JEANERETTE, La. — Volunteers from across the country descended on Iberia Parish this week to help four Jeanerette families who live in homes in the poorest areas of the city. The homes were damaged in recent natural disasters and they will be repaired at no cost thanks to Rebuilding Together Acadiana, a program of Catholic Charities of Acadiana. Brother Tom Mulligan, President of the Federal Association of The Order of Malta says the volunteers are "dealing with the conditions of the home and trying to make it better and cleaner and just make it safer for the person to come back home who is living here."
They will spend the rest of the week repairing the exteriors and interiors of the four homes. "We're pulling out material that is damp and putting in dry material, new cabinets, new flooring, new ceilings, and new walls", explains Paul David, Co-Hospitaler of the Lafayette Region of The Order of Malta. The group hopes to spread the idea that doing this work is as spiritually beneficial as it is a gift for those in need. They expect to be done repairing the homes by the end of the week.
Each volunteer pays for their own travel and lodging expenses, many even pay for some of the building supplies. If you would like to donate to this project or learn more, click HERE.
From Catholic Charities:
Rebuilding Together is the nation’s leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities. Its network of more than 200 affiliates provides free rehabilitation and critical repairs to the homes of low-income Americans.
We are a Louisiana affiliate serving the parishes of Lafayette, Iberia, Acadia, and Vermilion. We provide home repairs and renovations to homeowners who are unable to make necessary improvements to their homes due to financial hardship, age, or disability. We organize volunteers and use donated or discounted building materials to complete repairs at no cost to our homeowners. By leveraging service from our community, we have been able to turn every $1 in donations into $4 of market value for the homes we work on.
We believe that homeownership is the foundation of a strong community, and recognize that low-income housing rehabilitation is a continual need. We work with our community to restore homes damaged by natural disasters, and practice sustainable construction to improve the lives of homeowners while protecting the environment. We stand up to serve our Nation’s veterans, and we serve disadvantaged, elderly or disabled, low-income homeowners in order to strengthen our community.
