Back in February, I posted about a teacher, Peter Pfister, and a group of high school students, from Rockland District High School in Rockland, Maine, who wanted to go to New Orleans to work on the recovery. At the first meeting, the school board tabled the motion to permit them to go, because NOLA might be too dangerous - "a war zone" one member called it. At a later meeting, the school board voted to allow the trip, with two members voting "no". The group was collecting donations for their trip, which was not funded by the school district. In the post, I gave the address where donations could be sent.
Today in the comments to that post, I found this from one of the students at Rockland:
Patti said...
Hi all:
The Tigers came and went, but the trip to New Orleans lower 9th made a real impression, we hope to make more trips, funds permitting. We worked about 1000 hours but I think we came back with as much as we did for others. We met Angela Hill, Leah Chase of Dooky Chase, two amazing women, heard John McCain speak and met him, were thanked by complete strangers, and met some amazing people. Thank you for our experience NOLA!
Thank you, students from Rockland! You rock!
Great heart-warming story. I needed something like this. It's been a long day, and I just finished working. Thanks.
ReplyDeletehurray for them! great kids!
ReplyDeleteIt warmed my heart, too. What a lovely gift to find this today.
ReplyDeleteMost encouraging. Three cheers for the young men and women who chose to do this and carried through on it. Three cheers for the people of New Orleans and vicinity, still rebuilding. Three cheers for Mimi, who shares such stories with us.
ReplyDeleteToo funny, Paul. I've just been over to your place. We're grooving.
ReplyDeleteCool!
ReplyDeleteA Great Adventure. And useful!
ReplyDeleteWhat progress that has been made in New Orleans has come largely due to the hard work and determination of the people of the city and to the many volunteers who have been generous with their help. Government at every level was oftentimes more of a hindrance than a help.
ReplyDeleteOur Episcopal bishop, Charles Jenkins, has taken up the cause of the powerless in the city in a heroic manner, and the national church has been generous with aid to the diocese of Louisiana.