This weekend, members from the New Orleans chapter of AVODAH (a nationwide Jewish Service organization) will help renovate a house under the supervision of Rebuilding Together New Orleans (RTNO). The 9 corps members, plus several program supervisors, will do some painting and light carpentry on a Broadmoor house located less than a mile from the residence of the AVODAH members on Jefferson Ave. The home on Walmsley Ave. will be the 134th that RTNO has renovated in New Orleans since Katrina.
The workday is part of a larger partnership between RTNO and AVODAH, launched in the summer of 2008 when an AVODAH member, Meredith Grabek, came to work at RTNO as an Intake Assistant. RTNO is one of nine organizations throughout the city to receive an AVODAH corps member in the Jewish organization’s inaugural year in New Orleans. The organization, which functions like a Jewish Peace Corps, seeks out local partners that match its anti-poverty mission.
“RTNO has a terrific reputation of working with the homeowners and with its volunteers and staff,” said Josh Lichtman, AVODAH’s Program Director in New Orleans. “Meredith has obviously gained a tremendous amount from working with them as an Intake Assistant. We’re proud to partner with RTNO.”
WHO: 9 AVODAH corps members and supervisors
WHEN: Sunday, December 14, 9:00am-4:00pm
WHERE: 4139 Walmsley Ave., New Orleans, LA
WHAT: AVODAH corps members work with RTNO to renovate a Broadmoor house, in conjunction with a year-long partnership between the two organizations
Rebuilding Together New Orleans is a local affiliate of Rebuilding Together which has restored and revitalized more than 100,000 homes over the past 20 years. Utilizing volunteer labor, Rebuilding Together allows low-income families in communities across the country to live in comfort, safety, and dignity.
RTNO is also a program of the Preservation Resource Center, an organization devoted to promoting the preservation, restoration, and revitalization of New Orleans’ historic architecture and neighborhoods.
AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps engages young Jews in direct work on the causes and effects of poverty. This work brings important resources to low income communities and equips our Corps members and alumni to emerge as lifelong agents for social change, whose work for justice is rooted in Jewish values. After completing this year-long program, AVODAH’s partnership with the American Jewish World Service offers them a broad platform for long-term leadership in social change and Jewish life.
