Ronnie Joseph Morgan Sr.
February 6, 2013
Osaka a memorable dining experience
February 7, 2013
Mardi Gras is a beloved Louisiana holiday, celebrated and envied by spectators around the world. Once the Christmas decorations are put away and the trees taken down, decorations of purple, green and gold begin to make their way; catching the eye seemingly everywhere one looks. Grocery stores are filled with king cakes, t-shirts, decorations and talks of parades.
Drive the streets of New Orleans and Houma, and one remnant remains on power lines and trees year-round: Mardi Gras beads. Thousands of people line streets across the state to watch floats drive by and catch as many beads as possible. Spectators leave with pounds of beads around their necks and bags full in their hands. But once they get home, the bag becomes a nuisance, taking up valuable space.
Fortunately Houma residents have some options that can pay off until it’s time to beg for more next year.
Terrebonne ARC’s Buy-U Beads program is one way to be charitable and clear some space. Clients of Terrebonne ARC live with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Buy-U Beads program provides three clients with opportunities of employment that might be difficult for them to find elsewhere.
“This job helps people that need to sit and people that like repetitive work,” says Erica Null, director of Marketing and Business Development at Terrebonne ARC. “Some learn how to count, with different dozen bags and others learn different colors.”
The program is fairly new and branched from the Bayou Packers program, which organizes bulk mail for businesses. What started out with one or two consistent clients grew and spawned the creation of the new program.
This year, the Buy-U Beads program is expanding with featured drop-off trucks at each Houma parade.
“This year we will have our beads donation truck in every parade in Houma so people can donate beads right then and there,” Null says. “Last year was the first year we had a truck but we were only at one or two parades last year. All of the krewes have been very good to us.”
The beads are sold in their Cedar Chest boutique on W. Main St. and the TARC gift shop next to its restaurant. Though some years the organization may see a small profit, Null emphasizes the importance of the program for providing jobs to its members.
“This creates jobs for them,” Null says. “While we do try to make a profit, we must pay out labor first and that is the main point.”
The Terrebonne ARC offices accept beads throughout the year and donations are also accepted at the Cedar Chest boutique. Prices are also available online at www.terrebonnearc.org/buyubeads.
One long-standing tradition for profit seekers is Dubois Nursery on West Tunnel Boulevard. Richard Dubois and his wife, Kathy “Beanie” Dubois pay bead-bringers by the pound to leave their beads with them.
“My father-in-law used to ride in Hercules and started buying beads to supply himself,” Kathy says. “People started inquiring and just started bringing more and more beads.”
Since the couple bought the company, they have continued to buy beads. Typically they set up to buy on Ash Wednesday if weather permits; otherwise, they buy on the following Saturday. They open doors at 8 a.m. and they stop accepting beads around 4 p.m. Some customers stand in line for hours before.
“I know some of these people wait in line for three to four hours,” Kathy says. “We have a lot of repeat people every year and they know I only have so much room so they try to come early because they know if they come the next day I won’t buy them. One guy is first in line every year; I think last year he came at midnight. I don’t think it’s the amount of money for him, I think it’s just the adventure.”
By the end of the day, Kathy says, she has filled 15 pallets, one storage room and the back room with beads.
“By four in afternoon we’re exhausted,” Kathy says.
The day sets the tone for their schedules that year. The two don’t hire extra help and take on the task of sorting themselves. Luckily with the aid of her mother and occasionally her daughter, they manage to get the beads sorted in time.
“My husband and I leave at 3 in afternoon and then we watch TV and bead at night,” Kathy says. “It’s a lot a lot of time and hours that we put into beads. My mother comes five days a week and my daughter helps when she comes home from college.”
She keeps a running tally of all her inventory and prepares orders for krewes that call her.
“If we had more time and room I could probably sell double of what I sell,” Kathy says. “But there’s just not enough time in the day.”
For the creative revelers, beads can be used for crafts like picture frames and pieces of art. Beads can also be great decorations to use for the next Carnival season.
To sell directly to a krewe member or inquiring person, there is an option to advertise in the newspaper or on various websites such as Craigslist.
There is never a shortage of options when considering what to do with the remains of fun had at Mardi Gras.
Ryan Williamson, a Terrebonne ARC client, sort beads donated by Carnival revelers.
