A home renovation day was held Sunday as part of the continued recovery effort in New Orleans after the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and it was the roofing community that made a difference by helping needy families.

An estimated 75 people took part in Community Service Day on Sunday, which was a collaborative effort between the International Roofing Expo (IRE) and the New Orleans chapter of Rebuilding Together.

Volunteers, who included roofers, general contractors, project managers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, painters, masons, plasterers/drywall, HVAC, and tile setters, were bused to the Hollygrove area of New Orleans’ 17th Ward.

Among those in attendance Sunday included the National Roofing Contractor’s Association’s top administration: President Rob McNamara, Senior Vice-President Allen Lancaster, and Executive Vice-President Bill Good.

A significant financial donation for the Community Service Day was provided by Sika Sarnafil, the event’s sponsor.

Not only were they the event’s top sponsor, but Sika Sarnafil (Booth 2311 at IRE) offered expertise to Sunday’s renovations. The company offers roofing and waterproofing systems that are recognized for exemplifying the highest standards of quality, reliability and watertight protection.

Product sponsors of Community Service Day included Bradco Supply Co., CertainTeed (Booth 1835) and Mid-States Asphalt (Booth 2300).

Of note, Donna Bellantone, Director of IRE, was interviewed by several local television stations in New Orleans about Community Service Day, and subsequently broadcast throughout the greater New Orleans region.

Scope of Work

The scope of work on Sunday provided by IRE and Rebuilding Together volunteers included repairing leaking flat roofs on two homes, attaching hurricane straps, removing old wiring and plumbing, lots of painting, repairing a brick planter box, reworking aluminum siding, lots of demolition, replacing rotten wood, and installing reflective barriers.

Mabel Thomas’ Home

Volunteers from Rebuilding Together and IRE spent the day at the home of Mabel Thomas, 83, whose brick home in the Hollygrove required extensive work.

Thomas, a native of Napoleonville, La., has resided in New Orleans for over 50 years. She is a retired school teacher for the Jefferson Parish School District where the family purchased their home in 1956.

Two generations have lived there ever since.

However, the home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina and the overwhelming repair expense could not be done on her resources.  Thomas decided to rebuild last year and was introduced to the Rebuilding Together program in April.

The NRCA’s Rob McNamara and his wife, Kate, both worked on Thomas' home on Sunday by preparing a brick planter for replacement (scraping mortar off the bricks that will be used to rebuild it) and removing the HVAC unit from the attic.

Also, the small flat roof on Thomas’ home was repaired by a pair of roofing professionals from both sides of the country. Travis Dix of Cobra Roofing Spokane, Wash., handled the business development side, and Scott Wilson of Sutter Roofing in Bradenton, Fla., handled the operations side.

More Renovations

Other renovations by volunteers took place on Sunday. And, of course, these are just a few of the thousands of people who need help in New Orleans.

- Maggie Stephens, 75, a retired secretary, has called New Orleans home for more than 44 years. Her home, located in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans' 17th Ward, took on 4 feet of water after Hurricane Katrina and made it unlivable.

After more than four years of not residing in her home, her biggest challenge has been securing sufficient funding to finish her home.

- Rosary McCaskill, 51, a single mother of two and retired intake coordinator for eye clinic, has lived in the Hollygrove neighborhood for over 10 years. The New Orleans native is disabled and suffers from anxiety, thyroid, osteoporosis and arthritis. After returning to New Orleans to began the rebuilding process a year after Katrina, she has been seeking justice for contractor's fraud and seeking funding to finish her home.

- Bridgett Saylor, a single mother, is struggling to get her home rebuilt. The city has told her numerous times that they plan to tear the house down, but she is doing everything in her power to keep that from happening. A former Sam's Club employee, Saylor was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and is no longer working. One room in the back of the house was lost, and they are missing part of a wall on one side of the home. The house has been gutted but there is still so much work to be done. 

- Wilbert Parker, 77, is a life-long resident of New Orleans and a Korean War veteran. He is a welder with the Local 689 Labor Union, and a proud father of two grown children, almost 20 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. His home on Colapissa Street took almost 6 feet of water during Hurricane Katrina and was severely damaged.

Product Donations

Donations are still needed in the form of money, as well as products and materials to help with the ongoing renovations. Manufacturers donating products and materials will be able to ship directly to the Rebuilding Together warehouse in New Orleans.

Donations will also be accepted after IRE from exhibitors who choose to provide their product displays.

For more information on how and what to donate, contact Janet Larue, Rebuilding Together, Warehouse/Supply Manager, at 504-388-0183 or jlarue@rtno.

Community Service Day Sponsors

Without sponsors, raising funds and donations would be more difficult. The top sponsor of this year’s event was Sika Sarnafil. Product sponsors included Bradco Supply, CertainTeed, and Mid-States Asphalt. The Ellis Company, commercial roofing, sheet metal and waterproofing company in Kenner, La., conducted roof work.

Lunch was sponsored by OMG (Booth 2317).

Organizers cited IRE, Rebuilding Together and NRCA’s Community Service and Disaster Relief Fund Committee for partnering on Sunday’s special project.

The 2010 International Roofing Expo opened Monday and runs through Wednesday in the D&E Halls at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. For more information, visit www.TheRoofingExpo.com.