Katrina Corps

The 2 hour season finale aired this Sunday!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated…their time, energy, and
products for this doozie of an episode. It was the most massive effort
ever and it was just amazing the group that came together to pull it all off.
The house and the church both turned out so, so great. The families and
members of the church will benefit from your contributions hopefully for
many generations.

Learn more here: http://www.extremeneworleans.com/

If you catch the episode, look for KC volunteers in the blue shirts!

Dear Eric and Katrina Corps staff,

I am a preschool director who recently had one week off in June prior to the start of our summer program. Since my life tends to be very hectic as a single mom with a full-time career, I often look for places to go on my vacation that are relaxing so I can de-stress from the school year. However, having had a year filled with much drama, I decided to look for something different as I felt the need to bring some perspective back into my life and I thought volunteering might be the way to do this. I came across your organization through volunteermatch.com and decided the opportunity that was presented to help schools in New Orleans get ready for returning students was particularly interesting to me and would allow me to give back to the educational community. The age range of volunteers also allowed me to bring my teenage son along as well and offered him the opportunity to connect with people outside of his life in San Francisco and put in some community service hours for high school credits.
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My First Time to New Orleans

I know it sounds cliché, but the smells and sounds are what I remember most. There is so much about New Orleans that, from a glance, I did not like: the drinking, the partying, the smoking, the strip bars. But somehow things that mattered more to me showed themselves: Jazz clubs, Art, Tattoos, Southern drawls, Humid sticky, sweatiness, Kind folk, Volunteers, Genuine Hearts, Southern cuisine, Music, and more music. A Groove that was contagious.
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I was the church member that Tim referred to in his blog [earlier]. Thanks
again, Tim, for answering the call!
I found volunteering with Katrina Corps a very “doable” andincredibly moving experience. Katrina Corps formed in December 2006 with a main purpose to help open more classrooms in the crowded, post-Katrina New Orleans public schools. Read the rest of this entry »

Oh, my God, I have spent all week thinking about New Orleans and Katrina Corps. You are an amazing organization and I am so happy that I came down and worked with you.
All of the volunteer staff were terrific. They were patient, kind and informative. And all very professional. I would write any of them a reference, as I had nothing but good experiences with all of them. Read the rest of this entry »

Hello,

I live in Wyoming and was visiting family in Milwaukee during the summer and stopped at a church that I used to play organ for. When I was there one of the members told me about Katrina Corps and that they were planning on going the first week of August (mind you she told me in July). I jumped at the opportunity, especially being a music teacher. New Orleans is the birthplace of the only American Artform. I plan on returning to New Orleans next summer for probably longer than the 1 week. It was a life altering experience.
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Hello,

I was a Katrina Corps volunteer from August 12th to August 18th. Being a Chicago public school teacher, who teaches a similar demographic population to those in the New Orleans Schools, I have become very aware of the lack of coverage of issues impacting race and class in America. While I have viewed many newscasts and documentaries with subjects as Katrina, the Lower Ninth Ward, and the rebuilding of New Orleans, I felt a need to get firsthand experience and a need to get “off of my behind” and do something. Read the rest of this entry »

I would like to thank you for organizing this project.

Today I have watched numerous shows and read various articles about New Orleans. There is still so much to do and I would like to come back and help. As a teacher, I will be sharing the facts and emotions with staff and students. Hopefully, they will be called to action materially and by building a connection with students and teachers from the affected schools. Relationships between the students could have positive outcomes. Good luck and please let us know how the situation progresses and what the needs are currently.

Carol (teacher, Milwaukee)

The week I spent in New Orleans was truly an enriching experience.  I feel blessed to have gotten to meet such a great and interesting group of people, explore a new and wonderful city, and try to help in the recovery of a devastating disaster.  The staff was very passionate about the cause and inspired me to want to do even more to help in the future.  The people of New Orleans were friendly, colorful, and full of energy.  Although I had a lot of fun, the tour of the Lower 9th Ward and hearing the stories of some of the people who were in New Orleans for the Hurricane left me with a very somber feeling.  I was glad to see that quite a few areas of the city were on the rebound, but it seemed that many areas were still completed neglected and we all came to the realization that there is so much more that needs to be done.  I will remember and cherish my experience in New Orleans for the rest of my life!
 
Brandon