Even though today was our free day and we weren't scheduled at the job site, we had an opportunity to serve the people of New Orleans in a different but nonetheless profound way. This morning after breakfast, James and Jean had us load their truck with boxes of food and a few tables, and they took us to a neighborhood about five minutes away from Annunciation Mission where every Friday for the last five months they have been handing out donated food to the poor and homeless. For reference, the Garden District is another five minutes' drive on the other side of the neighborhood to which we were headed, but worlds away in socioeconomic terms. We pulled up at a street corner and unloaded the tables and food, and under James' direction, set up a food pantry right there on the sidewalk. For the next three hours, our guys handed out food to the needy and homeless. At first I think we were all a bit apprehensive because to be perfectly honest, the neighborhood was a bit rough looking, but as we began talking to the people we were serving, those initials feelings dissipated. The boys did fantastic work, and as you know, they can be very charming! By the time it was all over we had given away most of what we brought, and the people appreciated the boys and their service. Each person who picked up food thanked the students for helping and were very welcoming. No one said much on the ride back to the mission. Overall, we were very moved by the experience and grateful for the chance to actually interact with the people of this community whose needs are so basic. Indeed, this was a very special morning for us, and I can't think of a better way to spend Good Friday. I also learned from James and Jean that they collect food weekly and distribute it every Friday in the same place, and they do this on their day off. Talk about inspiring. Even though Annunciation Mission has officially stopped their post-Katrina food give-away program, Jean still sees a tremendous need in the community. As Jean told me, "We do it because these people still have great need since Katrina."
After our morning of service, we jumped on the St. Charles street car, an old, charming, open aired trolley, and headed downtown. The boys couldn't wait to checkout Bourbon Street! We let them explore a bit and do some souvenir shopping, and then met up at the famous Acme Oyster House where we shared another delicious meal together. The highlight was a tray of raw and fried oysters. Like the crawfish, a few of the boys were reluctant to try them.
When dinner was over, we walked to Jackson Square where we met our vampire tour guide, a friend of Mr. Fern's, who works for Haunted History tours. He led us on a fantastic, somewhat scary walking excursion, sharing vampire folklore and pointing out buildings where unexplained mysteries have occurred, including several unsolved homicides. Of particular interest was the Ursuline convent where, according to folklore, the attic is full of vampires. The second story of this old convent, built in 1750, also houses the office of the chancery of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. According to local legend, the Archdiocese has never allowed anyone to see the attic. In the 1970's two women, who were researching the convent and videotaping the attic windows from across the street because the church denied them access, were found dead on the outside steps of the convent chapel. The coroner could not determine a cause of death, but noted in his report a long gash between the shoulder blades of both women, and very little blood remaining in their bodies. Was it one of the attic vampires?! The tough Crusaders were spooked! We must note here that a big, yellow, full voodoo moon provided the perfect setting for our tour!
After a full day and night of adventure, we climbed back on the streetcar and rode sleepily back to our neighborhood. We were all tired but satisfied with our New Orleans experience. It was a perfect way to end what has been a remarkable trip.
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