Krewe de St. Viv

Tim- Jan-Julie- Hannah- Austen- Noel- Rylie- Gabe- Ian… the names by which we call the awesome folks from St. Vivian Church up in the great state of Ohio.  A 12-seater van containing lots of luggage, excited teens and their gracious chaperones careened its way down I-65 bound for New Orleans, LA.  We were privileged to host a few familiar faces, one of them being quite possibly the top HH2G recruiter we know! (ahem…Gabe ) .
Though exhausted from their travels, they nonetheless plunged right into work on Monday morning, spending most of the day assisting at Garden on Marais.  The remainder of the week they furthered the progress on Albert Franklin’s home.  So many of our volunteers have poured their love and hard labor into Mr. Franklin’s home, and it’s well on its way to completion!

Krewe de St. Viv… we expect to see your smiling faces here again next summer!

Lyrical Laborers

Hark!  Is that singing I hear?  It is indeed- the sound of voices blasting out tunes while working hard on the job.  If we had to give a summary of this team from UCF Catholic Campus Ministries, we'd have to say they go about their work of serving others with an infectious joy.  This group of college students (many of them having graduated 2 days before leaving for New Orleans) continued work on Garden on Marais, as well as Albert Franklin's home.  As with previous teams who have worked on Mr. Franklin's home, these guys ended their week on a high note after spending time with Mr. Franklin and gleaning from his encouragement, gratitude, and life.

The crew that worked on Garden on Marais accomplished much to further the function and future role of the garden in the surrounding community.  We extend a thanks to all volunteers past and present that have poured their hard work into helping this garden take shape.  I'm proud to announce that we have beautiful tomatoes growing, as well as basil and arugula.  Tomatoes are especially hard to grow down here, so they seem to taste especially delicious.  Perhaps next time you are here you can feast on the fruits of your hard labor!

March Madness 2013

Way up in Indiana people identify March Madness as a month of competitive groups of athletes projecting a ball through a hoop… but in New Orleans it means a whirlwind month of volunteers flooding through the city, doing good and enjoying the sights.  This March HH2G hosted no less than 120 volunteers, and boy was it fun!  University of Central Florida, St. Louis University, University Baptist Church, Indiana University, and First Baptist Woodway joined forces to further the work on the homes of Mr. Albert Franklin, Mr. Earl, and Mr. Julius Sanchez.  These hard workers also conquered the job of tearing up the grass at Garden on Marais, which is another big step in restoring the grounds for growing food and educating folks.  These volunteer teams were comprised of junior high, senior high, and college students, all united with the purpose of serving and uplifting the residents of New Orleans.
Thanks to every volunteer that came to work with HH2G this March.  It was a pleasure hosting you all.

Nearly 8 years after Katrina there is still much to be done in the way of rebuilding homes, but there are plenty of new projects awaiting volunteers as well.  So HH2G veterans, don’t hesitate to come back soon!  And newbies, there are wonderful experiences awaiting you here in New Orleans, so come on down (or up, or over) for a service trip!
We look forward to seeing you all!

We're baaaaaaak!

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls,
we at HH2G hope this post finds you and yours happy, healthy, and enjoying the first few weeks of this new year! It's been a while since we've updated our blog- the Christmas season kept us busy, as I'm sure it did all you.  However, we are back on our game, ready to move forward in 2013. 
Before we move on though, I want to shout a thanks to the two UCF students (you know who you are) that spent their time here working hard, as well as the Indiana University team that was here the week before Christmas.  Thanks for all your hard work!  We hope to see you again this spring!  AND we hope to see every single person reading this note in New Orleans this year- and bring a friend (or 10)!

Giving Thanks

2 turkeys 
cornbread stuffing 
sweet potato casserole w/candied pecans 
garlic mashed potatoes w/gravy 
homemade dinner rolls 
gussied up green beans 
ham 
homemade pecan pie 
homemade pumpkin pie complete with whipped cream.... 

 these are a few of my favorite things! 

This year I paced myself.  Even in the midst of the young 17 yr. old seated to my right who heaped her plate high... TWICE!... and among gentlemen who went back for 4ths... I, Suzanne Duvall, defeated the gluttonous appeal of the Thanksgiving feast and paced myself.  My coveted reward was a full and not the least bit angry belly.  I added my full and happy belly to a list of what I am thankful for. 

Here are just a few of the items on my list (in no specific order):

A close family- of blood and of heart

My puppy dog Ginger and her frisbee ;) 

Modern bathroom facilities

Redemption and chances to move forward

Warmth

Thunderstorms

Soft green grass to lay in

Hilarious moments

Nieces and Nephews

Unspoiled food

Children and all their sillyness

Peaceful slumber

Music

Vacations

What are you thankful for this year?  

  

$$ Cha-Ching! $$

Roots:
* Post-Katrina, property was donated to Elan Ministries - a large gutted warehouse building and the land surrounding it.
* Just a few short years ago the staff of Elan Ministries dreamed about developing a garden in a neighborhood that was in need of access to fresh foods. 
* Around the time of dreaming of the garden, Kayla Miller returned from Germany and expressed the desire to grow foods... she jumped in on the dreaming phase.

Blossoms:
The Garden on Marais is now up and functioning- thanks to the hard work of gardener Kayla Miller, founder Teresa Reiger, Larry Swift, and the support of the rest of Elan staff and all of the volunteers that put their time and sweat into projects on the garden.
Last Friday, Kayla completed a milestone for her work at the garden- she made her first sale!  Three pounds of okra were planted, grown, harvested, and taken by Kayla herself to the Holleygrove Market and Farm, where they were sold to patrons of the market.
Congratulations Kayla!

  

Holiday Helpers

In the past 7 years that HH2G has existed, I can recall only 2 or 3 of those Decembers where we hosted volunteers.  Christmas is such a busy time of the year in America and there's not always time to break away to serve in another state!  (The good news is, even though people are not coming to serve with HH2G during the Christmas season, many are serving in their own communities!)
THIS year, however, we've got some crazy college students coming to work during the 2 weeks prior to Christmas.  The University of Central Florida has graced us with their presence these last two years in March, and has scheduled their winter service trip to work again with HH2G.  As an observer of this team for two trips now, I can honestly say that they know how to have some fun!  I propose:  an  
UGLY Christmas Sweater Contest!!!

(no offense to the wearer of this terrible costume ;)

 Ken, Larry (HH2G Director), and I (Suzanne, Hospitality) will be the judges.  Home made ones get extra points in my vote :-D

And for their 3rd trip with HisHands2Go, we welcome the Y'all crew from Indiana University!  These folks are coming down from my neck of the woods... (where does that phrase come from anyways?).
This time of year they are enjoying the mid-western fall season with leaves changing into gorgeous colors.
Well, we ain't got none o' those changin colors here.  Green is our year-round color, and while green is beautiful, it sure doesn't compare to the collage of colors the mid-western states can produce in Autumn.

I seem to have gotten sidetracked....
Back on track!  I was in the middle of saying how much we look forward to Y'all coming down.  They are a large team on a mission to get some work done and touch the lives of those they are assisting.  So far they have accomplished that mission and more.  We look forward to seeing Y'all in just a few short months!!!

One last thought... we (as in the team leaders and myself), could create an initiation into the HH2G experience by involving cockroaches in some manner... talk amongst yourselves, let me know ;)