This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

[kibskix]

Hey everyone!
My company is flying me and 30 other people down to Louisiana on sept. 17th to help rebuild homes destroyed it Katrina/Rita. I'll be there from the 17-20th.
Its gonna be lots of hard work and sweaty icky goodness!
Anyway, here's the weird question. Breakfast lunch are provided by the church they are letting us stay at and by Habitat for Humanity. I have -no- idea what they are going to be offering. Eggs for breakfast i'm pretty sure, but lunch, I havent the foggiest. probably nothing fancy, like sandwiches or something. My company is paying for us to have dinner in the French Quarter each evening, not sure where thats going to be at either!
I'm going to be working all day long and It seems like of finicky for me to even ask for special requirements considering we are going down there to help.
Is there by any chance anyone else who might have any info on habitat for humanity, like has anyone worked with them or had any experience on what kinds of lunch the offer when you work with them? Its a weird question I know! I'm going to be on induction as close as possible the next 3 weeks and working out every day to make sure im in decent shape once I get down there, but if I do that then end up eating a bunch of carbs because thats all there is, I dont want to make myself sick and not be of any use at all. Anyone have any sort of idea as to non-refrigerated foods I might be able to bring along? I seriously doubt i'd have access to a fridge for personal use.

[Heidi3]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

Bravo for you honey!!!!! you are doing good work!!!

you will be fine ...eat what you can and plenty of it ..you can pick around what is not with in your eating now...but make sure you do eat enough food!....drink lots of water...things have a way of working out I promise..especially when you are doing something so wonderful... ..so please do not worry too much ....there are always things you can eat!

[Atkid]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

Hi, not much help about the food. During the actual storm and afterwards there were alot of bag lunches going around, don't know if the humanity house uses those or not. But wanted to thank you for volunteering to come down to Louisiana to help out, we can use all the help that anyone has to offer. So sad to see neighborhoods looking almost as bad as after the storm with today being the l year anniversary. Kudos for you and your coworkers.

[Heidi3]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

OK really you guys how cool is it this doll baby for doing this?????

I am so excited for you!!!! what a wonderful gift you are giving!!!!!

[ValidRouge]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

I'd pack the following:
Tuna fish packets
nuts
pork rinds
mayo packets
mustard packets
canned chicken
can opener (or make sure the cans have the pull type lid)
ranch dressing in individual containers (hidden valley farm has these)

You can use these items to supplement the foods you WILL get at breakfast/lunch/dinner those 3 days.

[Sheshy]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

I can't help with the food issue either...depending on the number of days, you could pack a cooler and the prepackaged Atkins friendly foods (tuna and such).

But, I'm with Heidi, how awesome that you're doing this! That's so great!

[kibskix]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

Thanks everyone
I just look at it as making up for what I couldnt do before.
I am from south east texas, and I happend to be down visiting my family when Rita hit, and my home town got demolished. I couldn't stick around to help rebuild, I had to get home because I had a job interview with said company i'm with now, who graciously pushed it back for me when I was stuck in tx being evacuated all over creation.
It was really bad where I was at so I can't even imagine what it was like for people in La. I was seperated from my family and my friend and I evacuated at 3am to Nacodoches, a trip that normally took about an hour took almost 4. I ended up staying at a hippi commune (no joke!) for a few days, then was evacuated -again- to lubbock where I spend 4 days in a 1 bedroom apartment with around 8 people and 7 pets. I remember writing in my journal that all I had to eat one day was a jolly rancher and half a piece of cornbread, and some vienna sausages out of a can that I shared with other people. The gas lines were unbelievable, we spent 2 hours in line, and the car in front of us got the last of the gas. Not to mention it was like 110 the 3 days after, and no AC, no sewage, no power. ugh!
The people at my company all voted to take all the money for the X mas party (apparently like, in the millions) and spend it all on sending people down there to help rebuild. Where i'm going is about a 4 hour drive from my hometown. DH wanted to go too, but he has asthma so he isn't allowed to

Its going to be difficult being down there because of all the emotion and the memories of it, but its just something you gotta do you know! Im just praying that we dont get stuck in one while we're down there!

[2big4mysize]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

have a great time and remember to hydrate more then the others in your group cause of the natural diuretic effect of Atkins. Remember they want strong healthy workers so they are fairly accomidating with speical diets like if a diabetic or somebody on sodium restrictions.
check your PM box I have a habitat contact who says she can help with this info for you.

[not2late]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

I ate at the French Quarter during a pre-Atkins vacation. Watch for the portion size. Every place I ate from K-Paul's to the Acme Oyster House had huge, huge, huge portions!Also stick to the foods that are straightforward: grilled or roasted. Gumbos and stews are typically flour-thickened.

Be sure to bring sunscreen, a hat (to help keep the sun off you) and of course a couple changes of underwear and socks!

[kibskix]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

Yep the teams that have gone before mine are all telling us to bring a gallon of bug spray too! I've been in the north for almost 2 years and i'm getting spoiled, as there are no mosquitos here.
Im not sure where we're going to be eating Dinner or if its at the same place every day. It will probably be from a pre-selected group of meals, like when your on a high school field trip and you can have either A or B.
2big, I can't open my PM box right now (at work, popup blockers) but i'll check when I get home.

[boonie stomper]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

No matter what the fare is it never hurts to carry a makeshift pack with water bottle, lightweight snack such as porkskins or jerky (watch out for carbs in the jerky meat sticks, tho), antimicrobial for your hands, bug & sun protection. If you can get your hands on ice while there, you can keep things cold in your pack too.

[2big4mysize]

Re: This is a long shot... anyone done this before?

so did your build go?