March 2008

Earthfest and Sheriff Gusman's Easter Egg Hunt

Earthfest, an annual event at the New Orleans Zoo focuses on improving the earth and highlighting organizations in the city with this goal, was a well attended event at the New Orleans zoo. Organizations around New Orleans set up tables with information and activities. AmeriCorps members helped to run the table for the Children’s Room of the New Orleans Public Library and R.U.B.A.R.B. Bike Shop. All in attendance had a great time. Also on March 22, 2008, AmeriCorps members volunteered their time at the fly for Sheriff Gusman's annual Easter Egg Hunt. Members volunteered by painting children’s faces for the day.

February 2008

Martin Luther King Day of Service and Black History Month

For the Martin Luther King Day of National Service Literacy* AmeriCorps members helped support a variety of programs throughout the Greater New Orleans area ranging from building a deck at Fredrick Douglass high school to helping map the St. Roch Neighborhood to participating in the Celebration of Cultures event held at Lakeside mall. During these events, members were able to help carry on MLK's dedication to service and see the variety of projects occurring throughout the city.

Also in February, Literacy* AmeriCorps members participated in a variety of Black History events organized by the African American Resource Center at the New Orleans Public Library. On Saturday February 15th, 2008, members met at the Alvar Library Branch in the Bywater for Family Day. Members worked at face painting booths, watched African Dancers, and heard a traditional story teller. Members also participated in a genealogy workshop held at the Main Branch of the New Orleans Public Library.

January 2008

RUBARB Bike Shop

AmeriCorps members spent a chilly Saturday morning and afternoon at Rusted Up Beyond All Recognition Bikes (R.U.B.A.R.B.), a bike shop where you can earn a bike, hang out, fix your bike, make art, volunteer, build a bike, and help others. Members spent the day stripping bikes, working with local kids who were much more knowledgeable about bikes than us, and making baskets out of old bike tires. The beauty about R.U.B.A.R.B. is that it is a community bike shop, meaning all are welcome. It gives kids a place to go and something productive to do where their hard work goes into something tangible. Literacy* AmeriCorps New Orleans is very lucky to have had member Liz Lichtman who was one of the co-founders of R.U.B.A.R.B. provide us with this amazing service project.

December 2007

Book Give Away at the Children's Room

Literacy* AmeriCorps members got into the holiday spirit by wrapping and then giving away 140 children's books at the children’s room in the main branch of the New Orleans Public Library on Saturday, December 15th, 2007. During the book give away party, members read holiday themed books, helped kids make pop-up art holiday cards for their loved ones, and enjoyed some festive cookies, punch, and pretzels.

November 2007

One Book One New Orleans

Throughout the fall Literacy* AmeriCorps work to support the One Book One New Orleans project, which tries to gets the greater New Orleans community to focus on literacy and connect to each other through sharing in reading one book. Members participated in and brought their students to variety of events throughout the city. One event that was a focus occurred on Thursday, November 15th, 2007. Members attended the “Meet the Authors” event at Dillard University, celebrating the 2007 one book Coming Out the Door for the Ninth Ward, by the Nine Times Social and Pleasure Club. Literacy AmeriCorps members also incorporated the book into lessons with their students. The nine times pleasure and social club, the authors of the book, celebrated the end of 2007 One Book One New Orleans, with their annual Second Line parade. Literacy* AmeriCorps members and their students participated in the parade as well!

October 2007

YES! Learning Center Library Review

AmeriCorps members met early on Saturday, October 27th, 2007 to spend the day helping the YMCA’s Education Services (YES!) learning center located at the main branch of the New Orleans Public Library organizing books and materials to be used for tutoring the students at the center. This included determining whether the materials were out of date and helping to categorize the materials so the site could access them in a more effective manner.