A group of 9 women and one man left on November 9th to drive to Baldwin, Louisiana to work for a week at the UMCOR Sager-Brown depot. This was the first time that a group went on their own from Clermont United Methodist church. The other times they have always joined with other churches in the area. Thanks to Pam for organizing and being the leader for this trip.
The first day they stopped at Biloxi, Mississippi and then on Sunday morning attended the Cedar Lake United Methodist Church.
They stayed in Dixon Rabb Hall for the week. There were four to a room.
No one had to sleep on the top bunk. There is a safe in each locker for purses and medication. Thanks to Marguerite for helping open the combination locks.
Sharon's and Judy's devotion on Sunday was the history of Sager Brown. It has its origins in New Orleans. in 1867. There was a need for a home for African American boys who had been orphaned by the Civil War. Very early in the life of the orphanage a school was built,
In the early 1900's the school was in financial straits. Sager and Brown purchased the school and gave it to the Women's Home Mission Society. It was known as the Sager Brown Home and Godman School until 1978. It was then put up for sale but there were no buyers and it stood vacant for 14 years. In 1992 Hurricane Andrew hit. UMCOR came to the area and used the Sager Brown campus to stage their operations. After two years UMCOR decided it was an excellent location to build an UMCOR Depot where disaster relief could be collected and provided to the world. The Depot opened in 1996. Each year over 3,000 volunteers come to work in the Depot.
This week there were 65 volunteers from 6 churches; Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida and three from Texas.
Monday morning we were welcomed, given an orientation and told about the work opportunities.
Everyone was shown how to check a hygiene kit for the proper things to be included and then how to package it.
The property is on the beautiful Bayou Teche.
From out the dorm window you could see the Bayou and tug pushing a barge on it.
Monday was a nice day and the only one for the week, since a rainy cold front was moving in that night. Bill helped to clean up tree limbs on the property. Several others worked in the garden thinning out the turnips.
Work was done around the Depot.
The grass was mowed and weed whacked and then Dottie and Pam racked, swept and
blew it all away. The men in the back were power washing the driveway.
Judy and Sharon spent the week in the sewing room making school bags.
Sharon had to conquer this serger, but Miss Florida told her she could not quit.
Sue and Noelene packed hygiene kits.
Yvonne wrapping up a kit.
Janet and Bill working in the one room that had a little heat in it.
There were rows of unverified health kits.
After 24 hygiene kits were packed they were boxed, wrapped and stacked on the pallet.
When the pallet was ready everyone laid their hand on it and prayed over it.
By Thursday afternoon 14 pallets of hygiene kits were finished. That meant they had packed 9,408 kits!
Dottie spent the week painting 8 poles in the Depot.
It took several coats of paint to cover them.
Throughout the week there were several opportunities to work out in the community. Marguerite and Pam worked at St. Jules cleaning an apartment for a woman and them going back to help with Bingo.
Sue went to St. Mary Center of Hope and played games and worked on puzzles with them.
Sharon, Noelene and Sharon had made 57 bears to give to Chez Hope.
Toiletries had been donated by church members and we had bags of those to give also.
Unfortunately we could not work at Chez Hope on Thursday morning because they had to cancel due to meetings, but we deliver the things to them.
We had breakfast, lunch and dinner in the cafeteria.
Lots of good food and fellowship.
Twice during the week we had kitchen duty. We lead the blessing before the meal and then we cleaned up. Yvonne cleaning the tables in the back room.
Sharon and Judy brought the dishes to Noelene to scrape off and get ready to be washed.
Bill and Janet washing the dishes.
Pam putting out the clean dishes. We also wiped down all the tables, swept the floor and valcuumed the mats by the doors.
Wednesday we only worked in the morning. The group went to New Iberia to Shadows-on-the-Teche. It was built in 1834 for sugar planter David Weeks.
Talking about sugar cane, it was harvesting time in the area. You saw sugar cane along every road. We were warned that the trucks can bring mud out onto the road and with rain they can become very slick.
For some good Louisiana seafood dinner was at Jane's on Wednesday night.
Some shopping was done at the gift shop.
The host and hostess were David and Judy Beame. Dottie knew them from NOMADS.
You are scheduled to work till Friday afternoon leaving after lunch, but all the other groups were leaving after breakfast. So the group left at 8 a.m. and headed to Avery Island Tabasco tour and Jungle Gardens.
It was a very interesting tour and of course lots more shopping was done. The motel was at Daphne, Alabama only about 4 hours away , but it took much longer because of heavy traffic and many accidents. Everyone arrived safely. The group arrived back in Clermont about 6 on Saturday evening. Thanks to Pam and Noelene for all the driving.
