Rebuilding Together's Fifty for Five Opens in New Orleans

Another 50 Homes Rebuilt During Week-Long Event by 1,000 Volunteers in Ongoing Long-Term Commitment to New Orleans

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rebuilding Together, the nation's leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership, today announces its week-long event, Fifty for Five, taking place Aug. 24 – 28 in New Orleans.  Rebuilding Together's Fifty for Five is a large-scale example of the organization's ongoing commitment to the renewal of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. The event also seeks to spark national attention for the needs of the region's low-income homeowners.

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Fifty for Five occurs the week of the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and marks a significant step forward to the investment Rebuilding Together has already made in the region.  At the conclusion of the Fifty for Five week, Rebuilding Together will have rebuilt more than 800 homes in the region since Hurricanes Rita and Katrina struck five years earlier.  

Fifty for Five has recruited affiliates from around the Rebuilding Together national network, local volunteers, major corporate sponsors, including presenting sponsor Sears Holdings, celebrities, and community leaders to assist in the renovation of 50 homes in the Gentilly neighborhood. More than 1,000 volunteers will be on-site throughout the week for the rebuild.

"Rebuilding Together has invested countless hours of hands on work and significant funding to the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast.  Our initial pledge of 1,000 homes restored is well within sight and we intend to be there for New Orleans and the Gulf as long as there is a need," said President and CEO of Rebuilding Together, Gary A. Officer.  "Together with our friends at Sears and other dedicated corporate good citizens who have made Fifty for Five possible, we will restore more lives and be part of the rejuvenation of a historical and culturally rich city."

Key Fifty for Five events include:

Aug. 24 – 28 – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Volunteers rebuilding homes throughout the week in the Gentilly community

Aug. 28

Noon – Ribbon Cutting/Media Conference at Hope Park, New Orleans. Community Celebration

immediately following

2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. - Block Party at Lafayette Square, New Orleans

The community celebration and ribbon cutting in Gentilly will be followed with a public block party, Saturday, Aug. 28 at Lafayette Square, featuring well known bands including Germaine Bazzle, Treme Brass Band, and The World Classic Rockers along with vendors, community leaders and other world-class talent.  

Media Check-In and additional information can be found on-site at: 2726 Mexico Street, Gentilly, LA 70122. For complete information about Rebuilding Together's Fifty for Five, including comments and stories from our service recipients and a list of supporters, please visit www.fiftyforfive.org.

About Rebuilding Together:

Rebuilding Together is the nation's leading nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing extensive rehabilitation and modification services to those in need at no cost to those served.  With the help of everyday citizen volunteers, skilled trades people, the support of local business and major corporate partners, Rebuilding Together affiliates in America's largest cities and smallest towns make life considerably better for thousands of low-income homeowners and the communities in which they live by completing 10,000 projects per year. Rebuilding Together has programs dedicated to energy efficiency, veteran's housing, aging in place, and Gulf Coast reconstruction.  

For more information, visit www.RebuildingTogether.org. You can also follow Rebuilding Together on Twitter @rebldgtogthr or become a fan on Facebook at Facebook.com/RebuildingTogether. For additional media information, visit http://t.co/mZKvvy8

Rebuilding Together New Orleans:

Rebuilding Together New Orleans, a local affiliate of Rebuilding Together, Inc. has restored and revitalized more than 1,200 homes over the past 22 years in the New Orleans area. Utilizing volunteer labor, Rebuilding Together New Orleans allows low-income families in communities across the city to live in comfort, safety, and dignity.  Rebuilding Together New Orleans is a program of the Preservation Resource Center, an organization devoted to promoting the preservation, restoration, and revitalization of New Orleans' historic architecture and neighborhoods. For more information, visit www.RTNO.org

SOURCE Rebuilding Together