News from Around the Neighborhoods - Gentilly welcomes New Community Center with Festival of Hope

Residents from across Gentilly celebrated the new Gentilly Community Center of Hope this past Saturday, Nov. 12 with the 1st Annual Festival of Hope. The Festival featured music by the Treme Brass Band, food from the Ju-Ju Bag Restaurant and others, as well as pumpkin painting and an inflatable jump castle for kids, art exhibits, the NOFD Fire Truck and a mobile Health Unit. Located at 2747 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, the Gentilly Community Center of Hope's mission is to provide a community center that has activities for people of all ages in the Gentilly area. The facility has a computer center, an indoor gym, outdoor fields for sports, and indoor meeting space for various organizations. Visit the new Gentilly Community Center of Hope's website for more information. http://gcchno.org

This weekend's festival was put on by the Gentilly Civic Improvement Association (www.gcia.us) and Hope United Church.

How you can help or get involved!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

The Center is looking for volunteers to work with seniors - leading exercises, arts and crafts activities; to work with young people on computers; and for other programming.

Potential volunteers contact: Pastor Nichols - donald_nchls@yahoo.com, 504.453.7450

Join the Community Center of Hope SEWING CIRCLE

Do you like to sew, knit, crochet or do crafts? Join the group that meets at the Gentilly Community Center of Hope, Tuesdays from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. ($3.00 suggested donation to the Center). Join a community of sewers, knitters, crochet and craft enthusiasts of all experience levels.

Contact info@sewsweetgentilly.com or call 504-376-5211 for additional information

Gentilly is a diverse community of 22 neighborhoods that collectively seek to strengthen our bonds with each other and our City - New Orleans, LA.

Photos left to right: Treme Brass Band Performs at the 1st Annual Gentilly Festival of Hope; musician Irvin Mayfield and others pose for a photo inside the gym and community center; children paint pumpkins on the lawn of the new Gentilly Community Center of Hope

Volunteer Opportunity: free Hornets tickets!

The New Orleans Hornets and United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area believe in our community's revitalization. With passion and pride, we are committed to this purpose.

We encourage you to participate in our Volunteerism Day on Saturday, October 3rd. See the website (link below) for a detailed list of volunteer opportunities throughout the greater New Orleans area and for more information on making a donation.

To thank you for your commitment to our community, the New Orleans Hornets will provide each volunteer with two free tickets to the October 10th pre-season game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. We will collect your contact information at each volunteer site and send your tickets soon after our Volunteerism Day!

http://www.unitedwaynola.org/hornets/

Rebuild Seeks Volunteer Team:

Rebuilding Together New Orleans’ Annual October Build Project is a volunteer opportunity exclusively for local organizations, corporations, families and friends to, join hands, pick up a hammer or a paint brush, and make a difference in the lives low income elderly or disabled homeowners.

When: Friday and Saturday, October 2nd, 3rd and 9th, and 10th (with rain dates on the 16th and 17th)

Teams of 10 people or more are encouraged to sign up to participate. Volunteers are asked to provide their own lunch and transportation and must be at least 15 years or older. Each team will self appoint a House Captain, who will take ownership of the project, creating supply lists, overseeing the workscope, and working directly with RTNO House Captains and Construction Managers.

To sign up, contact Rebecca at:

Rebecca Crenshaw
Special Projects Officer
Rebuilding Together New Orleans
923 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
rcrenshaw@prcno.org
Fax: 504-636-3072
Please call 504-636-3383 for questions.


*To be included as a project sponsor in media outlets and t-shirts, please sign up by July 31st, 2009