NORRISTOWN, PA, February 10, 2010
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina ripped through Gulf Coast communities, destroying lives and homes along its path. Communities are still in the process of rebuilding, but materials and labor are in short supply and many residents are still without a place to call home. Responding to the urgent need for skilled labor to assist with rebuilding, members of the Bucks-Mont chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) once again visited the region this fall to help rebuild several homes.
Lead by NARI member Joe Billingham, President of Billingham Built, a group of 15 volunteers from the Bucks-Mont chapter, as well as friends, family and representatives from other NARI chapters, traveled to Mississippi to work with the Bay-Waveland Habitat for Humanity group. This non-profit organization is based in Hancock County, MS. -- one of the poorest counties in the nation.
Over the course of their five day visit, the Bucks-Mont NARI volunteers worked in teams at four new home construction sites. Their work included finish interior carpentry -- installing doors, trim, cabinets, hardware, shelving and underlayment. They also provided exterior carpentry, installing siding, a porch, railing and stairs, as well as a wheelchair ramp and railing, as well as painting the interior and trim. According to sources at Habitat for Humanity, in just five days, the Bucks-Mont NARI team accomplished what would have ordinarily taken four weeks for the non-profit group to complete. Conservatively, the labor provided during this trip is valued at $20,000.
Given the recession and the economic hardships being faced by so many in the remodeling industry, one might wonder why contractors would be open to participating in such an endeavor. Billingham said, "For us, it's the fun and camaraderie of working with our fellow contractors and the satisfaction of seeing these families rewarded after such a long time span. To these home owners, it's a new start in life."
This is not the first time members of the Bucks-Mont NARI chapter have traveled to Mississippi to provide assistance. In fact, in the five years since Katrina, local NARI members have made 10 trips to Bay St Louis region to assist in the effort to rebuild -- providing an estimated $100,000 in assistance over the course of those visits.
For more information on these Katrina rebuilding efforts, please visit
www.bucksmontnari.org, or contact Kathy Benelli, Executive Director at (610) 787-0896.
Contact: Kathy Benelli, Executive Director
Email:
info@bucksmontnari.org
Website:
http://www.bucksmontnari.org---
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