![\"306319_187763601291919_3790704_n\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2015\/05\/306319_187763601291919_3790704_n-300x225.jpg\")
![\"305369_187763667958579_8129404_n\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2015\/05\/305369_187763667958579_8129404_n-300x225.jpg\")
![\"294147_187763827958563_2035183_n\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2015\/05\/294147_187763827958563_2035183_n-300x199.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHurricane Katrina\u00a0devastated New Orleans on August 29, 2005. \u00a0Having grown up in Florida, I’ve seen my share of Hurricanes and hurricane damage. \u00a0But this was different. \u00a0I had never seen anything like what was happening in New Orleans. \u00a0On August 27, 2006, almost one year to the day that Katrina hit New Orleans, a group of friends and I headed down to New Orleans.<\/p>\n
Hotels were offering unheard of rates – we stayed at the Renaissance New Orleans Pere Marquette for $79\/night. \u00a0When we arrived, we immediately saw that nothing was on the first floor of the hotel \u00a0– it was completely empty. \u00a0Everything had been moved to higher floors. \u00a0Check-in was on the third floor in an area that I think had been convention or meeting space. \u00a0A bar and restaurant were open on that floor as well.<\/p>\n
We had pre-arranged to volunteer at the Aubrey Hepburn\u00a0Children\u2019s Advocacy Center part of the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. \u00a0The Center treated children who had been victims of sexual abuse and was a one-of-a-kind facility. \u00a0The center had suffered in the year following the hurricane. \u00a0 It looked like time had stood still. \u00a0The trees and bushes had overgrown and taken over all the flower beds. Screens were torn and ripped still. \u00a0It was not a welcoming place for abused children.<\/p>\n
We spent a long weekend cutting down branches, moving dirt, cutting back foliage and planting new flowers and plants to help make the center more welcoming for children and their families.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Before the trip, we spent a lot of time asking our friends and colleagues to make donations – and boy, did they ever. \u00a0We had a lot of money with us to be used at Home Depot. \u00a0 The city felt like it was deserted. \u00a0There were abandoned cars everywhere and thousands of\u00a0trailers in front of houses. \u00a0 We spent hours in the heat of August rebuilding as much as we could.<\/p>\n
During our trip, we learned a lot about ourselves and cemented friendships that to this day have not\u00a0wavered. \u00a0The experience was one that no one has forgotten. \u00a0I remember it like it was yesterday and yet we were there 14\u00a0years ago. \u00a0A few of the things that impacted me profoundly was the gratitude of the people still living and working in the area. \u00a0Everyone was suffering a year after the storm and they were positive and trying to move forward.<\/p>\n
During the cleanup, we took a trip to Home Depot. \u00a0When we arrived at Home Depot near the Tulane campus we saw police cars and police tape around the store. \u00a0We learned that there had been an attempted murder at the gas station next door and the victim had run into Home Depot for help. \u00a0I think she later died. \u00a0It was a surreal scene. \u00a0A horrible crime had taken place, no one seemed to care and people kept shopping at Home Depot like nothing out of the ordinary had\u00a0occurred.<\/p>\n
You could still see the evidence of the storm everywhere and it was our job to fix one small piece of the world. \u00a0We felt like we accomplished a lot and the center looked like a different place when we were done.<\/p>\n
![\"313825_187763511291928_1126991_n\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2015\/05\/313825_187763511291928_1126991_n-300x225.jpg\")
![\"321076_187763571291922_7627674_n\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2015\/05\/321076_187763571291922_7627674_n-300x199.jpg\")
![\"312767_187763794625233_8078529_n\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2015\/05\/312767_187763794625233_8078529_n-300x225.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
After volunteering at the center, we spent several hours driving around the city. \u00a0For the majority of the car ride, we sat in silence. Even though I felt like I had made a huge difference for the Child Advocacy Center, I felt like there was so much more that needed to be done. \u00a0I couldn’t believe that things had sat untouched for a whole year.<\/p>\n
What I gained from this experience? \u00a0I learned a whole lot about myself and how lucky I am. \u00a0I also discovered how rewarding it can be to volunteer on vacation. \u00a0You get to make an impact on a part of the country or world where you’re visiting. \u00a0During this trip I also formed bonds and fostered friendships with people that will absolutely last a lifetime. \u00a0Fourteen\u00a0year’s later and I’m still friends with both of the people I volunteered with, and\u00a0one of the two people is one of my best friends and someone I would trust my life with.<\/p>\n
Another thing that I decided after this trip was that I would volunteer on vacation again. And I did just that after the Tsunami that leveled some of the Thai Islands. \u00a0I went to Phuket and Khao Lak exactly 2 years after the Tsunami. In December of 2005 \u00a0just months after volunteering in New Orleans, I went to Thailand for holiday. \u00a0There was still evidence of the Tsunami, but what surprised me most, was how much progress had been made compared to how little had been made in New Orleans.<\/p>\n
I decided while in Thailand to help a local school. \u00a0I bought a ton of school supplies to donate and made a small cash donation. \u00a0Since there were children around, I was asked not\u00a0to take photos. \u00a0The building had been rebuilt and while it needed a lot of books and supplies, structurally you wouldn’t have known there had been a tsunami a year ago.<\/p>\n
One of the things that did change for me on this trip was my desire to\u00a0bargain\u00a0with the locals. Traditionally in Thailand you can negotiate with most local store owners and craftsman. \u00a0However, having seen what the country was dealing with I didn’t – and still don’t – feel the need to barter to save a few dollars that don’t really impact my lifestyle. Two dollars to me is nothing \u00a0but to an orphan or a single mother, it means food for a day in Thailand.<\/p>\n
When I was in Fiji, I was very surprised by the level of poverty among the locals. \u00a0As little money as they made, and as little as they had, everyone seemed\u00a0happy. \u00a0I met many locals who told me over and over again that they didn’t equate happiness and self-satisfaction with\u00a0possessions\u00a0or money. \u00a0I tried extremely hard to find a volunteer\u00a0opportunity, but was unsuccessful – sometimes you need to plan in advance. \u00a0 Instead, I\u00a0arranged\u00a0through the hotel GM to make a donation to a local family for their Christmas dinner celebration. \u00a0Even though it wasn’t a true volunteer experience, it felt rewarding to help a family during the holidays.<\/p>\n
I have several friends who have been to Haiti after the earthquake to help schools and orphanages and they also found it very rewarding. \u00a0 I really do think differently about the world having spent time volunteering in the communities I visit. \u00a0Have you ever volunteered during your vacation? \u00a0 What have you done?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hurricane Katrina\u00a0devastated New Orleans on August 29, 2005. \u00a0Having grown up in Florida, I’ve seen my share of Hurricanes and hurricane damage. \u00a0But this was different. \u00a0I had never seen anything like what was happening in New Orleans. \u00a0On August…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[212],"tags":[754,2,293],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n