Pam Murtaugh, Director, leads Pam Murtaugh & Co – management catalysts to Fortune 100 companies, specializing in a re-orientation from “consumer” strategies to human strategies. Her email is pam@pammurtaugh.com. She is moved to help the world see what happens when “economy” replaces “society” –to bring back a society, where every individual is valued because they are alive. The key to returning to a society is the recovery of soul. The silence in the aftermath of Katrina represents the lost soul of America. As the city of Soul, the recovery of New Orleans (and Katrina-land) represent an opportunity for re-activating a democracy where everyone acts as if we’re all connected.

Keith Frohreich, Director In 2000, after 25 years as an advertising executive and marketing head of such restaurant chains as Sizzler, Carl’s Jr., and Dennys, I said goodbye to strategic plans, advertising campaigns, and large drycleaning bills. Instead of helping bring home the bacon, I began cooking it. I fill my days with writing, culinary creations, and volunteering. I write columns and non-fiction. My current writing project will mostly be about cooking…think Dave Barry in the kitchen. In March of 2006, I spent two weeks in Goma, Congo with HEAL Africa (www.healafrica.org). In early 2006, I was the first of our gang to gut in New Orleans. I began recruiting other gutters and two gutting trips later we envisioned Katrina Corps. Volunteering is good for others, and for my soul. Long live New Orleans.

Barbara Mitchell Hutton, Director, is founder and Executive Director of Rocky Mountain School for the Gifted and Creative (www.rms.org). She consults with schools and programs serving gifted students and organizational development with non-profit organizations. Serving highly and profoundly gifted children, support of gifted girls and women, global awareness and education and the development of leadership skills light her fire! She believes in the power of the individual. She believes that presenting ourselves in a spirit of service to our fellow citizens in New Orleans will restore the heart of our nation. She can be reached at blmh@rms.org

Vickie Law, Director, now working as a consultant, has conducted clinical drug trials which emphasized a category the FDA labels, “orphan drugs”- essential for a small percentage of the population which mandates development expense as prohibitive. Vickie is a community volunteer who feels like, “it’s just too easy to do the right thing, not to do it”. She continues to work locally and internationally to support and encourage those who cannot represent themselves. She was a member of the gutting team that located the Ali poster in the ruins of a home in New Orleans which eventually led to the inspiration of Katrina Corps that “Impossible is Nothing”. She can be reached at vickiehlaw@yahoo.com.

Andy Parrish, Director, is President of Wind & Rain, Inc., an affordable homebuilder in Coconut Grove, FL., specializing in making lifelong renters into homeowners. His web site is www.windandrain.com. His email is Aparrish@windandrain.com. His motto comes from Sir Francis Drake: “There must be a beginning to every great matter, but the continuing unto the end until it be thoroughly finished yields the true glory.”

Ray Thomas, Field Director Katrina Corps. (Detroit, MI). Operations manager for companies in multiple industries with experience including; human health services, information technology, logistics and education. A former business owner and creator of state and federal computer repair programs, he has a reputation for dedication, creative problem solving, and outstanding service. His Katrina Corps inspiration comes from old family values surrounding the idea of supporting and helping those in need. He believes that purpose is the fuel of passion. “It must be the passion of the whole nation to rise up.” Reach him at ray@katrinacorps.org

Fred Pfaff, Strategy Director, leads Fred Pfaff Inc. (New York, NY). His specialty is high ground marketing—creating platforms that allow companies to change the game in their industries by introducing new ideals, approaches or metrics. He’s forged distinct reputations for a wide range of companies—from Fortune 50 to fledgling consultancies—in such crowded categories as media, consumer products and technology. A former nationally ranked athlete and award-winning poet, he champions underdog causes. He’s a director of Getting Out & Staying Out, the non-profit that’s reversing recidivism in New York City, and an advisor to Community Prep High School, the New York City school that’s giving a second chance to previously incarcerated teens. His Katrina Corps inspiration comes from George Bernard Shaw: “This is the true joy in life…being used by a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one.” Reach him at fred@fredpfaffinc.com.

Imagine… A generation of youth demonstrating that “we the people” can rebuild the Katrina Frontier, because “IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING!”

The Situation

At the current rate of volunteers, it will take at least six years to gut the wait-listed homes in New Orleans. Gutting is the first step in rebuilding this proud city and returning the families of Katrina-land to their homes.

Katrina displaced not only most of a major US city, but also a significant portion of our gulf coast geography. The path of destruction was broad, and the unfortunate handling of the relief and rebuilding efforts are well documented. The memory of Katrina has faded for much of the country, but the work toward recovery is just beginning. And in this recovery, lies the first frontier this great nation has seen in almost 200 years.

Displaced families want to come back to their homes. Each wait-listed home represents a family that longs to return, and needs to return, as they are the heart of Katrina-land. They are also fellow citizens of the U.S. who, through natural and man-made disasters have lost what is theirs. In the process, we have all lost a key piece of our geography, our history, our culture and our national soul!!

The city, frustrated by lack of progress due to dwindling numbers of volunteers, imposed an August 29 deadline for homeowners to start the process of rebuilding their home, or they would be demolished. That deadline was challenged by the very organizations in place to do the work. Fortunately, the city recanted…but for how long???

The Opportunity

Gut 50% of the wait-listed homes currently registered with existing Gutting Organizations in 5 weeks.

• 5 weeks of Spring Breaks
• 5,000 students per week to form 1000 teams of 25 people each
• 5, 5-day work experiences (commitment: arrive Sunday, depart the following Saturday)
• 1 gutted house/day/team = 5,000 gutted homes

Beckon a generation to demonstrate that “IMPOSSIBLE is NOTHING” while experiencing citizenship through the hands-on rebuilding of the Katrina Frontier. Recognizing the Katrina Frontier – a place of extreme challenge, extreme reality, and extreme opportunity – as the potential epicenter for a new generation of hope through full participatory citizenship.

Katrina Corps Planning

• When: Spring Break 2007 (March 5 – April 6, 2007)
• What: A citizen-based project team committed to:
• Create the infrastructure for Spring Break ’07 to accelerate the return of families to their homes (and lay the foundation for an ongoing effort)
• Leverage and support existing New Orleans gutting organizations to prepare for an influx of large numbers of volunteers in a short period of time
• Work with the team of internal catalysts – power players in the existing New Orleans and the Katrina-land infrastructure – to ensure their full support and participation
• Build a team of external catalysts – artists, politicians, and influential individuals (athletes, celebrities, etc.) to magnetize the effort with their energy and focus
• Invite contingents from Spring Break schools (between March 5 and April 6, 2007) to be Workers and Eyewitnesses
• Who: Workers for Spring Break ‘07 are:
• College students who volunteer their spring break to come to New Orleans and make the impossible happen (or high school students 16 and over with parental consent, and young adults with the ability to commit time and effort). They will serve one of two roles:
• “Gutters” focused on providing the labor needed to gut currently wait-listed homes.
• “Supporters” are Kitchen staff, medical staff, supply staff, administrative staff, etc. who will be critical in allowing Gutters to safely and efficiently focus on the task at hand.
  Eyewitnesses for Spring Break ’07 are:
• Filmmakers, Artists, Photographers, Journalists and Writers, etc. who witness
• The work, workers and creation of the Katrina Corps and the lessons learned by participants
• The lives of those who lived through the Katrina Experience. This will involve locating displaced families to interview them, and visually recapture images of the homes, neighborhoods and families histories they lost (along with their belongings).
  Note: The compiled works of these eyewitnesses will go onto “Katrina Tube” to make the loss and work of Katrina centrally accessible by fellow citizens everywhere. They will also become the foundational works for a Katrina Survivors Museum.

The Katrina Corps Culture

“Of the people, by the people, for the people” means “okay, we’ll do it ourselves, then.” This grass-roots effort is born to transcend the pitfalls and barriers of bureaucracy with the energy of a generation waiting to create the world that is their future. It is a transparent, hands-on operation with a work ethic and passion model of acting on that which needs doing.

The reward for participation is based not on an economic model of incentive and compensation, but instead on a social model where “of the people, by the people and for the people” is our inalienable responsibility.

Katrina Corps volunteers are the stars of this effort. Any external catalysts are there to recognize and validate the role of each volunteer and their collective effort as the vital role models of the future. Their effort will be the embodiment of Muhammad Ali’s powerful insight that “Impossible is NOTHING.”

“Impossible is just a big word
thrown around by small men
who find it easier to live in the world
they’ve been given, than to explore
the power they have to change it.

Impossible is not a fact.
It’s an opinion.
Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare.
Impossible is potential.
Impossible is temporary.
IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING.”

Katrina Corps volunteers are self-selected, pre-registered participants, who will come to energize change and create momentum for a future that puts people first. Not all will come. Those who choose to, will bring energy to a groundbreaking collective effort to reclaim the territory, life and soul of Katrina-land for our fellow citizens, and perhaps the beginning of an ongoing Katrina Corps.

Call to Action:

Which role will you play? Volunteer, Catalyst, Citizen Sponsor, or Corporate Sponsor. Join us, please!

EXHIBIT ONE

The Process:

• Website for pre-registration, $75 registration fee (following the model of existing organizations that ask volunteers to cover a portion of cost of the administration of their own volunteer efforts).
• Names/Teams given to pre-existing organizations.
• Accommodations (in order of priority)
• Pre-existing gutting organizations
• Host families (recruited through newspaper, blogs, talk radio, churches, etc.)
• Negotiated groups rates at local hotels
• Stipulated self-sufficiency (e.g., tents, foods, water, sanitation, etc.) at pre-planned camp sites if no other accommodations are available

Fund raising and/or donations of time, money or goods:

• Being accepted for tools, water, supplies, food, housing for the workers
• From Corporate and Citizen sponsors
• From External catalysts who are willing to help raise awareness, be present when possible, and applaud and reward those students who are making this dream a reality!
• 501(C)3 application filed December of 2006

Working Itinerary for the Effort

• Registration, assignment of host families or camp sites, Welcome kit (Sunday all day)
• Opening Ceremony (Sunday, 7 – 9PM)
• Welcome/ Culture statement
• Expectations for the week
• Housekeeping (how to get around, where to seek help and information, etc.)
• Torch Ceremony (1 torch lit/week, each remains lit through the following weeks)
• External Catalysts volunteer appearances
• The Work Week (Monday – Friday)
• 7:00 Wake up, breakfast
• 8:00 Teams convene
• 9:00 – 4:00 Gutting/Supporting/Eye witnessing
• 7:00 – 9:00 Performance Venue

WHAT IT IS. The Katrina Corps is a grass-roots citizen-sponsored effort calling 25,000 college students to New Orleans this Spring to do the grunt work required before existing flooded homes can be rebuilt. Many houses were under 8 feet of water for almost a month. To fix them, you first have to strip them inside, right down to the frame of the house. This is called “Gutting.”

To gut ONE house requires a team of 25 volunteers, an average of 6 hours of seriously dirty and back breaking work with hammers and wrecking bars. What’s weird is it’s one of the most fun and rewarding things a person can do. That’s a promise.

WHAT YOU’LL DO. Right now in New Orleans there are 10,000 families who have signed up for their homes to be gutted. The Katrina Corps, with your help, will cut that waiting list in half during March 5 through April 6. 5,000 houses gutted, by 5,000 students a week, in teams of 25, for each of the 5 weeks of Spring Break. Weekends and evenings will be for celebrating life in the Crescent City with bands being recruited from across the nation to help with this effort.

WHY YOU’RE NEEDED. Have you seen Bono’s “The Saints are Coming?” It shows what could have happened in New Orleans, but didn’t. Until you’ve seen it with your own eyes, you can’t imagine how much work there is to do. FEMA has money for hauling trash, but getting the trash and debris from the flooded houses out onto the street is hands-on, volunteer work. It’s Gutting. It has to be done. The Katrina Corps is volunteering. When the people who own the wrecked houses come to thank you with tears in their eyes, after you’ve put just about everything they own on the street, you know this is history making work. If nobody else will do it, we will.

WHO’LL BE WITH YOU. Your peers, from all over. Faculty and parents are also welcome. Colleges and Universities stagger their Spring Breaks. That’s why this is a 5-week effort. You’ll be with students from your school and others. Go recruit your friends! You’ll be joined by volunteer team leaders who have been part of gutting thousands of homes in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005. This is a project “by the people, for the people.”

WHERE YOU’LL STAY. We need you to pre-register ASAP so we can provide housing for everyone on a super-fast timeline. Almost all of you will stay in hotel rooms in the City (multiple occupancy, $10 to $20/night max). These rooms will be underwritten as donations are received and in the order in which you pre-register. So pre-register NOW. Corporate and individual sponsors are also being lined up to cover all the other costs except for your registration fee, transportation to New Orleans, and your food most evenings. It’s possible some of you will stay in church dorms (they’ve been putting people up since Katrina.) If housing were easy, you wouldn’t be needed in New Orleans.

WHAT YOUR WORK DAY WILL BE Up at 7, breakfast, teams convene by 8, leave for the job site by 8:30. Gut until Noon with your team. Lunch. More gutting ’til around 3 or 4. Return to your base, shower, dinner. Then you’re off on your own until the next morning. Sleep is recommended at some point. We’ll have a schedule of planned entertainment once we know which bands are coming.

WHAT YOU’LL EAT. Breakfast will be provided at 7 am although it may be bagels, juice and coffee most mornings. Lunch also will be provided, on the job site. Throughout the day there’ll be snacks and fruit and lots of water. Dinner most nights will be on you, in the Culinary Capital of the United States.

WHAT YOU BRING.

• Work boots or thick-soled hiking boots. Nail proof.
• Jeans. Long sleeve shirts. The older the better—probably won’t be taking them home
• 10 Disposable air filtration masks, N-95 or better, with metal nose clips
• Tool belt (optional)
• 12-inch min. pry (”wrecking”) bar with nail claw
• Full-sized hammer
• Water bottle
• Sleeping bag (optional)

HOW YOU GET THERE. That’s up to you. If you’re close by, we suggest car pooling with your friends. If you’re flying, we’ll have transportation round the clock (you may have to wait a bit) or you can cab it. Directions will be coming. The more of you who can drive, the better, since we’ll need to get 5,000 of you to the various job sites every morning.

WHAT’S REQUIRED NOW. First, decide if you really want to work, because that’s what this is, hard and dirty. Then think about who you’d like to do it with and talk to them. If you can get your whole team of 25 together, so much the better. Then pre-register at www.katrinacorps.org and send in your $75 registration fee. Your place in this great effort will be assured. QUESTIONS? info@katrinacorps.org

The Katrina Corps Team is working with citizen volunteers, individual sponsors, and corporate sponsors to provide things each team will need such as trucks for every work site to bring the larger equipment, medical/safety, and administration. We’re already working with existing New Orleans gutting operations so we’re not inventing the wheel. We’re just asking your help to make that wheel a whole lot bigger in just 3 months.

WE CAN FIX THIS!

The theme of this entire effort comes from Muhammad Ali:

“IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING!”

SEE YOU IN NEW ORLEANS!