Home Renovation in New Orleans
Submitted by afinger on Wed, 11/12/2008 - 11:24.
Last updated on Sun, 11/30/2008 - 13:49.
Vital Stats
volunteer experience
11/06/2008
People Impacted:
5People Involved: 25
The Problem
I was down in New Orleans volunteering to help build homes devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It´s amazing that three years after Katrina there are still thousands of homes that are either abandoned or just not rebuilt yet. In addition, there are so many scams where people have been defrauded out of thousands of dollars by contractors who take their money and fix nothing. Its incredibly sad.
Why It's Important
I´m working to renovate homes in the mid-city area. I´ve been spackling, cornering, floating, (learning new renovation vocabulary), and sanding all day long and boy it is tiring! But its also been amazing to speak with the woman who owns the home and to see how grateful she is for our help.
The Plan Of Action
I have helped get a home on the road to recovery! I would love to go back and work more with the organizations down in New Orleans and help rebuild more homes.
I will upload pics as soon as I find a computer that will let me!
How Can Others Get Involved?
Check out Habitat, Phoenix House, Hands On, Make it Right or any of the several orgs down there who are trying to do something.
Project Updates
11/12/08
Update: One thing that I was able to do while down in New Orleans was sit in at a staff meeting at Phoenix House and see how they operate. I think I gave some helpful comments to their fundraising department. In addition, I would love to explore more ways to help out the disaster relief community down in New Orleans. Its a very interesting group of young Americorp workers, brand-new orgs trying to help out, and I´m sure, much duplication of services that could be eliminated with a little more collaboration.
All these young people involved in the rebuilding process would absolutely benefit from Do Something´s upcoming Disaster Grants (powered by the Dunkin Brands Foundation, look for the grants starting January 5th) as well as our Disaster Bootcamp next fall, so definitely check back with us if you´re interested in this cause!!Additional hours volunteered: 25
Additional people impacted: 5
Location
Related Causes:
Get some cash to get your project to the next level. Weekly grants are available.
Comments
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you are awesome! glad to hear everything is going well :) it seems like right after katrina there was a huge surge of help which was awesome, but now that so many other things have happened it seems we have forgotten. how can we put katrina victims back into the spotlight so help will pour in again?
It seems such lot of fun to repaint your own house. Not necessarily your own house you can repaint and renovate a rented place too after all you are the one who will be staying there. It should be comfortable and presentable. Hope other Hurricane Katrina victims can get life to be as beautiful as earlier if not more.
steam rooms add another facet to one's home.
I think you did a great job, from what I see in the pictures!
Great Job Keep It up!!!