As the 5th year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, Rebuilding Together New Orleans is gearing up for Fifty for Five, its neighborhood-wide, commemorative event. As the name implies, RTNO will be opening fifty homes across the neighborhood of Gentilly in the hopes of revitalizing a community that remains heavily affected by the storm.

Volunteers from Rebuilding Together affiliates, as well as corporate sponsor volunteers from across the country, will be teaming up with locals to bring vulnerable Gentilly residents back to their homes. Volunteers will have an opportunity to work on an array of projects, as the scopes of work vary from constructing wheelchair ramps to weatherization to painting.

Sears, as the main sponsor of the event, will be honoring the veterans of Gentilly with their own special celebration. They will also be donating a number of Sears’ appliances, such as refrigerators and stoves to those in the area who have served our country.

The event will take place August 24-28, and culminate with a block party on Saturday afternoon in Lafayette Square. The party, which is free and open to the public, will be a celebration of the hard work of all of our volunteers and those who have made the city’s revitalization a part of their life.

If you are interested in being a part of the largest rebuilding event in Rebuilding Together’s history, either as a volunteer or vendor at the block party, please contact the RTNO volunteer coordinator at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).