worker in dust mask

Reflections

"The most significant part of the trip for me was being able to help someone no matter how small the task."

"I was pleased that we became a family."

"I learned that people of different backgrounds can come together for a common goal."

"I discovered that Christians can be fun and non-judgmental."

Most Recent Trip

October 2011 - Eight adults from across the country and faiths gathered in NOLA, working with Project Homecoming and staying at Parkway Presbyterian Church. Back working on a house that we worked on in May 2011, they had to start some projects over due to termite damage. But they ate well with Third Presbyterian Church's own George Cheatle cooking phenomenal meals.

Past Trips

Many groups have gone on one or more trips to New Orleans. In the sections below you will find information and photos from the various trips. Browse and enjoy!
(click any of the tabs below to see more info about each trip. Click the tab a second time to close it)

July 2011
Twelve excited youth and adults from Webster Immanuel Lutheran Church spent a week as part of Project Homecoming's first Youth Month. They worked with Project Homecoming and stayed at the Olitve Tree Volunteer Village, along with 78 other youths and their chaperones from across the country.
October 2010
A group of volunteers headed to New Orleans October 25th - 31st. They worked in conjunction with the St. Charles Ave. Presbyterian Church and Habitat for Humanity. Follow their adventure (click New Orleans Trip Blog)
rh2no group
August 2010 - Jamie Smith Memorial Week

A hearty group of volunteers head to New Orleans August 29th - September 3rd! Follow their adventure (click New Orleans Trip Blog) (click photo gallery)
Laurelton Group

A group of 24 volunteers departed for New Orleans on August 29th, the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. They began their adventure with a 10am community-wide ecumenical worship service at the Greater Rochester International Airport. Once in New Orleans, they worshipped at the St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church Community Service of Remembrance. The trip also honored Jamie Smith, a member of Laurelton United Presbyterian Church and dedicated New Orleans relief worker, who died suddenly at age 48 in May 2009. Jamie's wife and daughter participated on this mission trip, their first to New Orleans. Said Jamie's daughter, Sarah, "I think I should be thanking New Orleans for letting me share the LOVE I have to share. Thank you for the chance to work with my father again and see and feel the LOVE he felt and saw every time he came to New Orleans."

April 2010 - Presbytery of Genesee Valley Partnership Group
Presbyterians from Chili, Honeoye Falls and Third Churches were in New Orleans April 25 - May 1st! Read about their adventure (click New Orleans Trip Blog) and view pictures from their time together. (Photo Gallery - click HERE)
Work Group April 2010
January 2010 - MCC Service Learning
MCC Group

(Photos - click HERE)
An excited group of students put their classroom learnings to work for a week in January. Eight students with their instructor, Sue Bender, spent a week in New Orleans working with Habitat for Humanity. The trip was partially funded by R-H2NO, Rochester Help to New Orleans, an outreach ministry of Third Presbyterian Church.

Service Learning at MCC combines civic engagement with academic coursework in a way that benefits both the student and the community. After spending the fall semester in the classroom, the students hit the ground running for a week during their winter break. Third staff, Susan Orr, secured housing and work project arrangements. RH2NO provided funding for the housing at HandsOn New Orleans. Writes Sue Bender, "Thanks again for everything you have done for us. We would never have done it without your help!

 

November 2009 - Third / South / Downtown and Laurelton Presbyterian Churches

Team Photo before leaving. Click here for photo gallery.

Team Before leaving

RH2NO was the proud recipient of a generous grant from the Western Presbytery Partnership Group of the Synod of the Northeast for a church collaborative effort. 11 pilgrims from four urban congregations (Third, Downtown, South, Laurelton) came together for a week of Katrina relief in November 2009. The work of rebuilding from Katrina is a long, arduous process that will continue for years, even decades, until people can regain some sense of home, family and community once again. By the end of our week together, we too became a family, one that still gets together as friends months after our time together in New Orleans. At one point during our week week, Alex, the PDA site manager, said to one of the volunteers, "So which of you belong to the same church? I can't tell." That was the greatest compliment he could have paid.

June 2009 - Brighton High School
Brighton Group

(Photos - click HERE)
A group of students from Brighton High School assembled for a relief trip in June 2009. The group of six students was joined by two advisors. They split into two groups and set to work painting houses for seven hours each day. The three girls in the group, along with one of the advisers painted the trim and final details on the inside of a house that was near completion. The three boys, along with New Orleans native Jean Coco, painted the outside paneling and iron-work on a house that was only about mid-way through the rebuilding process.

May 25 - 31, 2009 - "Trouble the Water" group

This group was led by Kat Fisher and Erik Olssen.

group photo

As a group, we were able to contribute to the reconstruction of New Orleans. The people of New Orelans have incredible resiliency! It is amazing how well the city seems to be doing, considering the incredible physical destruction and emotional fatigue. New Orleans has a long way to go befroe it can be considered "restored to pre-storm conditions."