NEW ORLEANS — Habitat for Humanity is welcoming volunteers back to construction sites.
Today, the team will start efforts on Hurricane Ida relief projects, helping connect volunteers with the most pressing Ida rebuilding needs throughout southeast Louisiana.
This hurricane relief effort is different from what Habitat usually does because it will help anyone in need, not just families who live in habitat-constructed houses. Many homeowners throughout the region are still struggling to gut, repair or rebuild their homes since the storm. Of course, Habitat knows a thing or two about building houses, so they're going to be helping homeowners return to normalcy.
"A lot of folks still point back to the days after Hurricane Katrina where we had so many folks come into our community and really help us recover," Jay Huffstatler with Habitat for Humanity said. "Help us muck out homes, help us tarp roofs, and so we want to be able to work with our local residents who may not have had as much damage and are able to come out and help volunteer and help these folks who were affected."
Huffstatler says this relief effort is especially significant because the same folks coming to volunteer may have similar damage to their own homes, and it's great to witness them choose to help their neighbors.
"New Orleans Habitat is a part of the long-term recovery groups in several of the parishes across southeast Louisiana that are still reeling from hurricane Ida damage and working to make the repairs as quickly as possible. We're witnessing volunteers from other organizations that are coming in to help, knowing they have severe and significant damage at their homes as well, they want to make sure that their neighbors and friends are taken care of as well and to them, that's the best way to make that happen."
Volunteers need not have any construction or house gutting experience - just a desire to help those in the community who need it.
Visit https://noahh.volunteermatrix.com/ to sign up, see the dates available and review the safety guidelines. All volunteers must be vaccinated. If you want to help, but cannot volunteer, donate to Habitat's Disaster Relief & Recovery Fund. https://habitatnola.givecloud.co/giving. Or call 504.861-2077.