Thank you for your patience as we continue to identify areas where volunteers can be deployed. We appreciate deeply the nation's outpouring of support and the many offers of assistance. Because oil is a toxic substance and dangerous if handled improperly, only specially trained responders may clean it up or dispose of it. BP is paying contractors to do this work. Volunteers at this time will not be assigned to oil-touching activities.
If you have not already done so, please register at www.volunteerlouisiana.gov to receive updates and information on any volunteer opportunities as they are identified. The registration form is found in the red boxed area on the homepage of this website. Please make sure you add laserve@crt.state.la.us and jpace@crt.state.la.us to your mailbox addresses so updates are not returned.
While there are still limited environmental response activities today, we are working with conservation groups who are developing a strategy for what will be a long recovery effort. At the same time, the human services volunteer opportunities continue to grow. For more information on volunteer opportunities, visit the HandsOn New Orleans Oil Spill Response Calendar or the Catholic Charities of New Orleans website.
We continue to receive an increasing number of calls and emails from individuals and businesses wanting to donate goods or financial support to assist nonprofits responding to this event. While we are not asking you to donate, unsolicited donations may be offered in the following manner: for donations with an estimated cash value up to $10,000, submit the offer through the National Donations Management Network at www.aidmatrixnetwork.org by clicking on LA on the map. For offers that exceed an estimated cash value of $10,000, please go to http://labeoc.org/offer. This public/private partnership manages large donations during all hazards emergencies.
Depending on your locations and availability, you may also want to reach out to www.volunteermississippi.org, www.servealabama.gov or www.volunteerflorida.org to see what volunteer opportunities they may have. HandsOn New Orleans will continue to keep volunteers updated as the situation changes.
While you await news of opportunities on the Gulf Coast, we encourage you to look within your own communities to work with organizations that could use your willing heart and passion to benefit local citizens.
Working with the Unified Command and our partners in the communities, we can recover our shorelines and communities and maintain the safety and security of our volunteers as well as the general public. Again, thank you for your interest.
HandsOn is happy to announce that we were selected for the Crescent City Farmer's Market grant. We would like to thank everyone who voted for us. With this grant, we will purchase a Do-It-Yourself Energy Auditing Kit for our tool lending library. The kit will be available to any tool lending library member, and will allow them to see ways that they can save money on their energy bill.
HandsOn New Orleans Day was a huge success! The event is our way of giving a shout-out to our fabulous and intrepid volunteers, who have contributed countless hours to the rebuilding of this city since our beginnings in 2006. This year's HandsOn New Orleans Day, which takes place in mid-March every year, saw over 200 volunteers giving their Saturday to help the residents of Indian Village in Gentilly. After volunteering the participants were treated to a first class BBQ by the Bethel Colony South Transformation Ministry, and entertainment by The Wild Magnolias. It was a great experience and we hope to see you there next year.
-The 2010 Principal for a Day page is now up on our website. To check it out, click here.
-HandsOn New Orleans is seeking dynamic individuals for our Volunteer Leader Internship Program. Benefits include internship credit, leadership training and more. For additional information concerning this posting, please contact Lindsay Nash at (504) 483-7041 ext. 107 or lnash@handsonneworleans.org.
-HandsOn New Orleans recently received a grant from the Community Impact Program at the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
-HandsOn New Orleans has moved! Our main office is now in the old Coca-Cola bottle building at 1050 S. Jefferson Davis Parkway, New Orleans, LA 70125, Suites 204 and 212.
-Do you need tools to complete a repair project? HandsOn New Orleans Tool Lending Library is Now Open!
-Also check out our new Tool Lending Library blog at http://honotll.blogspot.com
