WAVELAND HOME REBUILT; FEMA TRAILER ROLLED AWAY THANKS TO GULF COAST RECOVERY CORPS VOLUNTEERS

Waveland, MS. April 18, 2007—This afternoon the Hyman family will wave “goodbye” to the FEMA trailer they have called home for the last nineteen months! Thanks to the efforts of the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps and other volunteer groups, the Hyman family will finally be moving home.

According to Katie Rose, Director of the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps, “We are ecstatic to have, in cooperation with St. Rose Outreach and Recovery and Eight Days of Hope, helped the Hyman Family get back into their home! After many months of arduous work, and more recently finishing touches, Jack and Fay Hyman will be able to move into their home.” Rose remarks, “It has been a long road with many twists and turns, but the house is finally done. It is beautiful. It’s a testament to the quality of work volunteers can bring to help Hurricane Katrina victims. The payoff for our long-term investment in this project has finally come!”

The Hyman family and the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps will host a barbeque today to celebrate the removal of their FEMA trailer after nearly nineteen months of rebuilding their home which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Together they will share stories about the journey.

According to the Hymans, they decided to rebuild because volunteer organizations were lining up to offer them assistance following the storm. The Gulf Coast Recovery Corps adopted the project and dedicated teams worked fervently on hanging and finishing drywall, interior and exterior painting, trimming out the millwork and general clean-up of the property. Most importantly, these teams breathed new hope into the Hyman family after facing the enormous task of rebuilding their home with limited resources.

The Gulf Coast Recovery Corps is operated by The Corps Network and began its deployment of teams to the Mississippi Gulf Coast last October. More than six Gulf Coast Recovery Corps teams from around the country worked on a variety of construction projects to help the Hyman family complete their home. These teams included the Minnesota Conservation Corps, Vermont Youth Conservation Corps’, DC Gulf Coast Recovery Corps, Mile High Youth Corps (Denver, CO) and Southwest Conservation Corps (Durango, CO).

The efforts of the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps will continue this spring and summer, bringing more than 100 additional volunteers to the region from Service and Conservation Corps nationwide. The Gulf Coast Recovery Corps is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service’s federal AmeriCorps program.

About the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps
The Gulf Coast Recovery Corps assists residents impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in long-term recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. The Gulf Coast Recovery Corps deploys crews of young people (ages 18-25) from the nation’s 113 Service and Conservation Corps for four week projects that include rebuilding homes and structures, chopping down damaged trees near homes, removing debris, restoring trails, replanting marshes and trees, performing environmental restoration and completing other projects.

Building upon the successes of the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps, The Corps Network will establish a permanent Gulf Coast Conservation Corps this year to continue meeting the needs of local residents in the long-term recovery efforts. For more information about the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps, contact Katie Rose at krose@corpsnetwork.org or (228) 229-0803.


About The Corps Network
The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 113 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in 42 states and the District of Columbia, Corps annually enroll more than 23,000 young men and women who contribute about 13 million hours of service per year. In 2004, Corps mobilized 124,000 community volunteers who contributed over 2.4 million additional hours of service.

Established in 1985 as the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps (NASCC), The Corps Network was at the forefront of the national service movement and remains so today. Corps are state and local programs engaging primarily young adults (ages 16-25) in service. The majority of Corpsmembers come to Corps looking for a second chance to succeed in life. In return for their efforts, Corpsmembers receive guidance by adult leaders who serve as mentors and role models, a modest stipend and a wide range of member development services
including significant educational opportunities, employment and training, life skill
development, and the opportunity to invest in their communities.

For more information, visit www.corpsnetwork.org or contact: Patrick Fitzgerald, The Corps Network at pfitzgerald@corpsnetwork.org or at (202) 737-6272.

Contacts:

Katie Rose
Gulf Coast Recovery Corps, Field Director
(228) 229-0803
krose@corpsnetwork.org

Patrick Fitzgerald
The Corps Network, Communications Director
(202) 737-6272
pfitzgerald@corpsnetwork.org

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