Communities In Schools
Update: Here are the photos as promised. We actually did a variety of things including some painting and the cleanup of this kindergarten room which turned out beautifully and I spent some time looking over their registration packets to be sure all the proper documents were in the file; shot records, proof of address, etc. It was a lot better than gutting.
Someone called Annie today when I was there, he said, ” I want to DO something.” The group photo features the Principle, Bahme Bolden. The people who joined me on this project are a group of volunteers from all over the country who are here, some for months, some a year, helping residents in the Tulane/Iberville Corridor (www.pnola.org). Another team we have in town went over the the lower 9th to gut a home today. These are a great group of people. We are blessed.
I am going to clean up a school on the West Bank today. I’d prefer to be working in one in my neighborhood but this is the need du jour. I really don’t know what the hell Nagin is doing, he and Couhig are sitting around smoking cigars somewhere planning from what I understand.
In the meantime, our schools are struggling to re-open in a couple of weeks and I received this urgent email from Communities In Schools . I am going to be over at Fischer today. I just don’t see how the mayor or the state have not taken care of this yet, this is something that should have been taken care of through federal money and professional contracts, not volunteers. It is not as if they have not had the time to address the condition of the schools. I am finding that it’s getting harder and harder to give a shit. I would like to be involved with tutoring or after school programs and the like if we can ever get the facilities up and running.
There are three projects that are urgent according to Annie Stennes, she is the contact person for volunteering.
Check out the projects, see what you can do. Pass the info along. I’ll post a photo when I get back.
Because school is starting very soon, it is crucial to try to help get these schools cleaned up and ready to accept students in just a short couple of weeks. I will put some descriptions of what needs to get done below, and hopefully I will get responses from some of you who have some time to help. Also, if you know of, or have a group of people who would be willing to volunteer- that would also be GREAT!
Project #1
Clean out classrooms at Fischer Elementary-The principal, Bahme Bolden, contacted me this morning and said she was DESPARATE for help on Monday through Wednesday of next week to clear out many classrooms on the bottom floor of her school. The classrooms need to be cleared out so that the floors can get done, so that the students have clean classrooms to start their school year in.
-If you are able to help with this project, or have a group available, please email me or call me at 504-494-0328 and let me know asap. I would like to meet at Fischer Elementary 1801 Whitney Ave. New Orleans, LA 70114 at 8:30am. on Monday morning. I was asked to get as many volunteers as I could to help with this project. We may have to do a couple of days work to get the job finished! You may want to bring a sack lunch and drink to this project. I will be providing bottled water on site!
Project #2
Unload library donations for Martin Luther King Charter School
-The principal at MLK Charter School, Steven Martin, contacted me this morning to request volunteers to help unload boxes of donated books for their school library. A famous children’s book author donated the books from New York, and the 18-wheeler is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday morning. Because MLK Charter School is still unable to be entered into, the boxes will be delivered to, and unloaded at Colton School at 2300 St. Claude Ave. at 11:00am on Tuesday July 25th.
-If you are able to help, email me back or call me at 504-494-0328. We are looking for 10-15 volunteers for this project, so any help would be appreciated! For this project you will need to bring your own bottle of water!
Project #3
Painting classrooms at O. Perry Walker High School
-This is a project that we NEED to get done next week! School starts the first week in August in Algiers, so these classrooms need to get painted! We already have the paint and supplies at the school, however, if you have your own supplies you would like to use - that would be great too! I would like to do this project on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday of next week. I would like to meet at O. Perry Walker High School at 8:30am. on Tuesday morning July 25th. The school’s address is 2832 General Meyer Ave. New Orleans, LA 70114 - but please email me for good directions! You will need to bring a sack lunch and any drink you would like. I will be providing bottled water on site. This can be a really fun project for groups to do, if you have one available!
-If you are able to help on this project, please email me or call me 504-494-0328 asap!
Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering with Communities In Schools of New Orleans! It is because of people like you that our schools here in New Orleans will be able to come back BIGGER and STRONGER than ever before!!
Thanks so much,
Annie Stennes
Annie K. Stennes
Volunteer Coordinator / VISTA
Communities In Schools of New Orleans
Work Phone: 504-494-0328
Email: anniestennes.cisno@yahoo.com
Laureen - this is a VERY important post. Many folks just don’t know where to go or how to get started. Many just don’t read - TP, Internet et al.
Please keep it coming, get the word out and it will spread. I’ve made a copy of these volunteer projects.
Thank you for your efforts, good hard work never goes unnoticed. :)
Laureen - you area goddess. I knowsome church groups here in Memphis arelooking for “projects.” I’ll pass this along.
:)
A.
Wow. That’ll be the first coat of paint Walker will have received since the 80s, won’t it? ;)
I wish that I were there to help. I have fond memories of Walker and the neighborhood surrounding.
Saw your post on MetrobloggingNO about help needed at the schools. Thank you for posting this information!
I live right next to the former Coulton school / future Martin Luther King Charter School at 2300 St. Claude Ave. So my roommate and I went to help this morning to unload the donated books.
There was actually a large crowd of volunteers there to help. I spoke with Annie Stennes of Communities in Schools of New Orleans. There were Americorps people and also folks affiliated with the charter school. Very quickly, we unloaded the books and bookcases into a storage pod in the school’s backyard.
Here’s why I’m writing: The principal, Doris Hicks, wanted to get the word out that Alverez and Marshall have not done their jobs in hiring the contractors to get the school ready in time. And it wasn’t a money issue she said because FEMA is paying for it all. The contractors JUST got hired and the school was supposed to open August 17.
I went into the school myself and it is in deplorable shape, mold and decay everywhere. Plus there were hundreds of people living in the school after the storm and they contributed to the trashing of the place. Nothing has been touched or cleaned. Chalkboards still have lesson plans for August 26 2005 written on them. I don’t know how or when these people will be ready to open this school.
Hey!! Thank you so much to everyone who came out to volunteer over the past couple of days at Fischer and MLK schools! Such great progress has been made in such a short time! We’ve run into a problem tomorrow at Walker H.S. though, and the painting project will have to be put on the back burner for a week or so. Because of all the rain we have received recently in N.O., the newly waxed floors in the classrooms and hallways of Walker all have a thin layer of condensation on top of them, which makes them unable to be walked on. It’s unfortunate, but like we all know…. you just can’t mess with Mother Nature. I’ll keep everyone posted as to when we can finally finish this important project! Thanks crew!!
~Annie Stennes
Communities In Schools of New Orleans
Volunteer Coordinator
Work Phone: 504-494-0328
Email: anniestennes.cisno@yahoo.com