The St. Bernard Project has long been building. The nonprofit organization was started in 2006 to ensure that disaster-impacted communities recover in a prompt, efficient, and predictable way. Since its founding, St. Bernard Project has rebuilt more than 445 homes in the Greater New Orleans area with the help of more than 41,000 volunteers.
The Project currently operates four direct service programs that create housing, help with disaster recovery, create living wage jobs for veterans, and cumulatively restore the hard-working, family-oriented communities in New Orleans.
Now their success is headed north.
Friends of Rockaway (FoR) is operating as a local affiliate of St. Bernard Project to rebuild homes for Hurricane Sandy survivors on the Rockaway Penninsula, Queens. FoR utilizes St. Bernard Project’s proven-effective, vertically integrated model to leverage volunteers and in-house skilled labor to rebuild homes for far below market rate and carry out construction projects with much lower subsidies than traditional affordable housing models.
Volunteers, who make the project happen, are diverse. They range from AmeriCorps volunteers to Catholic Sisters from across the country, along with their friends and families. On-site skilled site supervisors teach volunteers how to install insulation, drywall and trim on multiple houses to help more than 200 families on FoR’s waiting list.
From October 13-18 2014, Catholic Sisters joined Nun’s Build to rebuild the homes and lives of Sandy survivors. Sisters of all skill sets are encouraged to participate.
FoR welcomes lay volunteers and donors, as well. Groups that donate or raise $500 ro more for SBP’s rebuilding fund will receive a Nun’s Build T-shirt. To register for Nun’s Build visit: friendsofrockaway.org .
For more information on Nun’s Build activities please contact: Callie Peterson, volunteer coordinator at (718)635-1051 or friendsofrockaway.org callie.peterson@friendsofrockaway.org