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Rebuilding Katrina homes
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by
3po3
(IC: homeowner)
So the theme of the week is proudest DIY projects. I am taking this excuse to brag about some DIY work my wife and I finished in a bunch of other people's houses. In turn, that gives me a chance to plug a great organization that is still doing amazing work in rebuilding the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina.
The St. Bernard Project (http://www.stbernardproject.org/) is still looking for long- and short-term volunteers to rebuild homes destroyed by the 2005 storm. They are also working in Sandy-impacted communities. If you spend a week volunteering with the group, I guarantee you will make a difference, and probably learn something about remodeling, all while having fun, meeting great people and being in one of the great cities of the world.
In 2007 and 2008, my wife and I were in the New Orleans area for about 9 months working as long-term volunteers for the St. Bernard Project. At the time, the group only worked in St. Bernard Parish, where thousands of homes sat under 10 feet of water for several days after the storm in 2005. The group gutted the homes down to the studs, thoroughly cleaned everything and started rebuilding, using purely volunteer labor to add wiring, plumbing, insulation, drywall, paint, cabinets, counters, fixtures and all the basic elements a family needs to move back into their homes. I spent about half the time as a trial-by-fire site supervisor, leading volunteers in tasks I had learned the week before (don't worry, nothing structural or dangerous, like plumbing or electrical), and half the time as the cabinet and countertop specialist.
The St. Bernard Project (http://www.stbernardproject.org/) is still looking for long- and short-term volunteers to rebuild homes destroyed by the 2005 storm. They are also working in Sandy-impacted communities. If you spend a week volunteering with the group, I guarantee you will make a difference, and probably learn something about remodeling, all while having fun, meeting great people and being in one of the great cities of the world.
In 2007 and 2008, my wife and I were in the New Orleans area for about 9 months working as long-term volunteers for the St. Bernard Project. At the time, the group only worked in St. Bernard Parish, where thousands of homes sat under 10 feet of water for several days after the storm in 2005. The group gutted the homes down to the studs, thoroughly cleaned everything and started rebuilding, using purely volunteer labor to add wiring, plumbing, insulation, drywall, paint, cabinets, counters, fixtures and all the basic elements a family needs to move back into their homes. I spent about half the time as a trial-by-fire site supervisor, leading volunteers in tasks I had learned the week before (don't worry, nothing structural or dangerous, like plumbing or electrical), and half the time as the cabinet and countertop specialist.
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Published February 6th, 2013 11:10 PM
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Dagmar's Home on Feb 20, 2013
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3po3 on Feb 20, 2013
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