St. Bernard Project

Three more families welcomed home!

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:35:00 +0000

SBP kicked off the New Year with a big few weeks! We are so excited to have welcomed home three families already this year.

The Crafts evacuated to a shelter in Mississippi with 15 extended family members before Katrina and ended up staying there for more than 8 months. We're so glad they are now home in St. Claude with their 2 children!

Known for going out of their way to help others in need, the Kings are also now home. We were so proud to welcome such a generous family home on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service in recognition of their commitment to their community.

Cynthia Dellevalle is home, too. She does not have to drive from Mississippi to visit her grandchildren now, see her church community, or celebrate beloved New Orleans traditions like Mardi Gras.

Thank you for all that you have done to help us make these days possible for our inspiring homeowners. We're looking forward to many more homecoming celebrations in 2012 thanks to the support of our partners like United Way, our donors, and our dedicated volunteers!

A Different Look at What SBP Has Worked On Recently:

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

The Patrón Tequila Express stops through New Orleans

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:56:00 +0000

The Patrón Tequila Express railcar is stopped in New Orleans today! The vintage train car belongs to the owner of Patrón Spirits Company, John Paul DeJoria. It is occasionally used for promotional tours by the company when Patron holds events around the country.

Due to St. Bernard Project’s partnership with Patrón, a couple of SBP staffers were invited to come check out the restored 1926 railcar this afternoon. The Express is parked in the station at Decatur and Esplanade, right in the French Quarter and only a stone’s throw away from the French Market!

You can see the whole New Orleans skyline from the top of the car!

Patrón has been a great sponsor of SBP and our work. They've made generous financial contributions, in-kind donations of product for special events, and held several fundraisers for SBP. In fact, in 2008, Patrón hosted a series of fundraisers across the country aboard the Patrón Tequila Express to raise funds for SBP's rebuilding program.

Thanks Patrón for having us out to the Express today, and we're looking forward to the events Patrón will have in New Orleans in the future!

Progress Update on the Stroder Home Rebuild

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:33:00 +0000

James talks with a group of volunteers from
Glover Park Group in early December.

As a native of the Ninth Ward, Jimmy Stroder has spent his entire life in New Orleans. Jimmy chose to raise his five children in the same neighborhood where he grew up. For thirty years, Jimmy worked his way up through the ranks of the Housing Authority of Louisiana.

The house with only framing completed in late November.

Jimmy lived through previous hurricanes and did not to evacuate as Hurricane Katrina approached. As he surveyed the damage at his home after the storm passed, though, Jimmy realized that he could not stay in such a badly damaged home.

The interior of the Stroder home once
insulation was installed in early December.

He walked downtown through flooded streets. He eventually spent three days sleeping outside of the Convention Center before being evacuated to Arkansas. He then spent several years living in Texas. He traveled weekly to New Orleans to supervise construction on a home he purchased, as his first home was too damaged to be rebuilt.

Drywall was installed in mid-December.

Mudding began at the home in late December,
just a few weeks after construction began.

Jimmy worked hard to closely supervise the project, but he fell victim to contractor fraud like many others. Having spent his entire life building homes, he couldn't afford to rebuild his own.

After losing everything to crooked contractors, Jimmy turned to SBP for help rebuilding, and his home is now under construction. These photos show the progress made since construction began in late November. SBP staff and volunteers from Glover Park Group, Immaculata University, the Georgia Tech MBA program, and several other groups have worked very hard to move the construction process along quickly with funding from United Way. We're very excited that Jimmy will be able to return home soon to spend time relaxing with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren!

One last 2011 appeal to help us bring families home

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:09:00 +0000

As we move closer to ringing in the New Year this weekend, SBP is looking back at 2011 and working hard to prepare for 2012. We’ve had a great year!

With your support, we’ve expanded programs, boosted our capacity, and started exciting new ventures. By then end of the year, SBP will have rebuilt 420 homes in the New Orleans area. To the right are photos of several of the more than 80 families that were able to return home this year with the help of SBP supporters and volunteers.

The combined efforts of more than 10,000 volunteers helped us rebuild in 2011. And thanks to our partnership with Toyota and our hard-working staff, our re-designed and more efficient construction system will make 2012 a record year.

But despite all our successes, the needs sadly endure in New Orleans. As one of the last remaining rebuilding organizations, we currently have just over 130 clients on our waiting list. They are young, old, veterans, families with children or grandchildren—in short, they are just like you and me.

SBP has a goal for this holiday season: to raise $350,000 to fund building costs for 20 families in 2012. Your support is truly critical and has a direct impact on families still trying to return home six years after the storm. Please consider donating to help us reach our goal!

Thank you for all that you have done

to make our successes possible!

Days of Our Lives Helps Homeowner Go Home for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:37:00 +0000

In an incredible partnership over the last year, the cast and crew of Days of Our Lives worked with SBP to fundraise and rebuild homes in New Orleans. The show raised over $20,000 in 2011 to help sponsor the rebuild of Sharon Taylor-Rachal’s home in New Orleans East.

Days cast surprises Sharon in March

Several members of the cast and crew of Days of Our Lives volunteered with SBP in late March 2011 on the home of long-time Certified Nursing Assistant Brenda Harris. They also surprised Patricia Gardner and her family in Gentilly during her Welcome Home celebration by donating furnishings for her entire home. During their trip, they also surprised a grateful and ecstatic Sharon with the news that they would fund the rebuilding of her home (above).

James Scott, Sharon, and Ari Zucker

Just before Christmas, two stars of the show returned to visit the homeowner whose rebuild they funded. After a day spent hanging drywall on another rebuild site, Days stars Ari Zucker and James Scott spent several hours with Sharon and her family and saw the completed home they had helped fund (right). For more on the visit by Ari and James to see Sharon and her home, read this fantastic piece by Mary Rickard of the New Orleans Times Picayune. SBP and Days of Our Lives will collaborate in the coming months to bring home another New Orleans family home in 2012--stay tuned for more details.

Here is a video of Sharon thanking SBP staff, volunteers, and Days of Our Lives for their help in her journey home, which was also facilitated by the United Way. Thank you to all of our supporters for helping us bring more than 75 families home for the holidays in 2011!

A holiday surprise from a group of SBP volunteers...

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:54:00 +0000

We hope you're having a lovely holiday season, and we wanted to share a special surprise from a great group of volunteers from Northwestern University:

Thank you to the Asterik A Capella group for volunteering both their time and their voices to SBP! And to all our supporters: you have all been so important to our efforts to bring families home in New Orleans over the past year, and we couldn't do it without you! Happy holidays and a heartfelt thank you from the entire team at SBP!

Liz and Zack at CNN Heroes 2011

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:14:00 +0000

An update from Liz on CNN Heroes 2011:

On Sunday night Zack and I attended CNN Heroes in Los Angeles. It was a star-studded affair attended by Ice Cube, Jerry Seinfeld, Christy Turlington, AnnaLynne McCord and many more. But despite the many celebrities there, the Hero nominees stole the show. Their selfless acts of kindness were deeply inspiring (The show should be sponsored by Kleenex!). They are ordinary people doing truly extraordinary work around the globe.

While there were many heart-warming stories being told, I was especially moved by Taryn Davis, founder of the American Widow Project (at left with Zack). Taryn founded the organization after her husband, an Army corporal, was killed in Iraq. Feeling like she had had nowhere to turn, Taryn reached out to fellow widows and the Project was born. We met Taryn in April 2011 when she brought a dozen widows to volunteer at SBP. For a weekend these women worked tirelessly drywalling and sanding Ms. Tanya Scott's house in Gentilly. The sweat, tears and laughter from the weekend of service seemed to further strengthen and heal them.

The 2011 Hero of the Year is Robin Lim, an American midwife living in Bali, Indonesia. Her clinic has delivered over 4,000 babies and provided maternal and child health care for thousands of residents. As the daughter of a midwife, I know how hard these women work. Congrats Robin!

Every year, returning to CNN Heroes gives me a chance to reflect on the tremendous impact that being recognized by Heroes has had on SBP and our clients. The show brought the challenges families in New Orleans faced into the homes of millions of viewers. And many responded heroically—they helped. Thank you for supporting SBP and helping us rebuild the homes and lives of thousands of residents in New Orleans and now Joplin, where we recently opened an office. Your support, donations, and volunteer hours have truly made an enormous difference.

More news soon from Washington, DC where Zack and I just visited the White House for the holidays...

Right: Liz and Zack with Kate Flannery from NBC's The Office!

New Orleans Saints Player Roman Harper Visits SBP Family!

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:24:00 +0000

Last Tuesday, New Orleans Saints player Roman Harper came out to visit the Julien family, whose Lower Ninth Ward home he is helping SBP rebuild. Homeowner Yolanda Julien greeted Harper with her two youngest children, eleven-year-old Justin and eight-year-old Janiel. Several neighbors, a film crew, the Times Picayune, volunteers from Olivet College and Lindsey Wilson College, and a number of St. Bernard Project team members (yours truly) were all in attendance. Harper is funding Yolanda’s house in partnership with United Way and SBP and wanted to see the construction progress made so far.

Before the storm, single mother Yolanda raised her three children while working at a local hospital. They couldn't afford to leave during Katrina and were trapped at their house as floodwaters rose before eventually being rescued by helicopter. The family has been trying ever since to rebuild. Now with the help of the Saints, United Way, and SBP, Yolanda is realizing her dream to go home.

Harper’s visit took place as part of the Hope for the Holidays campaign, a collaboration between several Saints players, the United Way, Phoenix of New Orleans, and SBP. The campaign is raising funds to bring more families home during the holiday season and to raise awareness about the enduring need in New Orleans. Hope for the Holidays began last year with Harper and former Saints player Darren Sharper sponsoring the rebuilding of two families’ homes. This year’s campaign to bring another three families home kicked off on September 25th with Harper and Sharper now joined by three other Saints players: Jahri Evans, Malcolm Jenkins, and Lance Moore.

As the day wound down our SBP AmeriCorps member and site supervisor, Leisl Soergel, orchestrated final construction activities and clean-up. Student volunteers scrambled to tidy up, while the crowd waited and chatted in the unusually warm December evening. Harper arrived just after sunset…

And was immediately set upon by the crowd. But little Janiel won. She grabbed Harper by the hand and led him in the house, excitedly pointing at each room saying, “This is where my brother’s going to sleep. That’s going to be the living room. And this is going to be my room!” Harper asked her if she was going to decorate it. Janiel explained that her room would have a Justin Bieber theme. Someone suggested that the front room be made into a “Saints Room,” and Harper laughingly supported the idea.

After the tour, Harper did a brief interview with the film crew – the video will be aired this Friday during the Gala celebrating the Hope for the Holidays campaign, and possibly at other Saints events later in the season as well. He spoke with and signed autographs for volunteers. Toward the end of the evening, Justin Julien, timidly at first, and then with more insistence, began asking challenging questions about football technique. Finally, Harper and the Juliens thanked the volunteers and each other, for the others generosity and for the opportunity to help rebuild our city.

About an hour after he arrived, Roman Harper left for another campaign event, and the crowd followed. The last people at the site were Leisl and her team of volunteers, cleaning up for tomorrow’s work day.

--Sam, SBP Development Department

Welcome Home to Tanya Scott!

noreply@blogger.com (St Bernard Project) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:09:00 +0000

SBP staff and volunteers were so excited to welcome home an inspiring homeowner yesterday! Tanya Scott is home, six years after Katrina, and she is very excited to be able to put up her first Christmas tree since the storm. Tanya was a licensed practical nurse before the storm, but due to health complications she experienced while living in a FEMA trailer, she is no longer able to work full-time. Her joy at finally being home, though, was clear, and she thanks SBP and the volunteers who helped her come home just in time for the holidays.

Relaunched SBP Blog Coming Soon!

noreply@blogger.com (St Bernard Project) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:25:00 +0000

Stay tuned here--we are working on some great updates to share with you as we relaunch the St. Bernard Project blog! We're excited to share our stories with you and hope you'll follow our updates, which should be posted every Tuesday and Friday beginning in December.

We apologize for the long delay in updates to the blog after our website transition. Starting tomorrow, Thursday December 8, we will begin posting great content that will give you a better idea about what happens at SBP on a day-to-day basis. We'll have the perspective of a veteran on staff from New Orleans who went through the Katrina rebuilding process himself, photographs and updates from site supervisors at home rebuilds across the city, stories from co-founders Zack and Liz from exciting events like an upcoming White House Christmas party, and much, much more!

Let us know what you'd like to see on our blog, and we'll work to make it happen. We want you to be a part of our blog, and your feedback will help us do just that!

Under Construction

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Thu, 19 May 2011 02:46:00 +0000

We've been under construction for some time reformatting and preparing for the launch of our new website. Get ready for more of the stories you love and insight from the field to keep you up to date with the happenings here in New Orleans. Thanks for hanging in there with us!

November 23, 2010- The Thanksgiving Boot Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:44:00 +0000

By, Stacy Golleher, SBP Supporter, and Whitney Craig, SBP Volunteer Coordinator

There are no people on this earth who are more resourceful than Louisianians. There is no family that loves to yell at LSU Football more than mine. My family….we’ve majored in breaking the sound barrier. We celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday by eating and reflecting the gratitude of our blessings and gifts. We celebrate football on Saturday with a gumbo and carrying around an old gold disco boot. I said we were loud. Not normal.

My grandmother is a good ole Catholic woman who had had a brood of seven. My mom grew up with built in playmates and that didn’t change as siblings were married and babies were born. We got bigger, “badder” and louder. And we loved every minute of it. Holidays are full of dancing, music, love, gumbo, drunken chicken and beer. Sigh. It is so great to be a Cajun.

Years back, the LSU Tigers would play the University of Arkansas Hogs on the day after Thanksgiving (in recent years, it was moved to Saturday). Since they say that Louisiana and Arkansas look like the shape of a boot, over the course of the years it was called the Boot Bowl. The winner of the game received a huge trophy in the shape of a boot. With that big ole tacky boot trophy….comes some serious bragging rights. In the SEC, that is part of the trinity….God, Food and Bragging Rights.

On that fateful football Friday, being a good Cajun family, we took the leftover turkey and made a gumbo. My dad stirs the rue until is the perfect color of peanut butter - seriously, there is a Jiff can next to the gumbo pot at all times. Aunt Fran and Uncle Bill had us all over to watch the game. By halftime my grandmother was giving chest bumps. (See above about my statement on normal). I don’t remember who won the game that year but we had the best time pulling for sides…and making fun of Uncle Bill’s Hog Hat.

The following year, we had already declared this to be the “Second Annual Family Boot Bowl” and all were prepared for screaming, gumbo and SEC madness. That morning prior to the game, my Uncle Scott mysteriously disappears. Right before kick off, he pulls out an old nasty disco Gold Boot he found at a thrift store that morning. Our own Golden Boot. The Holy Grail. The winner of the game keeps to keep the boot for that year. The year and the score is written in Sharpie on the sole of that nasty shoe.

But the best part of the trophy is the “Presentation to the Champion” ceremony after. We put the boot on a pillow and parade it around the pool table in the game room where we have gathered to watch the game. The champion’s fight song is played. We should be hired to choreograph the Opening Ceremonies of the next Olympics, clearly.

It is so silly, you have to love it. Except for maybe my cousin, Stacy, who said it was mortifying having to explain to people why a gold boot was proudly displayed on her parents mantle when friends would come over.

My family. We even love loudly. We aren't normal...we are colorful.

November 18, 2010- A Different Kind of Fatigue...

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:58:00 +0000

By Whitney Craig, Volunteer Coordinator and Site Supervisor

Whitney (far left) and John meeting with soldiers
volunteering for the day

Last Thursday, November 11, 2010, was no ordinary Thursday (not that any day is ever ordinary at St. Bernard Project) – it was Veteran’s Day. The way we chose to honor and remember such a holiday was to create the amazing opportunity to work alongside people serving our country in a variety of ways – from the United States Secretary of Energy to men and women who served and continue to serve in our United States Armed Forces.

So when the opportunity came along to work on Ms. Mona Lisa Payne's home with veterans and Secretary Chu, I was so pumped! Several of my family members have served in various branches of the military, so respect and honor for the men and women who live to serve our country was instilled in me early in life. These folks do so much for us, our country and our safety. Having the chance to shake hands with a woman who has nursed so many wounded soldiers back to health and teach a man who built camps in Afghanistan how to tape and mud a corner seam - How could one not be moved by such an honor?

Whitney teaching the Secretary
how to mud

If you would have walked by the site that day, you could not have missed us. Some of the volunteers were dressed head to toe in their Army fatigues. Other wore black and gold SBP shirts. All were doing their part to get Ms. Mona Lisa back home.

Each piece of insulation stapled, each sheet of drywall hung, every glob of mud, every beautifully taped seam and each coat of paint helps move a family one step closer to moving home. At lunch time, we welcomed the 320th family home – Mr. Kwame and Mrs. Dominique Adansi-Bona. The welcome home party was filled with volunteers, SBP staff, veterans, Sec. Chu and staff from the U.S. Department of Energy.

At one point, they asked all the vets to come to the front of the crowd. There was even a vet from the neighborhood who simply wanted to welcome his neighbor’s home – Sgt. Johnson called him forward too. Then, in true SBP style, the ribbon was cut.

Before volunteers ate their cake and toured the home, Ms. Dominique stepped up to the microphone and led the crowd in singing “America the Beautiful.” The feeling amidst the crowd was one of honor, joy and gratitude. We honored our soldiers, veterans, and country with that song together. We shared in the Adansi-Bona’s joy of coming home after 5 long and challenging years. The whole group shared the gratitude they had for all the volunteers to help get them home, and the gratefulness to all the people who have come to lend their helping hands, and end up connecting to other human hearts.

Thanksgiving Hand Turkey Competition

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:13:00 +0000

Who loves free shirts? Who loves Thanksgiving? Always on the hunt to solve those solvable problems, we at SBP have combined your love of turkey and shirts in our first ever Turkey Hand Drawing Competition. Join the Gobble-Off and you could win the grand prize: A FREE SBP SHIRT!

From now until Thanskgiving, take your best shot! Email photos to homefortheholidays@stbernardproject.org or tweet them to @stbernardproj. To enter a "draw off" with a Marketing Coordinator/drawer extraordinaire, enter "Challenge" in the subject line...

Recent Submissions:

Bridget Nolan, Maryland, SBP Marketing Team (Reppin')

Matt, NY, Age: 9

Kevin, Virginia, SBP Marketing Dept (#1!)

Laura, New Jersey, SBP Volunteer Coordinator

Ben, Massachusetts, Age: 22

Molly, SBP Volunteer Coordinator

Kate, Wisconsin, SBP Development Coordinator

November 15, 2010- Thanksgiving: The Forgotten Holiday, by Bridget Nolan, SBP Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:59:00 +0000

Turkey Strut

If you haven’t heard, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Maybe it’s the starving AmeriCorps in me, but I am counting down the days till I uninhibitedly stuff my face with some of the best culinary creations known to man. To my surprise though, this wondrous holiday is neglected. Thanksgiving seems to have been forgotten in the quick jump from candy-crazed Halloween, into the overpriced, stressed winter holiday season. Just because Thanksgiving isn’t marketed with giant animatronic lawn turkeys, does not mean that it should be pushed aside. There are millions of reasons why Thanksgiving is the best holiday, but I’ll keep it short and sweet (Mmmm.. sweet potatoes).

There is no stress of having to give gifts. There is also no stress of having to fake your love for Aunt Sadie’s knitted Christmas sweaters, with matching scarf for the dog (oh, only me?). Thanksgiving is about being thankful for the moment. The time spent with family and friends is enough of a gift; and so are those cranberries.

There is no religious attachment. Thanksgiving does not care what your religious beliefs are. You can be Jewish, Christian, Muslim…etc, and you can all call it Thanksgiving, and you can all celebrate it in the same way-- eating till you pass out.

The weather is better. Okay, maybe this doesn’t go for NOLA climate, but back in the real world Thanksgiving is much safer than the winter holiday season. Family members can fly, drive, and even walk to the festivities without the fear of ice, snow, or whatever else might kill them along the way. Winter holiday season, not so much.

Lastly, thanksgiving is the best holiday because it represents togetherness. In the true spirit of American eating habits, our wonderful thanksgiving founders knew how to do it right: good friends, good food, and good times. I hope that you all have a wonderful thanksgiving, and are able to enjoy it with friends and/or family. Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast. - William Shakespeare

As a lover of thanksgiving, I would love to know what your holiday views are! What do you love about Thanksgiving? Or do you like the winter holiday season better? Please respond!

November 9, 2010- The Race is on to Get Families Home for the Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:14:00 +0000

Welcome to the official kickoff of SBP's Home for the Holidays campaign! From now until January 7, 2011 we here at SBP will be working towards our goal of returning 25 families home in time for this holiday season and raising $300,000 to give 15 more families the gift of home and begin their reconstruction.

For five long years, thousands of families throughout the Greater New Orleans area have been in a housing flux. Stripped of their homes after Hurricane Katrina, these families have bounced from FEMA trailers to overcrowded relatives’ homes to rental housing where prices have doubled. They have made so many sacrifices to stay in their beloved New Orleans, with adequate housing usually getting little priority.

This holiday season, you can help put an end to these sacrifices. With your help and donations, when we reach our goal of $300,000, we can ensure that 15 families will soon have a place to call home. This will be the last holiday season they will be forced to spend away from their home.

To find out how to get involved:

Head to our Home for the Holidays page on www.stbernardproject.org
Follow us on Twitter for our “Holiday Question of the Week”
Follow us on our Facebook Fan page or Profile page and
Check us out on YouTube as we will be posting Holiday videos throughout the campaign.

Finally, we will be having a weekly blog post from someone on staff or a guest writer. They will be discussing things from what the holidays mean to them to favorite holiday memories.

Let’s make this a fun and successful holiday season.

Want to get involved? Have a cool Holiday Question of the Week? Want to write a guest blog? All your questions can be answered by contacting: homefortheholidays@stbernardproject.org.

October 1, 2010- Site Supervisor Bridget Hatfield Recounts the Whirlwind Past Few Weeks of Working for SBP

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 22:39:00 +0000

It's hard to believe how quickly the past three weeks have flown by here at the St. Bernard Project. We have been busy, busy, busy!! And as a site supervisor I am blessed enough to be right smack dab in the middle of the action.

Bridget with retired NFL player Marcus Allen

For the 5th Anniversary of Katrina the Project hosed a 50 hour build. That's right---two homes running for FIFTY hours straight. Excited to be part of history, I worked two if the six shifts (including the 1am-9am shift!!) at the Williams Home. You think it was a challenge? it was--but it was great to see some familiar faces from the "Big Easy" community dinner hosted every month for volunteers, the office (!!!) and some SBP long time friends. We stated the shift having PLENTY to do to finish the home, and close to 12 dozen doughnuts (we had to keep our blood sugar soaring, right?). By 6am the sun was rising and as we took a break one last push to finish our projects got us through till breakfast.

Once 5pm rolled around, the Williams family was welcomed home in true New Orleans fashion-- music and seafood! That evening reminded me of the many reasons that I came down to New Orleans from Northern Virginia. A great success.

Still recovering from the mixed-up sleep schedule I was in the queue for NFL volunteers (important corporate sponsors, Hall of Fame-ers, and the commissioner of the NFL himself), and some even more important volunteers as well...my parents!! That's right! My parents, from Washington, DC to work all week long. They experienced my life, sweating in the field every day, cleaning up after a long day of work, going to meetings, teaching volunteers, and creating bonds through common ideals. Although sore, and ready for a few days to relax, we enjoyed the experience all around. It meant the world to me to have them on site. To experience my life, work towards similar goals and to see everything that has become my normal here in New Orleans. My mom and dad both shared with me that they really had no idea until they experienced it.

I truly believe that that is the only way to know, for sure, what New Orleans still NEEDS. So, experience it. Maybe I'll see you Monday morning--in my staff shirt, smiling, with a roll of blue tape...waiting to connect you with a family who is more deserving now than ever before.

September 2, 2010-Pepsi Refresh 'Thank You' from funnyman Kevin Albrecht

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:31:00 +0000

Watch the last video here!

While we may too often condemn big businesses and corporations for greed and “book cooking”, we rarely, if ever, highlight these groups when they go against the grain and wax philanthropic.

Pepsi has done just that with their Refresh Everything campaign. Instead of spending millions to parade Britney Spears through a Pepsi bottling factory (which was staffed by some very talented dancers, I must say) for billions of Super Bowl viewers, Pepsi will donate this money to causes much more worthwhile.

I, thankfully, work at an organization that provided me the opportunity to participate in such a novel advertising campaign.

Somehow, I was chosen to be the whipping boy and go on a month long journey, to find something “more refreshing” than the St. Bernard Project’s big idea. I had water thrown on me, ice dumped down my shirt, 3 FULL SLUSHEES thrown in my face… and I couldn’t have enjoyed it anymore.

How could I not have? I was given a chance to combine two of my favorite things: making people laugh and helping people out. If getting a door slammed in my face made 10-15 more people vote for SBP and bring us closer to funding our mental health center’s expansion…then slam away.

And now, here I sit, the day after the polls closed and we are in 1st. We did it. I got a lot of the credit for this, but a lot of it was undeserved. If the videos are what put us in first, then Amanda Catalani deserves more credit. The music, the cuts, the edits…it was all her. If Zack and Liz knew how much time she put into these videos… they would’ve been cut a long time ago. (Sorry, Zack and Liz, but they worked. Can’t be too upset).

If getting the vote out among St. Bernard parish residents got us in first, then Drea Groner and Bob Strauss deserve more credit. Drea sat threw the mad dash lunch hours at St. Bernard hot spots, Rocky and Carlo’s and Tony’s. (Think about what your local Barnes and Nobel looks like when the new Twilight book comes out… except everyday… but no vampires.) She talked it up with complete strangers and got them to vote and pass it along to family and friends. Bob Strauss got all of Trist Middle School behind us. Once we visited Trist, we rocketed into first place and never looked back.

And finally, to our staff. Thank you for not maiming me, Amanda or Matt Haines due to our plethora of “Get out the Vote” emails. You guys and girls are truly an incredible bunch of co-workers and our past, present and future clients are better off thanks to your dedication to the cause.

I don’t think one thing put us over the top. It was just your traditional “grind it out” team effort. And thanks to the participation of so many supporters and voters across the nation and the world, we now have “250,000 grants falling on our head”… and it feels good.

Check out our video series here.

August 17, 2010- Extreme Makeover: SBP Office Edition

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:06:00 +0000

What happens when the SBP staff is asked to do an incredible task: completely renovate the upstairs office so that we can run a more efficient, organized operation? That would be the most epic make over in SBP office history.

One might be surprised to learn that many of the staff in the development and volunteer departments, in their power suits and cushy rolling chairs high in the SBP office tower, once worked on the construction side of things- many as site supervisors, repeat volunteers, or as a part of the rotating AmeriCorps NCCC teams. SBP is proud of our relationship with AmeriCorps and especially grateful to the program for exposing its NCCCs to the work down here, many of whom return to continue doing good with SBP after their service is up. This background came in more than handy as the office and warehouse united to devote nearly three hours to transform a cluttered, inefficiently mapped office into a sleek and spacious base of operations.

Jabs about the office being "high maintenance" and fraternizing with "the help" in the warehouse were put aside for the afternoon to achieve a success on many different levels- each held their own in assembling the carefully constructed desks and shelves provided by the warehouse managers, and it was a prime opportunity to come together and accomplish a task as a staff in its entirety. Check out some of the pictures of the staff working on, and for, the new digs upstairs:

Our very own YouTube sensation, Kevin, and grant-writing phenom, Kate, who both were NCCC site supervisors for SBP, helping mark the spots for the new office desks

Our jack-of-all-trades government liaison, Matt taking care of some desktop sanding.

Case manager extraordinaire Kathleen and marketing coordinating dynamo Drea stain the new worktops.

Development coordinating sensation Catherine taking on the sander

The office staff giving the warehouse a run for its money...?

August 2, 2010- The SBP Office Makes a Splash for the Pepsi Refresh Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 07:13:00 +0000

Ready, set, VOTE for SBP in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge! That's right, voting has officially gone live and we need all of your help to vote for us every day to win $250,000 for mental health services for those affected by the oil spill.

Our office, always looking for new ways to keep things interesting, has decided to spend the next 30 days searching for something more refreshing than our proposal. To capture this bold idea, we will be turning it into a youtube video journal where our resident scheduler, Kevin Albrecht, will be testing the various ideas we come up with to see if they are truly on par with SBP.

For the first video, Kevin thought we should take the idea of "refreshing" literally. Though the stifling Louisiana heat may be the one to credit this idea to, one 10 minute break to wait for the business next door to stop mowing their lawn, a near fall off an unstable crate that our intern videographer Mollie was standing on, and three practice takes later, Lisa, one of SBP's case managers, Heidi, a site supervisor, and Amanda, the marketing coordinator, were ready to soak Kevin for the cause. You can check out our first entry here to see how he was willing to literally make a splash for SBP!

Never fear, Kevin didn't melt and will be back tomorrow with our refreshing idea #2. Have an idea for him to try out? Leave a comment and it could be in our next video!

Don't forget to vote for us once a day at www.refresheverything.com/sbp and to reach out to your networks to help lead the charge for $250,000 to help victims of the oil spill. We can't do it without you!

From the Center of Refreshing,
Team SBP

July 30, 2010 - UPS and UW Prove There's N.O. Place Like Home

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:56:00 +0000

Dorothy may have said it, but this past Saturday, UPS, United Way, and the nearly 100 volunteers who were volunteering with SBP believed it as they witnessed the Treaudos cut the ribbon on their recently completed home.

Through the N.O. Place Like Home campaign, United Way Worldwide is donating funds to rebuild 16 homes, and is conducting an online engagement initiative to get their supporters and contributors to join the effort. The are also working with their corporate sponsors to get companies to sign on to the campaign and sponsor a home.

The first to join the ranks is none other than UPS, who sent more than 50 local volunteers to help work on the Caillouet, Toledo, Williams, and LaGrange family homes this weekend. Together, the group totaled more than 800 service hours!

The Welcome Home party for the Treaudos was a heartfelt meeting between donor, volunteers and homeowner. Yes, UPS funded the entire rebuilding of the Treaudo family home and a few UPS employees helped AmeriCorps member and site supervisor Kim Benty put the final touches on the home on Saturday. Now, nearly 5 years after the storm, the Treaudos are finally back into their home, and their UPS was there to commemorate the event.

Standing on the lawn enjoying the celebration, the crowd was in for a surprise when an unexpected UPS truck pulled up. Thinking it was a coincidence at first, it quickly became evident that we were seeing both UPS's fun side and continued generosity as they delivered a washer, drier, and hamper full of detergent for the Treaudos.

Without UPS, the Treaudos would likely still waiting to return home. They used assistance received to hire a contractor, but ran out of funds. They family -- Royce, Vernon, and their daughter and grandson have been living in the FEMA trailer since 2007.

When case manager Lisa met them, Vernon kept talking about one day having a barbecue at his home again.

In welcome the Treaudos home, Lisa said, "Well, here were are just a few months later and we're having a barbecue. I could not be happier to welcome the Treaudos home."

On behalf of the Treaudos, SBP thanks United Way and UPS for their incredible generosity, hard work and for proving that there's truly no place like home.

Click to see more photos on Flickr

July 13, 2010, Annie Williams, member of the Blessed Sacrament Parish youth group in DC, blogs about her volunteer experience

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:30:00 +0000

Nearly five years after Katrina raged through New Orleans I went with the Blessed Sacrament Church Youth Group, lead by Mr. Mark McCaffrey, to work on a few of the 28,000 homes that were left uninhabitable. It was amazing to see how much work still needed to be done. It was such a great feeling, to know the impact that twenty four students and I, accompanied by five parent chaperones from the Youth Group, were able to make. As volunteers with the St. Bernard Project we were instructed on the use of power tools and guided in our rebuilding efforts.

Listening to the stories of homeowners gave us a better feel of what they have gone through since August 26, 2005, when Katrina struck. As we listened to Gary Bierria tell us his story on the dilapidated front porch of his home, overlooking the FEMA trailer parked in his driveway where he and his family have lived since the storm, we were struck by the enormity of Katrina and the marks it left. Despite all that has happened to the city of New Orleans the cheerful atmosphere still prevails. From the amazing French Quarter to the extremely friendly people we were privileged to be guests of their beautiful city.

We quickly found that New Orleans is a great place to be; with every corner you turn downtown there is a place to feast on seafood, marvel at the unique architecture and the creative street artists, and listen to music galore. After touring the miles of city on foot we enjoyed the respite of the breezy street cars as we made our way to the Loyola University dorms where we stayed. We also enjoyed a swamp tour where we saw alligators, fed them marshmallows, and enjoyed being on the famous Louisiana marshes. Whether it was landscaping in City Park, painting houses and warehouses, chipping paint, hanging dry wall, or touring this fantastic city this trip was an all around great experience.

We will all carry these memories with us and look forward to returning to the city ready to work again. Though there is much work to be done, there are obvious signs of recovery. Starting with the Saints claiming their first Super Bowl title to the numbers of houses that have been repaired, the status of New Orleans is looking up.

June 29, 2010, Anna Garvey, student at Georgetown Visitation School in Washington, D.C., remembers her week with SBP

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:57:00 +0000

"Yeah, Yeah. Okay Dad! Yes, I have my bag! I need to go!" were the last things from my mouth as I slammed the door of my Dad's old car (which magically made me late for anything). The cool air of BWI airport was a great escape from the oven-like temperatures, as I was greeted by the familiar faces of my group and my boarding pass. Landing 50 minutes earlier than expected at the Louis Armstrong International Airport, we were welcomed by spirited airport attendants. On our way over to Saint Bernard Parish, not only did the heat hit us, but so did our surroundings as we passed by the Superdome followed by hundreds of spray painted "X"s.

By the time we arrived at Camp Hope for our first meal, we knew that the week was going to be an adventure. Due to the BP workers staying at Camp Hope, we were bumped over to the Marina Motel. Right by Bayou Bienvenue the Marina Motel, turned out to be quite the humble abode for the week to come! Our alarms came very early Monday morning, but our excitement gave us a little boost out of bed. After we packed our lunches at Camp Hope we headed over to the Saint Bernard Project Office for our very informative orientation where we learned all about the flood and Saint Bernard Project. Shortly after we were shipped out to our houses! While one group headed around the block to work on a house with a fellow Visitation Alumni, Julia Alexander, the other group headed to a house a little further which belonged to Gerry Bierra. As we read his moving bio on the car ride over, we became excited and even a little nervous.

We pulled up to a weathered yet cheerful pink and white home, and on the front porch was Gerry. The best way to describe Gerry would be as Santa Claus. His optimism, smile, and generosity taught us all valuable lessons throughout the 16 hours of paint chipping and power washing under the hot Southern sunshine. On our last day with Gerry he bought us all a huge lunch with his favorite (and now ours) french bread, followed by some of the best snowballs in the world from the ice cream truck. Gerry had touched us all from his inspiring stories, his personality, and even his special beignet recipe! Our next house, belonging to the McLuckey Family, was where we learned how to paint and texture the walls. Even without meeting the McLuckeys we learned so much from them by just working on their house. When we got tired and frustrated towards the end of the week, to keep us going we thought that if these people could go through this much the least we could do is finish painting a wall no matter how hot or tired we were.

We not only learned how to chip paint and texture walls, but we learned about gratitude and how important it is to not take things for granted. After we spent our last night buying Mardi Gras beads and eating beignets from Cafe Du Monde, we came back to DC as 15 different girls than the girls we were a week ago. When my family pulled up to the airport, it struck me how blessed I was, and how important it was for me to never forget about how much can be taken from you so quickly. The most important thing isn't your house, your car, or even your cell phone, it's your family and a smile. Like Gerry said, "You're down but never out."

June 24, 2010, DeWalt Tool Donation Ceremony

noreply@blogger.com (St. Bernard Project) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:32:00 +0000

Hello St. Bernard Project followers! Hope you all like the new and improved blog. In the coming weeks we'll be adding more photos, more ways for volunteers to share their experiences with one another, and more ways to follow the ins and outs and happenings around the project. If you have any interest in contributing to the blog in the meantime, please let us know!

To get things started, this afternoon was an eventful day around the project and the Meshell home. As a result of our exciting new partnership with Stanley, Black & Decker and DeWalt tools, Deek DeBlieux (pictured left with founder Liz McCartney) and DeWalt came out for a dedication ceremony of $40,000 worth of new tools selected from a wish list submitted by SBP. Shane Meshell and fiance Tina were out on hand to celebrate with nearly 200 volunteers over delicious mac and cheese and jambalaya graciously provided by DeWalt from local parish restaurant Tony's.

We at SBP love the rare occasions when we get to celebrate with our three SBP MVPs, if you will: our homeowners, volunteers, and donors. We love to have opportunities like this to show both our sponsors and volunteers the amazing progress that results from a bit of hard work and generosity, and we definitely love great parish food and giving more to our homeowners.

Despite the blazing New Orleans heat-as well as the seemingly 100% humidity that our Head Runner, Chris Conley, jokes one could swim through-the event was a complete success. Deek reminded us of DeWalt's the homegrown roots and the Meshells moved one step closer to getting into their home. Believe us, the event was as fun as it looks. Hope to see some of you out at the next one!

From the office,
SBP

The Meshells, the DeWalt team, and Liz McCartney following the donation ceremony

Deek pointing the volunteers in the direction where he's from in New Orleans