Polite Family Welcomed Home By One Hundred Volunteers

NEWS RELEASE

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Contact: Lashon Daley, Public Relations Representative FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

E-mail: Lashon@pnola.org

NEW ORLEANS, LA: March 31, 2009

Last May, nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina, Al Polite and his wife, Mary, moved back into their Mid-City home. The rebuilding project was completed with the help of The Phoenix of New Orleans (PNOLA), along with Project Homecoming, who offered free labor and project management for the construction of the house. However, this shot-gun style home was only half completed before their move-in because the rental side still required some much needed renovations.

Now, ten months later, both sides are finished and more than a hundred volunteers attended to witness the ribbon-cutting ceremony and an outpouring of gratitude from the Polite family.

“It's an indescribable feeling to see a renewed sense of happiness in a family that was in such a desperate situation,” said Gabe Caruso, a once volunteer on the project and now Site Manager for PNOLA. “I feel honored being able to celebrate this moment with Al and Mary. It made every second of hard work worth it.”

The volunteers, like Caruso, represented nearly ten different organizations, such as, PNOLA, Project Homecoming, United Way, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, who took part in rebuilding the home from the ground up through volunteer labor. Other organizations like Greater New Orleans Disaster Recovery Partnership (GNODRP) and Crescent Alliance Recovery Effort (CARE) contributed by securing donations, while the Salvation Army secured funding.

Mr. Polite, who is a skilled flooring contractor, contacted the United Way in 2005 for assistance with rebuilding his home. Their situation became even direr after Mrs. Polite was stricken with breast cancer shortly after they moved into their FEMA trailer. Her recuperation from chemotherapy was arduous and difficult for both she and her husband inside the cramped space.

In 2007, Mr. Polite found about PNOLA by word of mouth and contacted them for help. Through their case management program, PNOLA was able to acquire $20,000 worth of donations and direct funding.

“When we were able to move the family in the house and out of the FEMA trailer, we had achieved a major milestone in their recovery,” said Ryan Porcelli, PNOLA’s Director of Operations and once Project Manager of the Polite rebuild. The project switched hands shortly after the completion of the right side of the house. While PNOLA recognized the need to get the rental side of the property open to generate income for the family, they were not in the best position to help given their heavy project load and the impending turnover of their AmeriCorps staff.

But their strong working relationships with other local non-profits allowed them to successfully pass the reigns over so that the rebuilding could continue uninterrupted.

“The thing I admire most about the Polites has been their willingness to give back in anyway possible, from hosting barbeques for volunteers, to helping refinish floors for another homeowners in need,” said Porcelli. “They are a pretty special family and an asset to our community."

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