As we stated last year, no trip to New Orleans or Jazz Festival is complete without our annual stop at Give Nola Festival and VOA Fresh Food Factor.   

Give Nola Day fell on Tuesday, May 2^nd, 2017 in-between both Jazz Fest weekends.  We attended the Give Nola Fest and enjoyed the good energy of other patrons celebrating a city we all look forward to visiting each year.  Rebirth Brass Band and Big Sam’s Funky Nation treated us to performances.  

Entry is free but a portion of proceeds from food and drinks benefit the Lagniappe Fund, which distributed money to 717 participating nonprofits in the Greater Nola Area.  We happily were able to contribute and help raise the much needed $4.8 million this year.

For the rest of the week and weekend we enjoyed our visitors

, the food (especially the oysters) 

and of course, the music! 

We sadly said see you later to friends and family which left just three of us.  We ended our trip in a perfect way.  Duke, Mel, and I headed over to Fresh Food Factor to volunteer our final hours in Nola.  James greeted us, busily as always but he found the time to give us the tour accompanied with the upgrades on their constant growth.  

This year we arrived around noon and they had other volunteers helping out so they were able to get the meals made and on the truck faster than usual.  

Our part came to fruition when we were asked to help the sanitation department.  It’s not the most exciting area with washing all the dishes and trays, squeegeeing the windows

, and mopping (Mel’s new form of working out on the road), but it was good to see just how important this part of the operation is.  

There are usually two people in this department but today there was only one so we were constantly busy.  We were overjoyed to hear that due to combined efforts employees would be going home early to spend time with family or friends.  The emphasis on family is something we cherish so much and makes us like this organization even more.  We love the consistency here at FFF as their mission states, “Nourishing the body. Nurturing the soul. Lifting the community.”  Until next year…..

 

To learn more or donate:

Freshfoodfactor.org