The 2008 Building for Boomers & Beyond: 50+ Housing Symposium^SM has partnered with Rebuilding Together New Orleans and NAHB's National Green Building Conference on a special community service project.

Attendees at the 2008 Building for Boomers & Beyond: 50+ Housing Symposium^SM, coming up May 19-21 in New Orleans, will join forces to rehabilitate a home that was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. This is an extraordinary opportunity to be part of the ongoing rebuilding effort in one of America’s most beloved cities.

Since Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, more than 1,700 volunteers have worked with Rebuilding Together New Orleans to bring more than 50 low-income, elderly or disabled residents back to their homes. These volunteers have provided more than 40,000 hours of labor worth nearly $1.3 million in market value.

To maximize the impact of the volunteer effort, Symposium attenees will team up with the National Green Building Conference, whose attendee volunteers will work on the NAHB house on Saturday, May 10. Building for Boomers & Beyond attendee volunteers will pick up the project on Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18.

Conference attendees as well as others interested in participating are encouraged to volunteer their time on one or both days. All skill levels are welcome. However, participants must be 18 years of age or older. Participants will be provided with transportation from the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel to the building sites, in addition to all tools and building materials, lunch, water and T-shirts. There is no cost to participate, but participants must register in advance.

“This is a unique opportunity to help a family affected by Hurricane Katrina,” said Joanne Theunissen, 2008 chair of the NAHB 50+ Housing Council. “We will retrofit the home with both aging-in-place and green features, making it truly a home for a lifetime. By volunteering to fix the home or making a donation, NAHB members and conference attendees can make a real difference.”

Check out www.nahb.org/build4boomers for more information on the 2008 Building for Boomers & Beyond: 50+ Housing Symposium^SM, including how to volunteer or make a donation to Rebuilding Together New Orleans.

For more details on the Rebuilding Together New Orleans community service project or to volunteer, please contact Janice Coyle by e-mail or 800-368-5242 x8386.

There are still opportunities to be a corporate sponsor for the project. Contact Harris Floyd by e-mail or at 800-368-5242 x8208.  [Return to top]