By: Michelle D’Onofrio, Volunteer Program Officer

Not only do the summer months bring heat, humidity, and rain to the city of New Orleans, they also bring volunteers! This June Rebuilding Together New Orleans welcomed some major volunteer groups from across the country. Two groups of over 20 volunteers from ReWiGo (Ready, Willing, Go) Ministries worked hard in the field along with volunteers from North Community Church Work Camp from Marshfield, Massachusetts and a group of 50 librarians who visited New Orleans as part of the American Librarian Association conference. We are also pleased to see that we have many more volunteers on the roster for the upcoming months, proving that even through the hot summer days; volunteers are still committed to rebuilding the city of New Orleans.

Ready Willing Go volunteers came down to New Orleans the weeks of June 20th and 27th. The first group was comprised of high school students from South Carolina actively involved in their school’s ministry programs. These volunteers worked in the Gentilly neighborhood at 2500 Madrid. Here, these hard-working volunteers painted the house’s exterior, giving it a new coat. The next week, ReWiGo brought a group of 25 high school students from Kentucky. These volunteers worked tirelessly through the heat on 1574 N. Miro and 4758 Hickerson. Here, the volunteers tiled showers, installed counter tops, and painted the interior. Because of their dedication and great attitudes, these students accomplished so much in their time with Rebuilding Together New Orleans!

The week of June 27th also brought a group of 17 volunteers from North Community Church Work Camp. These high school volunteers came to us all the way from Marshfield, Massachusetts. The group of 17 students painted the exterior of a house in the Holy Cross neighborhood. The students were all smiles as they speedily accomplished their goal of completing the exterior work.

Finally, the month of June brought a large group of librarians to New Orleans as part of the American Librarian Association Conference. On Friday, June 24th, our field staff was joined by 50 librarians from across the country and around the globe, some of these volunteers coming all the way from the Middle East and Latin America! The group of 50 was spread out across the city, making the librarian’s impact undeniable. Homes in Treme, Hollygrove, and Holy Cross were primed, painted, and cleaned while Evans Park in Uptown was landscaped.

Rebuilding Together New Orleans would like to extend a big thank you to all of June’s volunteers! From high school students to professional adults, our June volunteers brought dedication, commitment, and resilience to their work. During this hot summer month, we were able to work on one park and seven homes in five neighborhoods, all thanks to the hard work of our volunteers!

Interested in volunteering with Rebuilding Together New Orleans? We accept groups of all sizes and skill levels. Contact our volunteer coordinator at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or by phone at 504-636-3058.