Who can volunteer?

Anyone who has two hands and a willing heart can volunteer. We love construction skill, but it isn't necessary. Most of the work that has been done in the area has been done by people who didn't have a lot of skill coming in. We also need volunteers who are willing to stay back and prepare meals and take care of the center. Everyone can find a place where they are needed.

Our age limit is 16; if you have a group with younger volunteers, please contact us. We can put you in touch with organizations who will be able to put them to work.

What does it cost?

There is no cost for volunteering. The only costs you will incur are:

Who do I contact?

E-mail: volunteer@pcoslidell.org

Phone:
Kevin Krejci – Construction Coordinator, 985.768.0400
Milton Means – Administrator, 985.707.8333

Our volunteer packet and safety manual contain important forms and information about volunteering.

You can also fill out our contact info form if you'd like to volunteer or have questions about volunteering here.

When can I volunteer?

We operate year round. Our calendar is available online.

We try very hard to keep consistent numbers of volunteers coming in; this allows us to keep a consistent number of projects going. If we have a spike in numbers and start a number of new projects, then have lower numbers for the next few weeks, we will end up leaving families waiting.

So, look at the calendar and if you see that we have a number of volunteers one week and then none the next, try to schedule on a week that we do not have as many volunteers. However, if there is only one week you can come, let us know and we can accommodate you.

What type of projects are available?

We typically take a home that has been gutted, and is ready to be rebuilt. Occasionally we will do necessary structural repairs or exterior repairs, but for the most part our homes are structurally sound. We will have an electrical contractor re-wire the home, a heating and air contractor replace any needed heating and air components, and sometimes a plumbing contractor re-install any needed plumbing.

Next our volunteers come in and re-insulate the walls and ceilings, install gypsum board (sheetrock), finish and paint gypsum board, install flooring, install trim, install cabinets, and install all plumbing and electrical fixtures.

To see some of our finished and ongoing projects, check out our Projects page.

What do I need to bring?

Bedding

Personal Items

Miscellaneous

Who will we be helping?

Presbyterian Community Outreach works predominantly with elderly and low income individuals. People who own their homes, but are living in FEMA trailers or somewhere outside of their home and have no other way of repairing their home.

We have a team of social workers who go through every case to make sure that applicants qualify and continually work on the applicant's case until it is closed.

Our slideshow presentation (11 MB Shockwave Flash) features some of the individuals we've worked with.

Where will we stay?

You will stay at the Presbyterian Community Outreach Center.

Our facilities were remodeled by volunteers for the specific purpose of housing future volunteers. We currently have sleeping rooms for males and for females. We have the capacity to house 80 volunteers. A common room offers sofas, a game table, and a TV, a computer and Internet connections for laptops. All rooms are air-conditioned. All volunteer groups share the same sleeping, lounging, laundry, and kitchen facilities. The center is located near shopping and business. Security has returned to pre-Katrina levels for a mid-sized city. We have had no major incidents at the center so far.

Take a virtual tour of our facilities.

Where does money come from?

OUR PROJECTS

Money for materials comes from various grants and other organizations we work with, if the family we are working for has received insurance money, money from the Road Home program, or money from FEMA, we spend that money first. Once that money is gone, we will use the grants and donations we have received to finish the projects.

OUR FACILITY

Money to run our facility comes in part from funds through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Presbytery of South Louisiana. The rest of the funding comes in the form of donations from groups who come and stay at our center. We do not require any money for volunteers to stay at our center, however, if groups can make donations we greatly appreciate it. Those donations have been the large part of what has allowed us to continue to operate over the last two years.