Rebuilding Together Marks Fourth Anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in New Orleans
Article type: Press Release
Washington D.C. – August 28, 2009 - Four years ago, Hurricane Katrina left a path of devastation in the Gulf Coast region. Rebuilding Together, the nation's leading nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership, pledged to Rebuild 1,000 damaged homes left by the hurricanes and created a Gulf Coast Operations team.
As the Gulf Coast region continues to rebound, Rebuilding Together continues to bring attention to the ongoing need that still remains for so many residents. This week we are joining forces with our Rebuilding Together New Orleans affiliate (RTNO), Sears and their Blue Appliance Crew, along with longtime New Orleans resident, football Hall of Famer Archie Manning and his wife Olivia, to restore two important properties in the historic Holy Cross neighborhood.
The Mannings joined Sears and Rebuilding Together on Thursday, August 27 to celebrate the renovation of a 3,000 square foot Community Center that supports the affiliate's mission. On Saturday, Sears, the Mannings and Rebuilding Together will turn the keys of homeownership back to Army Corps veteran Geraldine Bush. Both properties are located in a neighborhood that was hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. Sears donated $70,000 to rebuild the Community Center and Bush's home, and is providing Kenmore ENERGY STAR qualified appliances including refrigerators, ranges, washers and dryers.
On Saturday, August 29, Geraldine Bush and her brother will be welcomed back home by the Mannings, Kevin Brown, vice president and chief marketing officer, Home Appliances for Sears; Gary Officer, Rebuilding Together, president and CEO; and numerous military and Sears volunteers.
Rebuilding Together ‘s Gulf Coast Operations Initiative is committed to rebuilding communities from the coast of Mississippi to southeast Texas with the help of the Rebuilding Together Gulf Coast affiliates. Rebuilding Together Calcasieu, Acadiana, and New Orleans affiliates work with teams of 50-100 volunteers that come from near and far to bring homeowners back to a house that is warm, safe and dry.
Since 2005 Rebuilding Together has:
• Completed Homes: 609
• Volunteers Utilized: 17,586
• Volunteer Hours Spent: 407,157
• Completed Work Worth: Over $20 million market value
To learn more about Rebuilding Together and their work visit RebuildingTogether.org.
About Rebuilding Together:
Rebuilding Together is the nation's largest nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing critical home repair and modification services to those in need at no cost to homeowners..With the help of everyday citizen volunteers, skilled trades people, the support of local business and major corporate partners, Rebuilding Together affiliates in America’s largest cities and smallest towns make life considerably better for thousands of low-income homeowners. In addition to its core home repair work, Rebuilding Together also rehabilitates community centers and conducts home modification and repair programs that focus on aging in place. Rebuilding Together has programs dedicated to ageing in place, energy efficiency, veteran’s housing, and disaster recovery and reconstruction. For more information, visit www.RebuildingTogether.org. Media Contact: BCarter@rebuildingtogether.org (202) 518-3500.
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