What is Mardi Gras?

It's okay, you can admit it. You've always heard of Mardi Gras. You know it happens in New Orleans. You know it involves a lot of beads, some crazy costumes, and a parade. You may even know that you see colorful cakes at the bakery called king cakes.

But you may not know what is.

You certainly aren't alone! In celebration of Mardi Gras today, we'd like to give you the run-down of what it actually all means. And we'll give you some beads for reading, too!

The story behind Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday," which is what today celebrates. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of fasting for Lent in Christianity. And what do you want to do before you fast? You pig out! On Fat Tuesday, it's tradition to eat the rich, fatty foods that many deny themselves over the Lenton period. Mardi Gras refers to the tradition of celebrating it! Since Ash Wednesday and the period of Lent are considered serious affairs, Mardi Gras takes the chance to turn everything topsy-turvy beforehand. Social norms are shattered, costumes and masks hide identities, and everyone joins the carnival.

The parade
The New Orleans Mardi Gras parades are organized by krewes (groups of people, usually affiliated with a specific organization or cause). These krewes put together floats and toss goodies to the crowd, such as beads, plastic cups, doubloons, and the like. Fun fact: since Mardi Gras is considered a traditional religious holiday, the event is not sponsored by businesses. The only exception was in 2006, after Hurricane Katrina caused such widespread destruction and debt, that the city accepted sponsorship.

The king cake
These tasty cakes are decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold. Each oblong, braided cake has a small bean or plastic baby placed somewhere inside it. Whoever has the slice with the baby in it has to buy next year's cake or throw next year's king cake party!

Why New Orleans?
That's a good question. Louisiana was settled by the French, and in the late 17th century, the Le Moyne brothers were sent to defend the territory. They arrived just before the holiday, so they celebrated it near where New Orleans is today (and named the spot in its honor). One of the brothers went on to found the capitol of French Louisiana (Mobile, Alabama today). As the territory grew, so did its festivities. By the time the capitol was moved to New Orleans, Mardi Gras festivities had been widely accepted by all its colonists, whether they were originally French or not!

We hope this answered some questions for you. Mardi Gras can be a very fun festival, even for those who don't observe the traditional holidays it celebrates! And, as promised, your beads:

Photo: Mark Gstohl on Flickr

What do you do to celebrate Mardi Gras?

Good Work in New Orleans, February 2012

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

In honor of this celebration of caring and love, we'd like to update you with some interesting projects that are taking action in our beloved New Orleans. Check out these three opportunities in which an organization, a company, and the government are making the world better:

-UNITY of Greater New Orleans is doing some wonderful work to reduce the number of those without homes in the city. The bad news: New Orleans was placed with the second-highest homeless rate in the country. The good news: UNITY is working to change that - and they're getting attention for it too. For more information, visit UNITY's website or read this article about the homeless rate.

-LaQuinta Inns & Suites is making a great donation in a very fun way! They're donating 850 brand-new mattresses to various organizations in the city that fight homelessness....after they break the Guiness World Record for the largest human mattress domino drop! If you're going to be in New Orleans on February 27th or 28th, get involved! Check out more information about it through HandsOn New Orleans' website, or email Alexa Strong at alstrong@nola.gov for further details. 

-Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the city of New Orleans broke ground on restoring Oliver Bush Park in the Lower 9th Ward. This park was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina, but the $2.1 million renovation will more than restore it to its former glory. The renovation includes a baseball field, a basketball pavilion, four tennis courts, a picnic shelter, a playground, lighting, and landscaping. Giving residents something pretty, functional, and fun is an important step towards restoring the beautiful Lower 9th. For more information, read this article or check out the CSED's blog post about the experience.

We're so thrilled to see powerful action in such a deserving city. What other projects are happening in New Orleans that you want to tell the world about? Leave us a comment with more information!

Storm Damage Isn't Just Physical

Traumatizing events can have a long-lasting impact on a person's life. Unfortunately, many don't quite realize the extent to which they can reach.

A recent study conducted by Princeton University determined that survivors of Hurricane Katrina continue to suffer mental health issues many years later. The survey began in 2003 (two years before the storm) to focus on low-income adults in community colleges. The study shifted to continue following the Katrina survivors. Four years after the storm, about a third of participants still exhibited signs of post-traumatic stress and 30% showed psychological stress.

According to the press release, the study's results cannot be assumed to apply to the population as a whole, but they shed light on natural disasters' effects on a particularly vulnerable group--namely low-income mothers with an average age of 26.

It's so easy to forget about natural disasters a few months or years after they occur...when you don't live there.  But for those whose lives were affected, things can never be the same. Whether a favorite location is gone from the corner where it stood, or a home was destroyed, or a loved one was lost, life will always be a little different.

It's up to those of us who are fortunate enough to have never gone through something so painful to remember the pain and loss of others and extend a helping hand. Even though it may seem like the past, for many, it is still the everlasting present. That is why our work means so much to us here at Volunteer Expeditions. We will never be finished helping others.


The paper on the study appears in the January issue of the journal Social Science and Medicine.

Guest Blogger: Inspired by New Orleans

This week, we here at Volunteer Expeditions are pleased to present you with a guest blogger. Ari was one of the leaders of a synagogue youth group that traveled with us at the end of December. We want to give you a firsthand perspective of the volunteer traveler's experience. So without further ado, discover what it's like...

Motivated. Inspired. Eyes-opened. Shocked. Energized. Committed. All of these words and more describe how I, along with 15 of my synagogue’s youth felt after spending a few days in New Orleans, volunteering in the Lower 9th ward. This was my first time to New Orleans, but a handful of the participants had gone on a temple-led trip 2 years ago. For newcomers and second-timers alike, the amount of work that still needed to be done was shocking. Parts of New Orleans looked like the hurricane had just come last week. Patti put together an amazing trip that allowed us not only to do some meaningful work, but to also meet and talk with those both still affected by the hurricane and those who are doing work to help the community stand on its own again.

To try and decide which moment of the trip was the most moving and powerful would be impossible. We had dinner at Pastor Bruce Davenport’s church, where we learned about the poverty and crime that affects his community. Our participants instantly fell in love with the children of the families in the community, and after only one dinner there were deep connections forged.

A second powerful moment the entire group got to share together was on our last day volunteering, at the Lower 9th Ward Village. The director, Mack, was very inspirational and really painted the scene for our participants. He told us of the troubles affecting the area around him and how the community was beginning to come together to help everyone rebuild. The children left their discussion and work with Mack asking me how we as a congregation could continue to help Mack in his mission to build this community center.

It has been 2 weeks since my trip got back from New Orleans, yet the feeling of wanting to do more and help, both in New Orleans and within our own community, is strong among the participants of the trip and we are in the process of developing monthly projects that our teens can do to better our community. The trip taught myself and the participants so much, gave us a new appreciation of our own lives, and inspired us to not let that trip be the end of our action, but the beginning.

Thank you, Ari! We're thrilled that you and your youth group were so inspired. We hope to give many, many more groups the opportunities you found. (For more information, email patti@volunteerexpeditions.org today!)

Helping Communities on a Regular Vacation

Let's face it - not all of your trips are going to be volunteer vacations. Most vacations are about relaxing, and that's not exactly the point of voluntourism! Everyone deserves a break, though, so there is no reason to feel guilty about taking a regular holiday.

But just because you aren't focused on rebuilding doesn't mean you can't help! We have tips on how to turn your regular vacation into one with shades of voluntourism, and we'd love to hear yours, too!

• Shop, eat, and stay local. The money you're already spending will help the economy of your local community much more than it will help the big chains. (No offense to Olive Garden, but the local Italian restaurant will really appreciate your business!)
• Have leftovers from dinner? No time to eat them later? Don't hesitate to give your box of leftover food to a homeless person. Be safe about it, but this is a much better use of your food than throwing it out!
• If you want to spend a day or even a few hours volunteering in the community you're visiting, there are always many options! Most cities have soup kitchens, homeless shelters, food pantries, and more--and everyone is happy to take in volunteers. Do some research before you arrive on places you can volunteer, or check in with a volunteer travel organization for recommendations.
• Clean up after yourself! If you have a picnic, leave no trace. If you bring a six-pack of pop (or other beverages), cut the plastic rings and throw them out. There's no quicker way to say "I don't care" to the community you visit than by leaving your trash around!
• If you're there on the right days, don't be afraid to attend a local religious service. Broadening your mind through your religious perspective is a great way to become a global citizen! Talk to your religious leader or do some research online before you go to discover churches, synagogues, mosques, and more in the area you're visiting. We have friends who were in London on Christmas Eve and went to services at Westminster Abbey! (And be open to attending a service for a faith or denomination you're not a part of! If a religion other than yours is the predominant faith of the area you visit, observing them respectfully is a wonderful way to get to know the culture!)

Do you have more tips for how to give your regular vacation shades of voluntourism? Leave us a comment below!

The Power of Light

Photo Credit: Scazon on Flickr

 In this holiday season, light is key. Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights, Christmas trees are lit, and fireplaces spring to life. But there's one more source of light that you should never forget - yourself.

Just by being yourself and spreading good cheer, you contribute your light to the lives of others. Don't forget it - you may never know just how much your light is needed by others. Think about what Albert Schweitzer said:

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." (Brainy Quotes)

Photo Credit: Allison Bernstein

We can all think of times when our light has gone out. Times of sorrow, times of despair, and times of loss have affected everyone. What truly brings us back from the dark is the light of another. Think of the people in your life who have been your light in the darkness. Reach out and thank them this holiday season. It's truly a blessing to have light in your life.

Volunteer Expeditions is proud to have volunteers that are full of light. Through their hard work, many New Orleans residents have rekindled their own flame. Thank you, volunteers, for everything you do. May your holiday season be full of health, happiness, and - of course - light.

Who has been your light in the darkness?

A Testimonial to Remember

There are so many pieces to the Volunteer Expeditions puzzle that are necessary for our continued survival. We need donations, word-of-mouth marketing, the hardworking staff, and our computers...

...But most important of all is you, our volunteers. We certainly can't take groups of no one to New Orleans or Jamaica. But each and every volunteer that has traveled with us is truly a gift. Their dedication, perseverance, and upbeat attitudes inspire us.

That's why we get so excited when we hear positive feedback from our volunteers about their trips. We just got a new recommendation on GuideStar from a volunteer who went on our very first trip, Gail G. Here's what she says:

"Eighteen months post-Katrina, I was privileged to be part of Volunteer Expedition's first trip to NOLA. The ability to reach out and embrace a city that was showing such resilience had a profound and long-lasting effect on me. Through the compassion, commitment, and leadership of Patti Vile and Volunteer Expeditions, what began as a simple trip became a vision for change and one of the most powerful experiences of my life. Patti Vile has gone on to create an environment for learning, growing, and building that is my pleasure to recommend to others looking to make a difference."

Gail, a volunteer and educator, was so inspired by her trip that she just couldn't leave! She stayed in New Orleans for three years and taught special education in a grade school while helping the local community. We salute Gail for her commitment and ability to help others!

 From then till now: our most recent participants follow in Gail's footsteps

while painting a house for a New Orleans homeowner.

Want to be featured in our blog? Write us a recommendation on GuideStar, LinkedIn, or Facebook! We're also open to any kind of feedback--tell us what you would like to see more of by emailing Patti at patti@volunteerexpeditions.org!