National Service Agency CEO Highlights Volunteer Contribution to Katrina Recovery on 5th Anniversary
Service Projects, Site Visits Highlight Role of Service in Helping Gulf Come Back Stronger
Washington, DC— Patrick A. Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, will participate in a series of service projects, site visits, and commemorative events to highlight the critical role that national service has played in helping the Gulf Coast recover in the five years since Hurricane Katrina.
A big reason for the progress and optimism in the Gulf is the extraordinary contribution of more than one million volunteers, who have helped communities across the Gulf Coast come back stronger, safer, and healthier than before. This large scale volunteer response wouldn’t have been possible without the support and leadership provided by the dedicated individuals who participate in the Corporation’s national service programs – AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America.
Working in cooperation with FEMA, state and local authorities, and hundreds of nonprofit groups, more than 110,000 national service volunteers have contributed more than 9.6 million hours to the relief and recovery and rebuilding effort, and have coordinated an additional 648,000 community volunteers, a major share of the overall volunteer force.
Among other accomplishments, national service participants have assisted more than 3 million people, built or repaired more than 12,500 homes, completed 55,800 damage assessments, and supported 870 emergency response centers. Click here to learn about the national service response to Katrina.
Below is a schedule of Corvington’s visit. All times central standard.
Thursday, August 26
WHAT:
| Corvington joins U.S. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan in kicking off St. Bernard Project’s 50-Hour Build complete five homes in the days leading up the Katrina anniversary. |
| WHEN: | 3:15 p.m. |
WHERE:
| St. Bernard Project 50-Hour Build Kick-Off Site 11330 Parkwood Court South New Orleans East, LA 70128 |
| OPEN PRESS |
Friday, August 27
WHAT:
| Corvington delivers keynote at Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations’ 2010 Annual Conference, charting the vision for federal partnerships with the nonprofit sector in disaster response and recovery. |
| WHEN: | 8:00 a.m. |
WHERE:
| Astor Crowne Plaza 739 Canal Street New Orleans, LA 70130 |
| OPEN PRESS |
WHAT:
| Corvington leads community dialogue with area nonprofit leaders to discuss how national service is helping to tackle local challenges and the future direction of the federal agency. |
| WHEN: | 9:30 a.m. |
WHERE:
| Astor Crowne Plaza St. Louis Room 739 Canal Street New Orleans, LA 70130 |
| OPEN PRESS |
WHAT:
| Corvington celebrates Reach Out and Read’s milestone of distributing its one millionth book by reading to children in need. As part of President Obama’s United We Serve: Let’s Read. Let’s Move. initiative, Reach Out and Read committed to distributing one million books to underserved children nationwide before Labor Day. |
| WHEN: | 1 p.m. |
WHERE:
| Tulane Pediatric Clinic at Covenant House 611 North Rampart Street New Orleans, LA 70112 |
| OPEN PRESS |
Saturday, August 28
WHAT:
| Corvington will participate in a ribbon-cutting as part of Rebuilding Together’s Fifty for Five event, marking the organization’s 800th home build in the Gulf region. The project will bring together nearly 1,000 volunteers, including 250 AmeriCorps members. |
| WHEN: | 12 p.m. |
WHERE:
| Hansell Home in the Gentilly Neighborhood 2726 Mexico St. New Orleans, LA 70122 |
| OPEN PRESS |
WHAT:
| Corvington joins Tulane University President Scott Cowen in speaking to 1,200 Tulane students who blanketed the city in a wave of green as part of Outreach Tulane, the university’s largest annual service event. |
| WHEN: | 3:00 p.m. |
WHERE:
| Tulane University Campus Lavin Bernick Center Quad Corner of McCallister Drive and Drill Road New Orleans, LA 70118 |
| OPEN PRESS |
WHAT:
| Corvington joins Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Orleans in celebrating its 5th Anniversary Build-a-Thon and block party. |
| WHEN: | 4:30 p.m. |
WHERE:
| 1742 Frenchmen Street (Corner of N. Claiborne Ave) New Orleans, LA 70116 |
| OPEN PRESS |
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.
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