Rebuilding Together New Orleans is an offshoot of the Washington, D.C.-based Rebuilding Together program, which oversees more than 200 affiliates across the country. The New Orleans chapter is run by the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, a group founded in 1974 to promote the preservation of the city's historic architecture.

The original mission of the Rebuilding Together New Orleans program—now in its twenty-first year—has been to improve the quality of life of low-income elderly and physically disabled homeowners, and seek ways to keep them in their own homes, according to Executive Director Kristin Gisleson Palmer. After Hurricane Katrina struck the city, the organization shifted gears and is "trying to put people back in their homes," she says. "We've kind of morphed after the storm into a very large rebuilding organization, along the lines of a full-service construction company."

Not surprisingly, volunteers (such as AmeriCorps) are a crucial part of the non-profit's effectiveness. Yet Rebuilding Together New Orleans lacked adequate support facilities for the hard-working teams. Now the organization is rebuilding a 3,060 square foot historic duplex to house AmeriCorps and other volunteers. When complete, it will be home for up to 20 individuals serving 8-10 week shifts.

The complex will also include a workshop and community center on the lower level, as well as an adjacent 4,500 square foot lot which will be used as a deconstruction salvage yard. The entire project is underwritten by Popular Mechanics magazine and Sears, and the home itself features an exterior of donated James Hardie siding and HardieWrap weather barrrier, tape and flashing. The top floor of the home uses HardieBacker fiber cement underlayment as well.

Rebuilding the Future Together

The new volunteer center is the first act in an ambitious collaboration between James Hardie and Rebuilding Together New Orleans. The parties are working to get additional donated HardiePlank material trucked directly from the manufacturing plants to a central warehouse in New Orleans. The siding will then be shared with other non-profit organizations helping to rebuild homes and businesses in the city. "We're thrilled," Palmer says, "their impact is just tremendous."

She explains, "It's a "win-win for us" to use James Hardie products. First and foremost, the 6-inch-wide HardiePlank closely resembles many of the wood exteriors found on homes in New Orleans. The smooth HardiePlank product is already approved in many of the historical districts, too. "I can also match it and patch existing wood siding with the HardiePlank." It's a technique she's even used on her own home, built in the 1850's. "People don't know the difference, and you're not cutting down trees, so that's another benefit to using it."

Palmer appreciates that HardiePlank is resistant to both fire and pests such as termites, the latter of which is a big problem in the Big Easy. Plus, HardiePlank "holds paint like crazy" and is a strong performer in the New Orleans climate. "I just adore it."

"James Hardie Building Products is pleased to be associated with Rebuilding Together New Orleans," says Marketing Manager Lynette Rogers. "I have witnessed firsthand the great strides they are making in the city and the many lives they are changing for the better. We are eager to take part and help make a difference."

For more information on Rebuilding Together New Orleans and the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, visit http://www.prcno.org/

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