|
For immediate release: November 13, 2006
Contact:
Margaret Dubuisson
504-592-5691
mdubuisson@archdiocese-no.org
Corinne Knight
504-592-5690
cknight@archdiocese-no.org
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OPERATION HELPING HANDS
GUTS 1,000th HOME
After nearly a year of helping elderly and disabled homeowners begin the clean-up process in flood-ravaged New Orleans, Catholic Charities volunteers will gut their 1,000th home Wednesday.
A group from Dubuque, Iowa will work on Isaac Bolden’s Gentilly home, which took 10 feet of water in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Like many New Orleanians, Mr. Bolden did not hold flood insurance and suffers from major health problems. He is currently living in an apartment in Atlanta, but is traveling back to New Orleans by train to thank the volunteers for bringing him one step closer to healing.
To date, 6,848 Operation Helping Hands volunteers have gutted 999 homes and given 178,641 hours of service. More than 3,000 volunteers are scheduled to participate in Operation Helping Hands through March and about 1,300 homes remain on the waiting list. Volunteers have come from across the United States and as far as Canada and England to join in this effort.
“We started this project over Thanksgiving weekend last year and are so grateful to see how it has taken off,” Joan Diaz, Project Manager, said. “1,000 homes gutted means that 1,000 families have started to rebuild not only their homes, but also their lives.”
WHO: Catholic Charities Operation Helping Hands volunteers from Church of the Resurrection, Dubuque, Iowa
WHAT: 1000th home gutted
WHEN: Wednesday, November 15 at 11:00 AM
WHERE: 5130 Cameron Blvd., New Orleans
|
