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A group of fifteen volunteers
from Fellowship Church’s Senior High Ministry, Grapevine, Texas, came to
New Orleans for their yearly mission trip. Volunteer Senior High School
students and their chaperones spent two days volunteering at Belle Reve.
When the church group decided to come to New Orleans, they contacted the
Mayor’s Office to see what charities might want their volunteer assistance.
The fifteen students spent one day divided up into groups, visiting
different institutions. A group of four plus a chaperone came to Belle Reve
on the first day. The second day, the entire group of fifteen came to Belle
Reve for the whole day.
The young volunteers were put to work, helping to organize donations that
were sitting in the large garage and storage area, in preparation for a garage
sale. (This area will soon be converted into more offices and apartments,
under a federally funded project to expand Belle Reve’s
occupancy.) Young volunteers organized donated goods, everything from
clothing to furniture to knickknacks to you-name-it.
The volunteers said
that they enjoyed meeting the residents, the senior companions, and the
staff. One chaperone said that after hearing Kenny’s
Story about how he came to Belle Reve and what Belle Reve means to him,
he was very moved.
“It was an
educational, life changing, eye opening experience to hear someone with
struggles working on his problems. What he (Kenny) has overcome is
encouraging. Belle Reve is an organization that reaches out with much
needed services.”—Greg, Senior High Ministry Chaperone.
Church, high school,
and college groups from around the country regularly come to Belle Reve to
volunteer their services. It is a consensus among the groups that
volunteering is a very rewarding and educational experience. Groups of
school or church volunteers in numbers of four to twenty-five come to Belle
Reve over the summer, spring break, fall break, and other vacation times.
They are put to work cleaning, painting, gardening, answering phones,
inputting data, or doing whatever is needed around Belle Reve and Belle
Esprit to maintain the facility and keep operations going. The work may not
be glamorous, but it is certainly appreciated. And the volunteers seem to
enjoy the “grunt work” as long as they know it is for the good of the
residents at Belle Reve.
Recently, another
volunteer shared her thoughts on volunteering at Belle Reve.
“You have the idea, starting
out as a volunteer, that you are bringing some quality or service to the
organization you are volunteering for. But soon after meeting the staff and
residents of Belle Reve New Orleans it became clear to me that I was
receiving much more than I was giving; leaving with more than I had come
with. Being a Belle Reve volunteer has been a life-transforming experience.
The residents that I've had the honor of meeting and coming to know, have taught
me not only how to be a better holistic therapist, but also, how to be a
better human being. The
honesty and strength of these individuals has been inspiring beyond words.
I've grown to love each of them and their unique qualities. I have also
developed a deep respect and admiration for the staff and fellow
volunteers. One individual who has touched me is Belle Reve's Executive
Director, Ms. Vickie Weeks. She never ceases in her commitment and
dedication to being of assistance to those who find a home at Belle Reve. In
the years I've been affiliated with Belle Reve, some residents have found
their footing and moved on, others have passed in this home. But I believe that
each of their lives has been enriched by the care, dignity, and support
they've received as residents of Belle Reve New Orleans. As a volunteer, my
own life has been changed and forever sweetened.—Monica
Bommarito, Previous Belle Reve Volunteer.
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