December 2008

Second Harvest Food Bank, Beacon of Hope

In December, members were able to participate in two service projects. First, the Urban League College Track students and staff held a service day event at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Harahan, Louisiana and brought Literacy AmeriCorps members to help out and get to know the College Track students.  Ten students and four Literacy AmeriCorps members worked in the food bank helping out by unpacking various food donations, separating those food donations and then packaging them into boxes. Staff at Second Harvest informed us that during those few hours of working, the boxes that were filled were going to help feed 9,000 hungry families in the Greater New Orleans area.  Members also helped out at the Beacon of Hope in Lakeview for the second year in a row. The Beacon of Hope “provides a model for recovery in neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina, as well as other areas affected by disaster. Encouraging civic action, fostering repopulation, providing information and resources is the foundation on which we build and grow. Beacon of Hope empowers residents to facilitate their own recovery while providing a hub of resident driven activities and a safe environment to create the synergy essential for restoring viable neighborhoods and improve the overall quality of life for residents.” This year AmeriCorps members trimmed and pruned all of the trees in the neutral ground on Harrison Avenue between Canal St. and West End Blvd.  After cleaning up the trees, the members then planted a dozen new trees in the neutral ground.  The project was a fun and rewarding way to help continue the efforts of the people of the Lakeview neighborhood.