Help to renovate my house in New Orleans

Description

**We have a space open May 12-28, 2015. Please only email if you are interested in helping with the big construction project we are doing. We are very busy, but have had a ton of fun "working hard and playing hard" with our visitors. Also, please only contact us if you are available for at least 4-5 days and willing to do manual labor for about 5 hours a day. Thanks!! So many interesting people, too many e-mails!**

I am from Lafayette, Louisiana and I live in New Orleans, Louisiana. I grew-up in a bi-lingual household of French, Cajun, and U.S. heritage.

I live in Treme-Lafitte, a historic neighborhood in New Orleans. Our home is near French Quarter, Bayou St. John, City Park, Frenchman St., etc. We’re right in the center of the city, only a bicycle ride away from so many things!

Most of my work has been in community organizing. I have experience facilitating Restorative Justice Conferences, managing homeless shelters, coordinating non-profits, etc. Currently I am teaching violin and have a small Cajun band while I focus on completing the renovation of my house. But…. I have a foot injury and am not able to lift heavy objects or stand for long hours.

My house was built in the late 1800s. It is of traditional New Orleans double shotgun design. I am restoring plaster and beaded-board, renovating kitchen, landscaping the backyard, and refinishing the windows.

My boyfriend is a mentor grower here in New Orleans. We often work in our community garden. There may or may not be opportunities to help with the gardening collective we are part of depending on the season, length of your stay, projects, etc.

My friend Kathleen, is the director of Volunteers at an eco-village and art gallery. Kathleen has hosted volunteers for years. She suggested that I try out this site in order to get assistance during my injury.

Type of help

Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Farming

Help

Must be willing to comit to at least one entire week of volunteer work. (4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week).

Must be willing to work on following projects. Experience with following preferred, but I can also train willing workers.

-Restoring Beaded-Board
-Renovating Kitchen
-Plumbing
-Electrical
-Carpentry
-Refinishing Windows
-Patching Plaster
-Installing Tin Ceiling Tiles
-Hanging Doors
-Building Fence
-Building Patio
-Landscaping
-Building a Shed
-Moving Furniture
-Hauling trash
-Gardening
-Organic Agriculture

Languages spoken

French, English

Accommodation

Private bedroom and a shared bathroom. Large Backyard. Shared kitchen and living space. . Located in the heart of New Orleans. Air conditioning and heat only in Bedrooms.

What else …

Local interests:
– MUSIC (jazz, rnb, brass bands, bounce, country, old time, bluegrass, hip-hop, reggae, etc. New Orleans has it ALL.)
-DANCING
-FOOD
-History
– Swamps
– Canoeing
– Culture- Second Lines regularly pass in front of our house.

A little more information

• 

  Internet access

• 

  Limited internet access

• 

  We have pets

• 

  We are smokers

Volunteering hours expected

4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week