Katrina Corps

Imagine… 5000 homes gutted and ready to rebuild in 5 weeks

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