The Office of College and Alumni Relations is working with Katie Mears '03 to coordinate a Grinnell Alumni Service Project. On Thursday, March 27, President Russell K. Osgood will join the group for an evening event recognizing the efforts of Grinnell students and alumni in helping to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina:

Thursday, March 27, 2008
6:00 p.m.
1834 Club
Lavin-Bernick Center, 2nd Floor
Tulane University
31 McAlister Drive
New Orleans, LA 70118

R.S.V.P. to the Office of College and Alumni Relations by March 24, 2008.
phone: 866-850-1846, fax: 641-269-4313, e-mail: reply@grinnell.edu

Katie Mears '03 is the Rebuild coordinator for the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana Office of Disaster Response. She will organize the service project for Grinnellians that will run from Wednesday, March 26, through Saturday, March 29. This service project is open to alumni and their families, though volunteers must be at least 14 years of age. No specific construction skills are required. Additional information is available at the link below for the Rebuild Program of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. Individuals can participate for one day, or up to all four days of the project.

Alumni will be joined by current students who will be volunteering in New Orleans during spring break. The students are members of ReNew Orleans, a student organization formed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Also with us will be Jan Koszewski '08, currently the Student Government Association vice-president for student affairs and recently selected as the first Grinnell Corps New Orleans Fellow.

Alumni interested in participating in the New Orleans Alumni Service Project should contact alumni relations at 866-850-1846 for more information. However, the following information should help you plan and prepare for participation:

• Volunteers will be responsible for their own travel, lodging, and local transportation. A car will be necessary to get to and from the job site each day. We might be able to arrange some carpools.
  
• We will be performing rebuild and repair work: hammering, sawing, painting, etc. No special skills are required.
  
• Please plan to meet at the Rebuild warehouse each morning at 8 a.m. (directions below). The group will caravan to the job site from there.
  
• Each volunteer will need to come with a pre-packed lunch and a supply of water. If this is not possible, we will send a volunteer each day on a lunch run.
  
• Your work day will end around 3:30 p.m.
  

We're located just off of St. Ferdinand St. right in front of the Claiborne overpass in the Upper 9th ward. There's no address on our side of the building, but if you search for directions to 1580 St. Ferdinand Street, that's about where we are.

It's slightly tricky to get to. From I-10 East, take the N. Claiborne exit - 236B. After a few intersections, Claiborne divides into N. Robertson (east-bound one-way) and N. Claiborne (west-bound one-way). Since you're going east, you'll be on N. Robertson.

About a mile after the Claiborne exit, you'll come to a stoplight at the intersection with Franklin Ave. There will be a Burger King on the right and a bridge in front of you. You'll see just to the left of N. Robertson is a big yellow warehouse, with the name "Schneider's" at the top. That's where you want to get to!

Go straight through the stoplight, then take the next possible left onto Port Street. It's the last left before the bridge (if you go over the bridge, you've gone too far and you'll need to come back on Claiborne).

Once you take a left on Port Street, take an immediate right so that you're driving alongside the bridge. You'll come to a stop sign and turn left onto St. Ferdinand.

Go one block toward the Claiborne overpass and then turn right. Don't cross under the overpass. On your right is our entrance to the warehouse.

You'll probably see our vehicles parked under the overpass. Just park anywhere that's open and come on in. You'll see us.