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What We Do

Project Homecoming manages reconstruction of homes in greater New Orleans for homeowners with verified need. We coordinate, house, and train volunteers from across the country and the world to work on these homes. We also collect donations for unmet needs.

Who We Are

• A nonprofit organization with headquarters in New Orleans
• Staff of The Presbytery of South Louisiana
• Long term and short term volunteers with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
• Long term volunteers through the Young Adult Volunteer program
• Long term volunteers through Americorps‘ Louisiana Delta Service Corps program
• People like you! Volunteer with us.

Meet our staff and long term volunteers.

What We’ve Accomplished

• Housed over 1800 volunteers
• Logged over 340,000 volunteer hours
• Gutted over 990 homes
• Completed over 90 homes
• Continued work on over 20 homes

How We Got Started

After hurricane Katrina hit on August 29, 2005, and the flooding due to levee failures abated weeks later, local Presbyterian responders began meeting to determine what to do. With limited communication available, team plans began and PDA had their first meetings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Emergency supplies, housing, and personnel were linked to Baton Rouge (75 miles from hurricane landfall) and outlying churches for support. Two months after Katrina, hurricane Rita hit the western parishes of Louisiana near the Lake Charles area. Presbyterian churches now had to put a second response plan in effect which was done in the area of the First Presbyterian Church of Thibodaux, which set up food and basic necessities for western parishes. As soon as it was safe to travel in the Katrina-impacted area, First Union Presbyterian Church in Luling set up FISH Camp with temporary housing and food to support the hundreds of volunteers coming in to help. Soon, other Presbyterian churches joined in to offer housing, tools, and protective clothing.

Throughout 2005-2006, most of the work involved gutting and removing debris. The work was physically and emotionally taxing for both homeowners and volunteers. Some churches, like First Presbyterian of New Orleans, began rebuilding plans late in the year.

The rebuilding program breakthrough came when the Project Homecoming organization was formed with the plan to rebuild homes of the neediest who wanted to return. A week long building “blitz” kickstarted the efforts with training and guidance from Hosanna Industries, Inc. Rebuilding went into full swing with the hiring of construction managers and administrative staff and a case management partnership with Catholic Charities‘ Katrina Aid Today program. Long term volunteers were provided through Americorps and PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteers.

Why Help is Still Needed

Almost 200,000 homes were destroyed by flooding in the New Orleans area. As of the end of 2007, the state-wide coastal area still had 44,000 FEMA trailers temporarily housing families, many of whom have decided to return home and are waiting for help in rebuilding. Of that total, 31,000 are in New Orleans and surrounding areas. In addition, there are uncounted families dispersed across the country willing to return home.