By Ross Peizer
Intake Assistant

As the Intake Assistant and AVODAH Corps Member with Rebuilding Together New Orleans, I helped close my first three projects with RTNO. All of the homes were opened before I came on board with the organization, meaning I wasn’t the main point of contact for these homeowners at the beginning and throughout the homeowner intake process.

However, despite being the new guy, homeowners didn’t hesitate to tell me how grateful they were for the work that RTNO has accomplished. Mr. Lombard, one of RTNO’s homeowners living in the Gentilly neighborhood, made a conscious effort to stay in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

“This is an excellent program that must continue,” Mr. Lombard said.

RT performed exterior work on Mr. Lombard’s home which included painting the entire home and installing a handrail for his back door. Installations were made to make Mr. Lombard’s home safer and more accessible to his needs.

Eight and a half blocks down on Eads Street is Mr Gilbert, another homeowner who can finally see the fruits of RTNO’s labor. When the intake staff knocked on his door, Mr. Gilbert came outside and walked up and down his front stairs. As he surveyed the completed work he wore a big grin. The handrails and porch grip that were installed on his front staircase will help to ensure that Mr. Gilbert won’t slip on his front stairs again.

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Mr. Gilbert is a disabled veteran who served as a Corporal in the Army for two years and received an honor of good conduct before retiring. A New Orleans native whose family has been in Louisiana since 1769, Mr. Gilbert has owned his home in Gentilly for 30 years where he and his wife raised their five daughters. Mr. Gilbert is a conversationalist and we would have loved to talk to him the rest of the day but we had another appointment to meet. It was time to close another home.

Our last stop was at Mr. Parker’s home in the Hollygrove neighborhood. Mr. Parker is a 79-years-old veteran who appears much younger. There were a number of tasks that Mr. Parker’s home needed that RTNO was able to execute including weatherization, accessibility repairs and installing new gutters. It was a pleasure to hear that his energy costs have decreased since we worked on his home.

It felt great to close the homes of these three grateful gentlemen who were in need of our services. All three homeowners strongly agreed that they’re satisfied with RTNO’s work and all strongly agreed that their quality of life has improved since repairs.

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With the closing of homes, comes the opening of new projects. It is very exciting for me to now see RTNO begin work on homes where I have been the caseworker from day one. I am pleased to go through this process and look forward to seeing volunteers hard at work on these homes in upcoming months. Stay tuned for the next update where I discuss opening homes with RTNO.

Top Image: Intake Manager Sara Moore presents one homeowner, Mr. Wilbert Parker, with his very own Rebuilding Together New Orleans Welcome Home doormat.