Monday, February 6, 2012

Join Our Krewe

In case you didn’t know, we’re in Carnival Season. We have, once again, all arrived safely at the best time of the year. It is your task, now, to survive until March. If you pull that off, we’re fairly certain that New Orleans itself will take care of the entertainment. If you are not in New Orleans, we encourage you to carry on as if you were—read on for ideas how to do so.

St. Bernard Project is wholeheartedly participating in this patently New Orleans celebration. Thus…

We invite you to Join Our Krewe.

But what, oh wise SBP blog, does that mean? We’re very glad you asked (or, that you’re still reading). There are three (3) ways you can Join Our Krewe.

1) Throw a Mardi Gras Party
If you’re not in New Orleans, this is the part where you bring New Orleans to your neighborhood. Yes, we want you to throw a party. Invite all your friends. Depending on the nature of the party, invite your family.

Keep an eye on our blog for New Orleanian food and drink recipes to add the necessary Crescent City spice to your Mardi Gras Party. Over the next couple weeks the staff will be posting their favorite local food and drink recipes, along with stories from our homeowners about favorite Mardi Gras memories.

And, while you’re having a great time, fundraise for SBP to bring struggling families home. It’s that easy – throw a party and do a great service at the same time. Tell guests you’re committed to raising money for SBP and having a good time. You could even approach a local restaurant owner about throwing a fundraising party at their establishment—raise money to bring families home and get a business kick with a party. Everyone wins.

Like the idea? We thought you would. We’ll be posting more about this over the next few weeks, and in the meantime check out our website for more Mardi Gras fundraising information, or email info@stbernardproject.org for tips.

2) Volunteer in the Big Easy
The party doesn’t end with Mardi Gras for SBP. Spring Break season is almost here. Hosts of volunteers from across the country will arrive to support SBP and rebuild the Most Unique City in America. And we want you to be there.

From now until the end of June, SBP will work at maximum capacity, building more houses faster and thus bringing more families home. But we can only do that if you come down and volunteer—register here.

3) “Throw Me Something, Mister!” (i.e. Donate)
A tip if you’re new to Mardi Gras traditions – especially if you happen to find yourself unexpectedly at a parade: if you want a throw from a float rider, look them in the eye and shout, “Throw me something, mister!”

That said, throw us something, mister!

SBP relies on volunteers to rehabilitate houses, and we couldn’t do it without you. But we need donations, too. Imagine coming to volunteer on a site with no nails? How many houses could we build without lumber? What if we didn’t have insulation? Drywall? Hammers? Pipes? How about Gatorade?

Please, if you are opposed to parties and cannot stop by to volunteer, throw us something. $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, whatever you can.

One of our homeowners, Cindy Dellavalle (below), recently moved home with volunteer support and donations from around the world. For years after Katrina she lived in Mississippi. Every year she made an hours-long pilgrimage to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Now that she’s home, Cindy says, “[Mardi Gras] means something different, now. It means home…”

Help more New Orleanians celebrate their city’s festival at home by donating.

Thank you all! Happy Carnival!
 

No comments: