The United Saints Recovery Project needs your help!

We are in the running to win a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project!

All you have to do is click on this link http://www.refresheverything.com/unitedsaints and vote for us. You can vote for us one time everyday until July 31st when the contest ends.

Please help us continue ” rebuilding New Orleans one house at a time”  by voting for us!  There are still many people in need that we would like to help. If we receive this grant we will be able to continue our good work and help these needy homeowners.

Show your support by casting your vote and passing this along to friends and family. We appreciate it!

The United Saints is pleased to offer volunteer housing for groups volunteering with our organization or other area non-profits. We house our volunteers in newly renovated apartments with air conditioning and can accommodate up to 55 people.

The volunteer fee is $25.00 per person, per night. This includes project coordination, transportation to the work site, accommodations, and meals Monday-Friday which consist of continental breakfast, bag lunch and a home cooked meat and vegetarian dinner option.

Amenities include:

Excellent location! We are located a few blocks from the St. Charles streetcar line and less than 3 miles from the French Quarter.

Computer access with Internet and free WI-FI

Meeting Space Available

Large Outdoor space with basketball hoop, volleyball net and fire pit

No curfews!

For more information or to reserve please contact our Volunteer Coordiantor

Office: (504) 895-2922 Ext. 108

Email: Volunteer@UnitedSaints.org

The United Saints is looking for an experienced Construction Site Supervisor to start this Fall. Please read the description below for more details and how to apply. The United Saints Recovery Project is a non-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to helping the citizens of New Orleans with the restoration of their homes. Construction Site Supervisor-AMERICORPS Position This position is responsible for overseeing all phases of construction and managing volunteers on projects. A typical work week will be 45 hours. Some projects may require evening hours or weekends. Duties: • Interview home owners and conduct needs assessment for each project. • Create material list, punch list, project budget and volunteer hours needed for project. • Coordinate tools and equipment needed for project. • Assist in obtaining recycled and/or donated materials for projects. • Obtain work/building permits if applicable. • Manage all outside contractors working on project and approve that work has been completed for payment. • Oversee the opening and closing of projects on a daily basis. • Train and supervise team lead for each project. • Recruit, train, manage volunteers for projects-conduct orientations, safety and tool and equipment training. • Monitor construction progress and volunteers working on project and ensure compliance of quality control and safety regulations are enforced. • Administrative duties include, but are not limited to: daily and weekly project reports of projects. Qualifications: • Minimum 8 years experience working in the field of construction with a general knowledge of the following: plumbing, roofing, electrical, drywall, painting. • Supervisory experience required with the abilty to manage skilled and unskilled wokers. • Commitment to the Mission of the United Saints Recovery Project. • Knowledge of New Orleans and the problems associated with it’s communities. • High school diploma or equivalent required. • Valid driver’s license required with clean driving record. Stipend and Benefits: Full-Time AmeriCorps Members are responsible for eleven months of service and a minimum of 1,700 hours of service during their service year. Member will receive the following: • A living allowance of $11,800 over the course of the eleven months. • A National Service Trust Education Award of $5,350 after the successful completion of the term of service which can be used for postsecondary education, vocational school, graduate school, or to pay back student loans. • Health Insurance as part of the AmeriCorps health plan. • Child care, if needed. • Housing will be provided with this position For information about our organization please visit: www.UnitedSaints/org To apply for this position send resume to: Daryl@UnitedSaints.org.

Thief River Falls native Daryl Kiesow is providing help to the people of New Orleans through the United Saints Recovery Project. Kiesow founded United Saints in 2008. He has been helping New Orleans residents since December 2005, when he arrived to repair a church’s roof through Mission from Minnesota.

TRF Native On A Mission In New Orleans

A three-week mission trip has turned into four-and-a-half years for a Thief River Falls native.
“I thought it would be a way to do some good, help some people,” said Daryl Kiesow.
Kiesow left Minnesota in December 2005 to provide help to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans with the volunteer organization Mission from Minnesota. Kiesow, who had been laid off from his roofing job a month earlier, signed up to repair the roof of a church.

After the three weeks had ended, Kiesow returned to Minnesota and then drove his pickup truck back to New Orleans. The 1993 Lincoln High School graduate continued to provide volunteer construction help in New Orleans, this time through Hands on New Orleans. He has since settled permanently in New Orleans. He tries to return to Minnesota every summer to get away from what he called the “beastly heat.”

Kiesow was determined to continue to help the people of New Orleans and continued to provide help even after Hands On New Orleans moved its headquarters. “I didn’t want to leave the folks in the neighborhood that I had served for two years,” said Kiesow, who described himself as a diehard, passionate volunteer.

Once Hands On New Orleans left First Street PW United Methodist Church, Kiesow started his own organization at the same church. “I started the United Saints Recovery Project in the beginning of ’08,” said Kiesow, who wanted to focus on rebuilding homes, not gutting homes to prepare them for rebuilding like Hands on New Orleans does. Kiesow is now one of three staff members employed by the organization.“We recruit volunteers, and we coordinate projects in our local community,” said Kiesow, who partners with Hands On New Orleans for some projects.

United Saints and its volunteers rehabilitate and rebuild the homes of the elderly, disabled and disadvantaged. In order to receive help through United Saints, homeowners need to pay for the building materials. The projects include such things as flooring, roofing, siding, painting, yard work and landscaping. “Really it’s also dependent on the volunteers that come down,” said Kiesow, who noted that carpenters have volunteered their time to install flooring and sheet rock. However, plumbers and electricians usually can’t do electrical or plumbing work for United Saints since they’re from another state and aren’t licensed in Louisiana.Besides that work, the United Saints volunteers have cleaned up communities, completed community arts projects and painted murals.

In the past, Kiesow led the teams of volunteers. “I do a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff now,” he said.
Volunteers pay for the opportunity to help with United Saints. The cost is $10 per person per day to volunteer. If the volunteers are staying in housing provided by United Saints, the cost is $25 per person per day to cover housing, food and administration costs.“They come down and stay with us. We provide meals and coordinate projects. Usually, groups stay for a week,” Kiesow said.

During the month of March, United Saints coordinated the efforts of 413 volunteers. Kiesow said it was the organization’s busiest month. The second week of March was the organization’s busiest week with 146 volunteers serving in the community.

United Saints also recruits long-term volunteers, who serve a month or more. They serve as leaders in the organization. This spring, United Saints had 12 long-term volunteers.

If you would like to volunteer through United Saints, go to www.unitedsaints.org/volunteer.
If you would like to help homeowners served by United Saints, donations may be sent a variety of ways: Through the United Saints’ Web site at www.unitedsaints.org/support-us/donate, or by sending a check or a gift card (for such places as Home Depot or Wal-Mart) to United Saints Recovery Project, 2309 Dryades Street, New Orleans, LA 70113.

Thief River Falls Times & Northern Watch

Badger 4 Team from Perry Point, MD

National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), is a national program dedicated to community service, reconstructed homes for United Saints Recovery Project. AmeriCorps’ mission was to help revitalize economically distressed neighborhoods in the Central City of New Orleans through construction efforts, and community outreach initiatives.

NCCC helped the United Saints work with other non-profit organizations to help homeowners who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. In Central City, the harsh winds of Katrina tore off roofs, stripped siding, and the storm itself caused serious water damage to many of the homes.

“NCCC contributes to the growth and advancement of our organization,” remarked Daryl Kiesow, founder and Director of United Saints, “Anything is possible with selfless ambitions.” The AmeriCorps team was responsible for leading and working alongside groups of volunteers from all over the country as they worked to renovate damaged homes.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a leadership program for young adults ages 18-24. In exchange for completing 1,700 hours of service during a 10-month term, members receive an education award of over $5,000, plus a living stipend, uniforms, room and board, and a healthcare plan. AmeriCorps programs are administrated by Corporation for National and Community Service, a federally funded agency. Interested applications and project sponsors are encouraged to learn more by visiting www.americorps.gov/nccc, or call1-800-942-2677.

Part of New Orleans’ charm is the way it nurtures musicians who bring the city’s unique culture to the rest of the world. Native vocalist Arthur Booker traveled the country performing alongside acts like The Temptations, Little Richard, Gladys Night, and the O’ Jays. However, most talented and successful musicians do not end up retiring into riches, and neither did Mr. Booker.

Today, Mr. Booker is back in Central City, New Orleans, where he inherited a historic house from his grandmother but has not been able to move in. This historic home, which suffered during Katrina, has been in his family for four generations, and he is anxious to see it brought back to a livable condition.

Just as it is easy to forget about an elderly musician, it is easy to ignore a home that holds enormous value for both its inhabitants and its community. Although Arthur Booker is a proud man and a hard worker, many things have prevented him from rebuilding. Funding from FEMA and Road Home fell through, and Mr. Booker has lived largely off Social Security while caring for his 86 year-old mother and 85 year-old Aunt. Despite his own health problems—he will soon have surgery to install a heart defibrillator—Mr. Booker wakes up early everyday to work alongside United Saints volunteers, and he continues to pay for the reconstruction to the best of his ability.

The United Saints has been providing as much manpower and funding as possible for this project, but we are still in need of $30,000 to replace large windows, siding, gutters, and plumbing, and to remove mold damage. Because United Saints is primarily volunteer-run, our low overhead makes sure that proceeds go largely to aiding homeowners like Arthur Booker.

This work will help more than just an old building on First Street—it will ensure that a retired musician and his ailing family can continue to be a part of their community; both they and the home, after all, are the types of cultural landmarks that make New Orleans unique.

Episode 26 Description: “To say New Orleans is resilient would be a vast understatement. Follow us as we go to a 137 year old church, play an acoustic set, and impart some wisdom on some young volunteers. Michael & Jay also go outside the New Orleans Arena to do a little busking!”

Instead of spending their Spring Break on a beach like most college students, these young people dedicated their free time to assist with the ongoing rebuilding  in New Orleans. United Saints volunteers spent their week painting and doing light construction on homes, assisting at a cultural arts center (Ashe’ ) and restoration work at the second oldest African-American church in New Orleans (Wesley United Methodist Church).

Volunteers such as these have played a vital role in New Orleans achieving the level of progress it has since Hurricane Katrina.  The United Saints commends them for their efforts and looks forward to a busy month!

The United Saints hosted almost 150 volunteers this week from all over the country! Total volunteer hours contributed to New Orleans revitalization efforts were over 2000! This is the most volunteers that the United Saints have hosted at one time since it’s inception in 2007.

Special thanks to Regis University, University of South Carolina Upstate, Vermont University, Southern Illinois University, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship  from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. We would also like to acknowledge Wake Forest University and Loyola University’s Greeks for Good Cause from Chicago who stayed with us while volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together.

Johnson State College

February 21-26, 2010

The United Saints wants to thank the Break Away Spring Break Group from Johnson State College in Vermont for all their hard work this week. Johnson State is our first Spring Break group this year and we are looking forward to a busy season. Projects the group worked on included painting, mudding, sheet rocking, and even art projects. Thank you for contributing to the rebuilding efforts of New Orleans!

Since May 2009 United Saints Recovery project has been working hard to transform the home of Ms. Ella Mae into a comfortable and safe living space. Through the dedicated work of volunteers, the home is almost complete. The New Year brought many volunteers and service workers who have made great strides. United Saints has replaced the roof decking and roof, finished installing new windows, and replaced old and dangerous wiring. Within the kitchen and bedroom areas, volunteers contributed by hanging sheetrock, texturing and painting the ceiling, installing paneling, sub-flooring, linoleum, trim, light fixtures, and the kitchen sink, cabinets, and counter.  United Saints will soon be able to move Ms. Ella Mae’s belongings into the rest of the home and allow her to enjoy her newly renovated home. Thank you to volunteers and donors for their continuous efforts and support!