Volunteer New Orleans

Times Picayune - Monday, March 19, 2007

By Valerie Faciane

For nearly 19 months, people from throughout the country have been using their vacation time and taking unpaid leaves from their jobs to help New Orleanians pick up the pieces of lives shattered by Hurricane Katrina. As time wears on, however, that outreach has slowed.

Now it's time for the locals to get involved in the recovery effort, said Brad Grundmeyer, who started a new initiative called Volunteer New Orleans.

The purpose of the program is "to encourage locals to get involved and connect with local nonprofits," said Grundmeyer, the interim manager of public and governmental affairs at Cox Communications. For its part, Cox has pledged all of its 705 employees one paid day off a year to volunteer at a nonprofit, charity or volunteer agency. That adds up to a $130,000 commitment for 2007.

Now Grundmeyer wants to take it a step further by expanding the effort to include others in the community, with hopes that businesses will sign up to give their employees a paid day off to volunteer as well.

Volunteer New Orleans was officially launched March 7, and with the support of New Orleans Councilman Arnie Fielkow, March 5-11 was designated Volunteer New Orleans Week. More than 300 volunteers, including Cox employees, Up With People students and other recruits, lent their services to Habitat for Humanity, City Park and Volunteers of America.

The week was capped off with a Volunteer Fest at Lakeside Shopping Center, where 24 local nonprofits and charities were on hand and another 135 people signed on. In addition, proceeds from a March 11 concert featuring Up With People and Irma Thomas at Tulane University went to the three organizations.

Grundmeyer said representatives of Volunteer New Orleans will make presentations to local businesses and business organizations to make them aware of the program and its Web site,

"A lot of people are looking for opportunities to make a difference," Grundmeyer said. "There's a lot of interest."

And the effort isn't restricted to locals, he said. Volunteer New Orleans is open to people outside of the city as well.

"There's a lot of good people doing a lot of goodwill," he said. "What I'm trying to do is bring them together."

He calls the Web site a "one-stop shop" to learn about local nonprofits in need of volunteers, listed in categories that include renovation, revitalization and repair as well as animals, arts and culture, children and youth, community, computers and technology, crisis support, disabled, education and literacy, emergency and safety, environment, health and medicine, homeless and housing, hunger, hurricane relief, mentoring, schools, seniors, and sports and recreation.

Grundmeyer said those who sign up online will receive e-mail when volunteer opportunities become available in their category of interest so that they stay "constantly in the loop."

He said for those who can't access the Web can use another nonprofit, VIALink, by dialing 211 for volunteer opportunities and information.

Besides the involvement of citizens and the business community, Volunteer New Orleans is also developing an education component, which would add volunteerism to the curriculum in grades K-12.

"With this component, you raise a generation that will be more engaged in keeping up the community and taking care of its citizens," Grundmeyer said. He hopes that the curriculum can be launched by the fall.

. . . . . . .

Valerie Faciane can be reached at vfaciane@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3325.