Fox 8 News of New Orleans came and did a human interest piece on us today! Apparently, we are one of a very few groups who have continued to come back each year from a far away destination, and a quick minute on the news was our five year anniversary present!
Hoping this works, here's the video:
New Orleans Local News, Weather, Sports, Investigations
Or you can link to the video on the Fox 8 page here:
http://www.fox8live.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7488310
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
We Have Arrived!
We have arrived, safe and sound! It's about 8:30 PM here in NOLA, and all is well. We got in about 20 minutes behind schedule, but quickly made it through the car rental process and were welcomed home to the Lower 9th Ward Village by about 3:30. On the way here, many of our veterans recognized some of the homes we had worked on previously, while our newcomers got a lay of the land and a glimpse at the communities and at the hurricane damage still visible today.
Once we arrived, we received a meaningful orientation from L9WV Director "Mack," then quickly set to work clearing rooms to make space to set up cots, tidying up the kitchen area, and getting settled in. We experienced our first Thunderstorm as we worked and many of us enjoyed a refreshing dash into the rain. A small team adventured to Popeye's Chicken for takeout dinner, where we were greeted with appreciation (and even a donation) by locals when we mentioned that we are volunteers. In a short while we will gather all together for a rundown of tomorrow's activities -- which will include Mass at St. Augustine and what is sure to be a powerful tour of the levees from Mack. For now, we are all enjoying some "hangout" time -- playing cards and H.O.R.S.E, reading, showering, chatting, and just being together, looking forward to what the next seven days hold in store for us.
Once we arrived, we received a meaningful orientation from L9WV Director "Mack," then quickly set to work clearing rooms to make space to set up cots, tidying up the kitchen area, and getting settled in. We experienced our first Thunderstorm as we worked and many of us enjoyed a refreshing dash into the rain. A small team adventured to Popeye's Chicken for takeout dinner, where we were greeted with appreciation (and even a donation) by locals when we mentioned that we are volunteers. In a short while we will gather all together for a rundown of tomorrow's activities -- which will include Mass at St. Augustine and what is sure to be a powerful tour of the levees from Mack. For now, we are all enjoying some "hangout" time -- playing cards and H.O.R.S.E, reading, showering, chatting, and just being together, looking forward to what the next seven days hold in store for us.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
ReNew Orleans in the News
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
ReNew Orleans has made the papers! Thanks to the hard work of Matt McMurphy, Betsy Guthrie, and IJ writer Zach Dubin, an article on the work that we are doing in NOLA will be appearing in Thursday's Marin IJ! Check it out!
Can't wait 'til Thursday? Read it NOW at http://www.marinij.com/novato/ci_20999179/marin-teens-still-at-work-helping-new-orleans?source=rss!
ReNew Orleans has made the papers! Thanks to the hard work of Matt McMurphy, Betsy Guthrie, and IJ writer Zach Dubin, an article on the work that we are doing in NOLA will be appearing in Thursday's Marin IJ! Check it out!
Can't wait 'til Thursday? Read it NOW at http://www.marinij.com/novato/ci_20999179/marin-teens-still-at-work-helping-new-orleans?source=rss!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Celebrate Mardi Gras -- and a major milestone -- with us!!
Celebrate Mardi Gras with us this Saturday!!
Join us at the Marin Catholic Student Center from 6 - 10 PM for delicious New Orleans-style eats, live jazz music, fun auction offerings, and cap it all off with dancing to DJ D-Fresh! There will be fun for all ages!
Tickets are $20 at the door, and the night is a great way to celebrate a last "Hurrah" before Lent begins.
But there's one more reason to celebrate -- this Sunday, the last FEMA trailer was removed from New Orleans! It's an awesome milestone in post-Katrina recovery, as the trailers have been a major cause of contention between citizens, local government, federal government, and environmental agencies in the six years they have been in NOLA. And while it doesn't mean that all New Orleanians are back in their homes, it is a great mark of progress in rebuilding New Orleans.
Read the article here!
Join us at the Marin Catholic Student Center from 6 - 10 PM for delicious New Orleans-style eats, live jazz music, fun auction offerings, and cap it all off with dancing to DJ D-Fresh! There will be fun for all ages!
Tickets are $20 at the door, and the night is a great way to celebrate a last "Hurrah" before Lent begins.
But there's one more reason to celebrate -- this Sunday, the last FEMA trailer was removed from New Orleans! It's an awesome milestone in post-Katrina recovery, as the trailers have been a major cause of contention between citizens, local government, federal government, and environmental agencies in the six years they have been in NOLA. And while it doesn't mean that all New Orleanians are back in their homes, it is a great mark of progress in rebuilding New Orleans.
Read the article here!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Fundraising Opportunities
We have two super-fun fundraising opportunities set in the near future. We hope you can make one or both of them.
Mardi Gras Masquerade Dinner Dance
Saturday, February 18, 6 - 10 PM
Marin Catholic John Paul II Student Center
$15 in advance, $20 at the door
Join us for New Orleans-inspired food and drink, live music, and dancing before Lent begins, and help us raise funds for our trip to the home of Mardi Gras! Masks are encouraged, and will be sold at the door.
Dinner Out at San Rafael Joe's
Thursday, March 8
931 Fourth St, San Rafael
Dine at San Rafael Joe's between 11 AM and 9 PM on March 8th and be sure to mention the New Orleans trip or St. Raphael -- Joe's will donate 10% of your bill to help fund our trip. Bring a friend (or a few)! Come at dinner time and you will have the chance to meet many of this year's participants.
We hope to see you all at one or both of these wonderful and tasty events!
Mardi Gras Masquerade Dinner Dance
Saturday, February 18, 6 - 10 PM
Marin Catholic John Paul II Student Center
$15 in advance, $20 at the door
Join us for New Orleans-inspired food and drink, live music, and dancing before Lent begins, and help us raise funds for our trip to the home of Mardi Gras! Masks are encouraged, and will be sold at the door.
Dinner Out at San Rafael Joe's
Thursday, March 8
931 Fourth St, San Rafael
Dine at San Rafael Joe's between 11 AM and 9 PM on March 8th and be sure to mention the New Orleans trip or St. Raphael -- Joe's will donate 10% of your bill to help fund our trip. Bring a friend (or a few)! Come at dinner time and you will have the chance to meet many of this year's participants.
We hope to see you all at one or both of these wonderful and tasty events!
Our Trip is Set!
Our 5th New Orleans team is officially set!
Forty-two applications were submitted and read, interviews were held to introduce youth to the concept of the trip, and we now have 33 amazing young people gearing up to go to NOLA this July 7 - 14.
We are beginning our largest fundraising campaign ever, as we need to raise about $1000 for each participant (including our 7 adult chaperons). While $40,000 is a lofty goal, we are optimistic that we can reach it through with the support of our generous and loving community.
Please stay tuned right here for news of how we are preparing for our trip and how you can help us get there!
Forty-two applications were submitted and read, interviews were held to introduce youth to the concept of the trip, and we now have 33 amazing young people gearing up to go to NOLA this July 7 - 14.
We are beginning our largest fundraising campaign ever, as we need to raise about $1000 for each participant (including our 7 adult chaperons). While $40,000 is a lofty goal, we are optimistic that we can reach it through with the support of our generous and loving community.
Please stay tuned right here for news of how we are preparing for our trip and how you can help us get there!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Blight Reduction on the move!
I'm a sharer. Always have been. I'm one of those people who always has a story (that you may or may not be interested in hearing) or a fun fact (that you may or may not care about). One of the best parts of this blog for me, then, is that I can write about all of the news items and fun tidbits in a venue that doesn't clog the email boxes of people just wondering when the next fundraiser is or how to donate to our cause.
Late last spring, I linked to a 60 minutes piece on NOLA Mayor Mitch Landrieu, in which he described his affection for New Orleans and his promise to eliminate 10,000 blighted properties. It's great to see New Orleans get positive attention on the national media stage, so I was excited to send the clip out to our team. Now, though, I can post both the original video, and this follow-up article, describing the progress that has been made in getting rid of blighted properties, including implementing a system called BlightStat to give transparency to the blight reduction process.
In reading the article, I am concerned that of the thousands of blighted properties that have been dealt with, only a few hundred were able to be repaired by owners. While we, as volunteers, can't control the local government actions regarding when properties are seized and demolished, we all hope that we can make a real difference by helping to rebuild for those homeowners who might not otherwise be able to do so without our assistance. I know that I, for one, hope that the volunteer efforts will be able to keep up with the number of homeowners who would like to rebuild, and that with each BlightStat meeting, we will continue to see a number of homes rebuilt instead of cleared away.
Late last spring, I linked to a 60 minutes piece on NOLA Mayor Mitch Landrieu, in which he described his affection for New Orleans and his promise to eliminate 10,000 blighted properties. It's great to see New Orleans get positive attention on the national media stage, so I was excited to send the clip out to our team. Now, though, I can post both the original video, and this follow-up article, describing the progress that has been made in getting rid of blighted properties, including implementing a system called BlightStat to give transparency to the blight reduction process.
In reading the article, I am concerned that of the thousands of blighted properties that have been dealt with, only a few hundred were able to be repaired by owners. While we, as volunteers, can't control the local government actions regarding when properties are seized and demolished, we all hope that we can make a real difference by helping to rebuild for those homeowners who might not otherwise be able to do so without our assistance. I know that I, for one, hope that the volunteer efforts will be able to keep up with the number of homeowners who would like to rebuild, and that with each BlightStat meeting, we will continue to see a number of homes rebuilt instead of cleared away.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Mmmm...Snoballs!
This past trip, we were reintroduced to a favorite New Orleans treat -- the snoball. Similar to the classic snow cone or the Hawaiian "shave ice," the snoball was one of our favorite ways to beat the July heat in NOLA, especially after a long day's work. Read all about them in this vintage (1943) article from the New Orleans Times-Picayune, which mentions our favorite shop on Tchoupitoulas (Chop-a-two-las) street, just blocks from where we stayed this past year.
http://www.nola.com/175years/index.ssf/2011/11/1943_snowballs_are_a_staple_of.html#incart_hbx
http://www.nola.com/175years/index.ssf/2011/11/1943_snowballs_are_a_staple_of.html#incart_hbx
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