On Monday, January 20th, a school holiday, 25 Brother Martin students and two teachers gave a day of service in memory of the the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These volunteers met over 300 high school students from around the archdiocese at Jesuit High School for a prayer service led by Archbishop Aymond and the Office of Black Catholics.
After the prayer service half of the Brother Martin students went to Cafe Hope on the Wesbank and worked all day in the garden that supports this restaurant which is a archdiocesan ministry for training at risk youths to work on the food service industry. The volunteers weeded, spread mulch, raked, hoed, and tilled in the garden. They learned gardening and composting techniques and enjoyed each others company.
The other group of younger students on this “Day On Not Day Off” went to office of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade on Canal Street. This community non-profit organization works to protect our environment, our health, and our quality of life both locally and state-wide. Amelia, our contact person, greeted us at the door, explained to us what the LA Bucket Brigade is all about, and immediately put us to work. The group painted and decorated oyster shells and placed inside the shell a slogan such as “Keep Our Air Clean.” The group also painted construction hats a dark green, made seed bombs (see the pictures), and worked on the computer. The group painted and decorated hundreds of shells and made a large group of seed bombs wrapped in burlap. These items are in preparation for Mardi Gras when the group will parade and toss this merchandise to the crowd. The work ended at 3PM following a short reflection and a prayer service.
