BUTLER STUDENT VOLUNTEERS FOR KATRINA VICTIMS

INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 17, 2008)—Some college students use Fall Break to relax, but Butler University senior John McCullough wanted to do something more worthwhile on his vacation. McCullough organized a service trip for the Sigma Chi fraternity to aid the New Orleans recovery effort from Hurricane Katrina.

Geography is no boundary for McCullough, a Seattle native. He chose to study political science and history at Butler to live in a new part of the country, while still having the safety of extended family in the area. With the hopes of law school in his future, McCullough had two goals for his last fall vacation: he wanted to do something meaningful, but also escape the Indianapolis cold. He thought of New Orleans first because it was a part of the country he had never visited, so he started researching potential service opportunities.

“I got on the Internet and found dozens of relief organizations, so I literally spent all night sending emails,” McCullough said.
His search led him to Katrina Corps, a grassroots organization formed in December 2006 run entirely by volunteers that undertakes projects in New Orleans. The organization maintains flexibility in the projects it manages and helps rebuild houses and schools.

McCullough immediately decided to recruit his friends to help make his vision a reality. He found five fraternity brothers that were also enthusiastic about the opportunity and continued from there.
“It just came together,” McCullough said, “but getting the money to do it
was the hardest part.”
McCullough petitioned and received a grant from the Sigma Chi chapter to cover their gasoline expenses and then turned his attention to housing. He considered staying with Katrina Corps, which provides lodging for a small fee, but another student going on the trip knew a family that was moving to New Orleans a week after fall break. The family let the students stay in their house free of charge.
“That saved us a lot of money, but it was weird because there was no furniture… literally nothing,” McCullough said.
There was no time to lounge around the empty house, however, because they were kept busy working eight hours a day on the Colton School. The old high school was assigned for demolition, but Katrina Corps did not want the historic building with beautiful architecture and marble to be torn down.
Ray Thomas, project manager and leader of the volunteer effort for Katrina Corps, decided the school was an excellent project for the organization to take on.
“We couldn’t give up on the idea that there is something really positive to come from it,” Thomas said.
With the help of McCullough and his friends, the Colton School was remodeled to become an arts collaborative where children will be able to go after school to learn about different types of art– from painting to sculpting to metal working. The Sigma Chi men helped paint, clean up garbage, install doors and move heavy furniture to help prepare for the school’s opening.
“People were skeptical and said ‘oh, these are the frat guys’ when we came, but we ended up doing the dirty work,” McCullough said. “A lot of it was jobs other volunteers couldn’t or didn’t want to do.”

Thomas agreed that they all showed an excellent work ethic. Scott Lindemann, a long-time friend of McCullough and fellow volunteer on the trip, has always seen this kind of dedication in McCullough. Lindemann, a senior business major at Butler, said he is inspired by McCullough’s hard work.

“Whenever he has a chance to create opportunities, he does,” Lindemann said. “He gets an idea and runs with it. For this [project], he put his time and effort in, and it payed off.”
Katrina Corps wants to promote New Orleans as a city filled with culture and historical firsts, which is why the organization is dedicated to helping its recovery. McCullough said he enjoyed the atmosphere and laid back attitude of culture.
According to Campus Compact, an organization that encourages service-oriented events for students, alternative breaks like McCullough’s are becoming increasingly popular among college students. In 2007, this type of trip was the fourth most popular
civic engagement program universities offered. Although McCullough created his own experience, Butler provides an alternative break opportunity in which 45 students and advisors participated this year.
Thomas said Katrina Corps could not do what it does without the help of volunteers. McCullough is one of over 3000 volunteers that has helped Katrina Corps complete 400 projects in the past two years. The organization inspires its volunteers with the motto “impossible is nothing.” McCullough said through this experience he learned what a difference a few people can make, and that anything truly is possible.

“I had no idea how fun it would be. I’m already looking for opportunities to go back and help because it was so rewarding,” McCullough said. “I really felt like I made an impact.”

http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=9337173

We are seeking 3-D artists who would like to sell their work and
help with the recovery efforts in New Orleans. 10% of
all sales will go to Katrina Corps (www.katrinacorps.org).

If accepted, we require a $40 fee for show costs. Please
send 5 jpeg files, your artist statement and bio, or a link to your
website to cremerglass@yahoo.com by JUNE 29th, 2007.

http://glass-girl.com/index.htm

» Overview: Bringing Back New Orleans Schools

» Positive Outlook Aids New Orleans School Recovery

» Teachers Wanted as New Orleans Students Return

» For One New Orleans School, an Uncertain Future

Note: Links to all parts of the series as well as related stories exist on each of the pages linked to here.

» “Demolish or Save”

» PASTOREK NAMES PAUL VALLAS SUPERINTENDENT OF RSD

A Times-Picayune article discussing the new superintendent:

»New Orleans lands “top tier” school superintendent

New York Times article discussing the new superintendent:

» Prominent Education Reformer to Lead New Orleans Schools

» MSNBC: Sick of New Orleans?

Papers and books, teaching aids, furniture, electronic equipment and other items will need to be destroyed as they were contaminated with mold, rusted or have become functionally obsolete. The RSD plans to work with FEMA to purchase new furniture and equipment for schools it reopens.

There are also various items that will be saved and stored, including furniture that is not damaged and can be thoroughly cleaned to remove any mold; historical items, such as painting, trophies, memorabilia, certain equipment from science labs, televisions, copiers, tools, public address and video conferencing equipment, weights and certain gym equipment, musical instruments and a variety of other things that will be determined on a school by school basis.

Safety is the paramount consideration and the only items that will be saved are ones where it is clear that they can be cleaned and restored so they do not pose any future health hazards.

This process has already begun with a number of schools. Click here for a complete schedule.

Anyone who was previously connected to one of these schools, who would like access to personal belongings left inside, can contact Troy Peloquin at the RSD at 504.872.0614 or troy.peloquin@rsdla.net .

Source: http://www.nolapublicschools.net/contentremoval.aspx

Luther alumna Marte Pohlmann (‘06) is working with residents of New Orleans and volunteers to rebuild what has been lost. Pohlmann began her work with the Katrina Corps organization after meeting with one of its founders, Pam Murtaugh.

Inspired from the start by the work being done through Katrina Corps and after meeting with Murtaugh, Pohlmann found herself on a plane heading down to New Orleans 18 hours later.

» Luther College Chips: Working hard in ‘Big Easy’

From: KB
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 2:54 PM
To: info@katrinacorps.org
Subject: Weather Bulletin -Colorado

Weather Bulletin -Colorado

>Priceless. Think about this for a moment. IT IS WORTH THINKING ABOUT.

This text is from a county emergency manager out in the western part of Jefferson County after a snowstorm:

Denver News

Weather Bulletin
Up here, in the Northern Plains, we just recovered from a Historic event— may I even say a “Weather Event” of “Biblical Proportions” — with a historic blizzard of up to 44″ inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10’s of thousands. .
HOPE EVERYONE IS ALL RIGHT.
WE CARE ABOUT ALL CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY.