Official New Orleans 2009 Work Trip Signup Starts Now!

The details have been confirmed, and we are thrilled to announce that we can now start signing up volunteers for our trip to New Orleans in March 2009. We'll be there for a week, working on the continuing rebuilding of the city following the hurricanes of 2005. It's a wonderful city, full of warm and very appreciative people, and it's going to be a great week.

The Details:

When: March 15th - 21st (Sunday - Saturday), 2009

Who: We are very pleased to announce a minor change in our plans--we will be working once again with the Phoenix of New Orleans (PNOLA). the non-profit we worked with during our trip last year. They focus on the Lower Mid-City neighborhood, putting people back into their homes and rebuilding parks and public areas. They are a fun and dedicated group for us to volunteer with.

Where: Our accomodations are going to be both first-rate and incredibly affordable. We'll be staying at The Marquette House - The Original New Orleans Hostel. Located in a historic and low-key neighborhood, just of the St. Charles streetcar line, the Marquette House offers volunteer organizations like us a rate much lower than anything we'd be able to find in a hotel. The cost for housing, tax included, will come to right around $18/person/night. Free on- and off-street parking is available, and we will have our own kitchen and large meeting/dining room.

What: We'll be spending our days working with PNOLA, and our afternoons and nights doing whatever it is you decide to do. We're hoping that we'll be able to find some of us, or some locals, to volunteer to run games in the evenings (we're tentatively referring to this plan as "Construct-A-Con"). There are also plans for some work with other local charities, including a local Boys And Girls Club. Finally, we hope to be able to put together a fine dining experience for any volunteers who are interested. Last year the wonderful people at Brigtsen's Restaurant offered us a fixed price three-course meal, and we're hoping to do something similar again this year. Then, of course, there's always the city itself. If you've never been to New Orleans, it's something you shouldn't put off.

How: It's up to each volunteer to get to New Orleans (and to eat once they get there). Louis Armstrong International Airport is a pretty easy airport to get into and out of, and of course there's carpooling as a way to cut down on costs. Once people sign up, we'll be able to start putting people together for pooling and caravaning. Last year we had enough donations from a number of very cool people to be able to fund a large portion of the housing costs for our volunteers, and we will do whatever we can with donated funds this year to assist with travel and housing expenses.

If funds are a concern, I would estimate that the trip could be made, food, travel and housing combined, for between $300 - $350 per person, if you're careful.

   

How Do I Sign Up?

We have twenty-five (25) spots available for this trip, and they will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. In order to reserve your spot, email Tom at tom-at-gamersforhumanity.org, or use our Contact page. You will be required to fill out an information form and sign a code of conduct, and submit an $18 deposit for housing.

When the first 25 spots fill up, we will try to accomodate additional volunteers as we are able. This number will depend on the availability of additional housing space and work opportunities, so we aren't able to guarantee anything beyond the first 25 spots at the moment. However, the faster the first 25 spots fill, the more likely it is that we'll be able to add more people. Check back here for a running total of how many spots are open.

Please consider signing up to come along with us to New Orleans. You'll find that it's not only a remarkably fun way to spend a week, but a very rewarding one as well. You'll be able to see the difference your work is making, in a city where (so I've been told) volunteers like us have done more for the rebuilding effort than the federal government.

Once you've signed up, we will provide all sorts of information regarding the city and the trip over the coming months: good places to eat, sights to see, other opportunities for us to help while we're in NOLA, travel tips, and the like.

Feel free to contact us with any questions, and we'll see you in New Orleans!