During the first two weekends of October, over 500 volunteers from 32 local teams will work on 14 home repair projects for low-income homeowners through Rebuilding Together New Orleansâ 25th annual October Build presented by Chevron. This year, volunteers will be assisting 17 elderly or disabled homeowners, including five military veteran homeowners.
âItâs amazing to see how our work has not only improved the lives of over a thousand deserving homeowners, but how the homes we worked on decades ago were preserved by volunteers and now are in thriving neighborhoods,â said Jon Skvarka, director of Rebuilding Together New Orleans. âBecause a few motivated locals wanted to make life better for their elderly neighbors and recruited sponsors who took a risk to make that initial investment, we now have an annual event that has been a vital to the success of New Orleansâ neighborhoods.â
Since 1988, October Build teams have completed over 1084 projects in 35 neighborhoods across the city and this community revitalization event has turned into a long-standing tradition for many local groups including Junior League of New Orleans, Chevron and Shell New Orleans who have participated since the beginning. During October Build, volunteers will be making critical repairs to provide elderly, disabled or veteran homeowners with safer and more energy-efficient homes. From installing safe handrails and steps to wheelchair ramps, volunteers will make a lasting impact on homeowners who do not have the physical or financial ability to make critical repairs, which will keep them safe and save them money on utility bills.
âChevron is proud of our long-standing partnership with Rebuilding Together,” said Leah Brown, Public Affairs Manager for Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit. “Since 1988, we have supported them as they have laid the foundation for a brighter future. As they rebuild homes, they also rebuild lives and revitalize New Orleans communities. We invite everyone to join Chevron and our employees in participating in the October Build.”
A program of Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans (PRC), Rebuilding Together New Orleans started in 1988 when the PRC instituted a one-day neighborhood revitalization pilot program in the Lower Garden District. The pilot program was named âChristmas in Octoberâ and was implemented to address the needs of existing homeowners, namely the elderly and disabled who had become ill equipped to manage home repair. After Hurricane Katrina, Rebuilding Together New Orleans modified its mission to aid those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. This year not is not only the 25th anniversary of October Build, but it also will mark the 500th completed project since the storm.
For more information about Rebuilding Together New Orleans or October Build, visit www.rtno.org. Connect with Rebuilding Together New Orleans by visiting www.faceboook.com/RebuildingTogetherNewOrleans and on Twitter: @RT_NewOrleans.
