Care
Open
Volunteering
Emotional
Nonprofit
Assistance
Neighborly
Transformative
Helpful
Others-first
Understanding
Selfless
Empathy
We started off the day volunteering at Covenant House. This organization and location
specifically provides housing for New Orleans youth ages 16-22, no matter the reason. First, we
spent a couple hours going through the donated clothes and sorting out the ones to keep. After
sorting and folding the clothes, we got to take some to hang up in the clothing closet. Then we
got to walk around and do a mini-tour of the building and also discuss Covenant House’s
mission. What stuck with me the most is how open the doors to covenant house are. This place
has no waitlist whatsoever, and is not just a shelter but also a place that provides resources and
support for the youth staying there. For example, some of the things mentioned were job
searches/resume building, connecting with family, food and clothing, healthcare, parenting for
youth who are current or expecting parents, among many others.
Our next activity was visiting an exhibit called The Trail They Blazed. This was a traveling
exhibit that was at the library of the university we stayed with (University of Holy Cross) near
the New Orleans area. It covered multiple events and organizations during the civil rights
movement in New Orleans area from the 50s-70s. The Desire neighborhood at the time became a
hotbed for activism, which led to the formation of the National Committee to Combat Facism
(NCCF), which is associated with the Black Panther Party. The NCCF provided free breakfast
for school kids, political education classes, voting transportation, grocery shopping for elders,
and distributed the Black Panther Party’s newspaper. Another topic the exhibit covered was
boycotts, many of these led by college students my age. They organized sit-ins to desegregate
lunch counters, advertised and led consumer boycotts, despite the risk of expulsion from their university (which unfortunately occurred to many students). Their efforts eventually led to integrated dining and restrooms, fairer hiring practices, and appropriate accommodations being made. Being a college student, this exhibit made me realize how much power we have to make the changes we seek. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we use our voice to speak up for injustice, whether here or the other side of the planet.
Kaylee Gunderson