Winston Jenkins
3 August 2006

The Junior League of Boston is participating in the Junior League of New Orleans’ (JLNO) Project

“Junior Leagues Rebuilding a Better Community Together in New Orleans” to help rebuild the city of New Orleans. The JLNO has requested a minimum of four members from every Junior League chapter to come September 29^th – October 7^th, 2006 to help them with a very large rebuilding project with the main portion of the event taking place October 5^th – 7^th 2006. The JLNO has offered to pay for members accommodations; however, airfare and food are each member’s responsibility.

The event is now full, but we are maintaining a waiting list in case more spaces open up. If you are interested, please email JLB coordinator Winston Jenkins at winston04@comcast.net, or call 617-470-6318 for further details and information.

League helpers are welcome at any time during this period with the main focus for our efforts taking place between Thursday, October 5^th and Saturday, October 7^th.

Itinerary:

Arrive by Wednesday afternoon, October 4^th, in time for small group dinners in several Garden District homes hosted by JLNO Sustainers. On October 5^th, there will be a half work day, which will wrap up in time to clean up for the 3:00 bus tour of the city’s damage. The tour should take approximately three hours, and will end at City Park’s Botanical Gardens, where we will have dinner. During dinner there will be speakers from the Red Cross and other agencies that can help you get ready for the unexpected. The purpose of this is to help you all understand how significant the damage from a disaster can be. It is not unique to hurricanes, but can arise from tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, and bombs. Our hope is that once you see the damage from Hurricane Katrina you will understand the need to get prepared. Friday and Saturday we will work all day, and the evenings will be free for you to sample the many wonderful restaurants and music establishments that are all open and ready for visitors.

Lodging:

As of now, three rooms have been reserved at the Marriott hotel for $99 + tax. Winston will need to check with the JLNO to see if they can still cover our accommodations. If not, then JLB members will need to pay for their own hotel rooms.

Supplies:

JLNO suggests working with your local home improvement stores to get supplies donated. Items can be shipped down to local stores in the New Orleans area, or gift cards are also a welcome help. New Orleans has a shortage of cabinets, and any kitchen or bath supplies would be great. They also have shortages of sheet rock, paint, windows, plywood and weatherboards.

Skills:

None necessary! Just bring a good attitude, a willingness to learn, and a desire to help. JLNO will take care of the rest. They do welcome skilled help, as there is a shortage of contractors, electricians and plumbers in the region. If any of you have access to this type of volunteer, the Rebuilding Together team can help get the necessary permits in advance.

Who Can Participate:

JLB members, friends, and adult family members. We would like to see hundreds of people in New Orleans wearing Junior League t-shirts and wielding paintbrushes and hammers. As of August 3^rd, JLNO has 298 volunteers, from 28 states and Canada registered to participate in our AJLI-wide effort.

Want to Help but Cannot Attend:

The JLNO has heard from many people who cannot participate and want to make a difference. Since additional funding for financial assistance and home renovations is still greatly needed, there is a link on the JLNO web site, where interested individuals can make a donation. The JLNO and the JLB are not going to publicize this, and we will not ask for any contributions. But if you do come across people with a desire to contribute, JLNO will be honored to accept those donations.

Junior Leagues Rebuilding a Better Community Together in New Orleans

Friday, September 29th through Saturday October 7th 2006