$5 Helps St. Bernard Project Bring Families Home!

The Tumwater Teens are back home safe and sound, but thousands of New Orleanians are still waiting for a home to return to nearly five years after Katrina.

Want to help? Text "NOLA" to 50555 to give $5 to help St. Bernard Project rebuild New Orleans communities.

Tumwater Teens Rebuilding in New Orleans

Black Hills High School students and chaperones get ready to start their work
day rebuilding for St. Bernard Project.

Pictured: Back-Lindsay Swick, Marriah Kerrihard, Erin Schneider, Deanna Morrison, Cindy Meyer, Krista Whittaker
Second Row - Tori Stamp, Tanner Johnson, Adam Meyer, Doug Stamp
Front - Lindsey Meyer, Garrison Stamp, Caitlin Meyer



Some pictures of volunteers during our trip.

St. Bernard Project is rebuilding communities in the greater New Orleans area. In addition to rebuilding over 270 homes post-Katrina, providing free mental health services to area residents, and beginning a new "Good Work/Good Pay" rebuilding program - SBP is helping local communities rebuild important community services. This week hundreds of high school and college students, under the leadership of Shirts Across America, are giving up their spring vacations to help in the post-Katrina rebuilding effort. This is the second annual trip for Black Hills High School Tumwater Teens. Today, they gutted a former gym in Meraux, Louisiana that will be rebuilt as The Garden of Prayer church. Within a few weeks, it will open its doors.

First Day at St. Bernard Project

Greetings from Cindy, Caitlin, and Lindsey:

We spent the morning at St. Bernard Project, an amazing non-profit that assists St. Bernard Parish residents in rebuilding their homes post-Katrina.

We're spending four days researching the organization and gathering stories to create a community outreach and fundraising effort in the Pacific Northwest.

We interviewed:

• Zack, the founder of St. Bernard Project
  
• Colleen (office manager) and Joe (office staff member and former client)
  
• Families assisted by this amazing non-profit organization (stories and pictures will be posted at later date)

Some interesting facts about the county of St. Bernard Parish:

• Katrina destroyed 100% of the homes (27,000 residences), displacing 65,000 residents
  
• 1800 families are still living in FEMA trailers
  
• approximately one-half (32,000) of the 65,000 residents have returned
  
• St. Bernard Project has completed 131 homes, and is currently working on 30 homes
  
• 60 people are on the waiting list
  
• St. Bernard Project can rebuild a house with volunteer labor for approximately $13, 500

For more information, visit St. Bernard Project's website: http://www.stbernardproject.org/

Look for more information tomorrow!