Flight of Friendship to New Orleans

Earlier this month, Marcus C. Mundy joined more than 100 political, neighborhood and civic leaders from Oregon who traveled to New Orleans on the "Flight of Friendship" - a homegrown effort to give both physical and moral support to an ailing city.

The trip was meant to support the local tourism industry, view first-hand the city's hard-hit areas, visit Mercy Corps' hurricane recovery programs and volunteer to do hands-on work with agency's programs.

Here Mundy, president and CEO of the Urban League of Portland, chronicles the experience firsthand, from "second-lining" through the Holy Cross neighborhood to counseling entrepreneurs who've received grants and loans from Mercy Corps.