The Rebuilding Together New Orleans team has spent much of the past two weeks collecting supplies and working with homeowners devastated by the recent flooding, but this week started off with a relief effort that hit much closer to home.
The entire area surrounding the Rebuilding Together Acadiana offices was inundated with floodwater earlier this month.
The RT Acadiana team, which is ordinarily dedicated to helping residents in the Lafayette area rebuild and restore their homes, was suddenly in the midst of a large scale rebuilding effort.
Catherine Crowell of RTNO spearheaded the effort to partner with our RT Acadiana compatriots.
On Monday, August 29, Crowell invited Monique and Tamara, two AmeriCorps members from RT Acadiana, to join RTNO AmeriCorps members in training at the Preservation Resource Center headquarters in New Orleans.
The training included certification in CPR and first aid for volunteer safety and fit testing for respirators to keep the crews safe as they rehab flooded houses.
“Afterwards, we went to our warehouse and loaded up their van,” Crowell said. “We gave them gutting supplies for 50 kits including hammers, pry bars, buckets and other hand tools. We also gave safety kits with respirators, glasses, first aid kits, hard hats, Tyvek suits.”
By combining the safety training with the gutting supply kits, RTNO was able to ensure that their physical donations will have the maximum impact.
“Both these things are very important because it allows volunteer teams to be run to get more homes gutted,” Crowell said.
These donations will help the RT Acadiana team effectively help their region recover and help flooded out residents return to their homes quicker.
