HandsOn Evacuteer.org 2009 commitment: Up to 12 staffers and AmeriCorps members.

When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast, HandsOn Network made an immediate and serious commitment to address the devastation and support Gulf relief and recovery efforts through targeted volunteer action. With a $500k Challenge Grant from the Corporation for National Community Service, HandsOn New Orleans and HandsOn Gulf Coast (in Biloxi, MS) were launched to serve the vast needs of communities directly impacted by the storms. The focus, then and now, was bringing our project management expertise to bare, in order to more effectively deploy volunteers eager to help. HandsOn is grateful to have received over $4 million in federal and corporate investments since the start of HandsOn Network’s Gulf operations. Founding funders included the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, The Home Depot, The Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and many other generous partners.

Since Katrina and Rita, HandsOn New Orleans has mobilized over 15,400 volunteers to provide over 535,000 hours of service to our community. HandsOn New Orleans began by partnering with the First Street United Methodist Church in Central City in order to house 100 volunteers per night. Initially projects consisted of gutting and mold treating homes and have since developed into revitalizing neighborhoods, schools, and community spaces. HandsOn has evolved from a disaster response project into a thriving resource center for grassroots service project by launching an array of new programs; including a Tool Lending Library, a Youth Engagement Corps, and no-cost Volunteer Leader Trainings.

In July 2008, HandsOn New Orleans became an independent local affiliate of the Points of Light Institute; ensuring that HandsOn New Orleans will remain committed and responsive to the needs of our local community for the long-term.