Welcome to Olive Tree, the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Volunteer Village in New Orleans, Louisiana. Right now things are fairly quiet but it won't stay that way long. We're expecting 18 volunteers the week of September 21 and between 80-90 volunteers every week after that. Let me take you on a little tour of our camp. We're located in northeast New Orleans in a quiet and nice neighborhood.
This is what our camp looks like as you drive up from the Chef Mentuer highway.
Here is the neighbor across the street from us
This is our TV room where volunteers can gather to watch TV or videos,play games or read.
We have a commercial kitchen. This is the stove and grill
Our commercial dishwasher will enable us to use real dinnerware and stop using paper or plastic.
We are housed in the former Eastminster Presbyterian Church. The old Sunday School classrooms have been converted to dorm rooms. Each room will sleep 15 people in either a bunk bed or single twin bed. We have three of these rooms for women and three for the men.
We will eat our meals in the old sanctuary. It will easily convert to a worship space for devotions.What you don't see here are the faces and houses that are the whole reason for us to be here in the first place. I've had conversations with the folks who work at the Winn-Dixie down the street or the True Value Hardware store and can assure you that you'll enojy getting to know these people. Come on down!!!
