Melissa, and Esther. Antoinette also brought along a group of Loyola girls.
We were first given a tour by Brock, the founder of the garden. He introduced us to the different plants growing in raised beds, the water collection system, and the chickens. Brock informed us about raised bed gardening as well as the plants specifically, including carrots, broccoli, potatoes, arugula and many others. We learned about the membership program, which allows participants to receive a share of the vegetables and eggs. Members pay monthly based on their involvement in the garden. Brock also supports his community by dropping off bags of food on his neighbor’s doorsteps.
We were all assigned tasks and then divided into pairs. The projects included planting cucumber seeds, harvesting carrots and broccoli, transplanting smaller plants, and cutting and bagging produce for distribution. After we were all done, Brock gave us a tour of a nearby garden that is in the beginning stages. His passion for growing food and sharing it with his community is so evident and it certainly rubbed off on me. I left the project feeling inspired and uplifted.
SULA Foundation, Bywater Bark Market
by Sarah H. Hall
Literacy AmeriCorps members spent several hours of their day on Saturday, March 20th, at the Bywater Barkmarket, volunteering on behalf of the SULA Foundation. The SULA Foundation is an organization that is dedicated to fostering responsible pit bull ownership through low-cost veterinary clinics, education, adoption, and advocacy. Their mobile vaccination clinic attracted a total of 59 dogs (34 Pit Bulls) from the local community, and was a huge success. The Barkmarket had several vendors, other local rescue groups and veterinarian clinics, and the Hot 8 Brass Band making an appearance. It was a beautiful day with many locals coming out to have their dog(s) vaccinated or just to enjoy the market, and there was a dog contest with a raffle and a celebratory cake for SULA’s second anniversary as an organization.
As volunteers, the Corps helped set up their different tables, passed out flyers to educate the community with information regarding the accurate behavior and temperament of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed, helped with intake forms for the vaccination clinic, and ran the dog-washing station, in which our Corps bathed over 24 dogs, with all proceeds benefiting SULA, and ultimately all the dogs that they affect as an organization. It was a successful event, and the Corps’ help made a huge impact on what the organization was able to accomplish. Thanks to SULA, and to everyone who came out to volunteer!
Franklin Avenue Baptist Church Food Ministry
On February 27, 2010, a group of AmeriCorps members provided volunteer services for the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church food ministry. This ministry hands out food to the homeless, the elderly, and the needing families throughout the community. The group members provided assistance within various areas through out the church. For example: (signing people in on the waiting list, preparing bags of dry, frozen, and perishable goods.) The AmeriCorps members also assisted the members of the church with cleaning, and the storing of the remaining food items. This is an ongoing process with the church. The food is handed out to the community on the forth Saturday of every month between the hours of 8:00am to 12:00pm. Project leader member Gladys Small was told by Ms. Barbara Washington that they really appreciated all of the help that we had provided.
MLK DAY: A Day ON not OFF!
Bring Back Nature II, Camp Hope, Smauel J Green Charter School
By Anotinette Spillers, Kathy Bailey, and Gail Eugene
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, our memebrs volunteered at three different project around the city. On Saturday, January 16th, we participated in the annual MLK Day of Service, with the Bring Nature Back II. The event, sponsored by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, took place at the Audubon’s Nature Center, which is located in Eastern New Orleans. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the nature center was a premier area for studying Louisiana’s natural resources, geology and our fascinating solar system. Volunteers came from all over the city, in
which we spent the day planting new trees, in order to restore its natural habitat. It was muddy, cloudy and cold but all the volunteers kept a high spriit and plant over a hundred of
trees. LITERACY AMERICORPS: BE WORDY GETTING DIRTY, YEAH!!!
Camp Hope is a volunteer camp that was previosly run by Habitat For Humanity and located in the former Beauregard Middle School in Violet in St. Bernard Parish. When Beauregard was decommisioned last year, they relocated to another former school located in Arabi, where they are now funded by the Parish. They just re-opened for volunteers in early January, but still had work to do. They sent out a request to all former guests/residents to come help on Martin Luther King Day. There were over 50 volunteers there -- some doing planting out in the parish and some helping with Camp Hope itself. LAC member Kathy Bailey stayed at Camp Hope and helped clear out and clean up the entrance and moved a load of potted trees and plants. She also helped clean up inside in the large room to be used as a cafeteria and meeting place.
Member Gail Eugene volunteered at the Samuel J. Green Charter Middle School. She sorted lost items and help set-up the computer lab equipment. Others, work on the school veggie garden, did spot painting, and other projects the school needed.
Holiday Angels Bring Cheer to Local Children
The December service project took on a merry glow as AmeriCorps members brought Christmas cheer to the children of the Urban League Early Head Start Program on Rampart Street (member Esther Alexis‘ site). With Benji Lee serving as Santa Claus(pictured left), twenty little ones were treated to several gifts, treats and story readings. While the children were a little shy at first, Santa was patient and friendly, and by the end of the event, he’d become a new friend. In addition to Santa, many AmeriCorps members participated as Santa’s elves, handing out gifts, reading and playing with the children. Kudos go out to everyone who helped with this fun event, from our gift wrappers to Santa himself. Kevin Planchett, who organized the event, should be thanked for her hard work in getting donations so that all of the children (and some of their siblings) were supplied with books and an array of others gifts.
Dragon Cafe
On December 16, 2009 AmeriCorps Members partnered with Hands On New Orleans and visited the St. Georges Episcopal Church’s famous Dragon Café Feeding Ministry. The Dragon Café was established in the fall of 2005 during the early days of recovery following Hurricane Katrina. Hot meals are served two (2) nights a week to the local community and all that’s seeking food or even just good conversation. We sang songs, washed dishes, and served between 50-70 meals that day! On a regular day, the café serves between 75-125 meals when open. If anyone is seeking information concerning this famous café, please e-mail them at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call the Ministry Director, Mr. Stan Jahncke at (504) 899-2811 ext. 208.
ABOVE: Members Gail Eugene, the organizer of the service project, and Domonique Dickerson pose for a quick picture while prepping for the upcoming meal.
The 4th Annual Kaboom Playground Build
The 4th Annual Kaboom Playground Build, sponsored by State Farm and Bayou Classics, took place on Friday, November 27th (better known as Black Friday), at Mary Coghill Elementary School. This school, located in historic Gentilly neighborhood, suffered extensive damages from Hurricane Katrina, resulting in the demolishment of the original structure. The school currently serves grades Pre-K through 8th grade, operating in numerous portable trailers. Nearly 200 volunteers from the local communities, AmeriCorps members, Louisiana National Guard, and State Farm employees, came out to build and redevelop a new space tp play for the students. (Antoinette Spillers organized our attendence at this event but managed to get away with a photo. Instead pictured left is Laura Klein working hard on the play ground!)
The event started with acknowledgments from the staff and warm up cheers from the cheerleaders. The volunteers performed numerous tasks, such as building the playground, moving a million pounds of moss, mixing a thousand pounds of cements, and building a shed and picnic tables, just to name a few. There was a DJ holding it down on the ones and twos, helping to keep all the volunteers energetic! Of course, all service projects include some sort of fun activity, in which the volunteers took a short 10 minutes break to do the Cupid Shuffle. At the end of the day, the students were very grateful and excited for their new play space and all the volunteers felt amazing for bettering the lives of young children.
Literacy*AmeriCorps 
