Phoenix of New Orleans Inc

Donations must be made through our designated March Goodness Tournament page in order to count toward the contest.

Founded by Tulane University medical student Paul Ikemire as a rapid response to the decimating affect of the storm and flooding, the organization was created when Ikemire and his neighbors came together to form a governing board and recruit volunteers. Their first mission was to assist in the arduous process of gutting and rebuilding their 120-block community.

In early 2006, PNOLA received its non-profit designation and was able to help restore neighborhood services and assist residents with a variety of disaster-related issues. Shortly afterwards, PNOLA’s headquarters was established in the heart of Lower Mid-City and by March, it was in a position to accept its first group of Americorps-sponsored volunteers.

Over the next several months, the PNOLA board members along with its AmeriCorps staff recruited hundreds of short-term volunteers. By the year’s end, it had worked together to gut and start rebuilding over 50 homes.

Now in our fourth year of operation, PNOLA has:

• Recruited 3,800 volunteers from across the U.S., contributing more that 72,000 hours of service.
• Gutted 200 properties (including 5 churches, a fire station, and one school).
• Performed 73 complete and partial home rebuilding projects.
• Generated more than 73,000 AmeriCorps service hours.
• Saved homeowners over $2,000,000 in labor costs.
• Raised $150,000 in project funding for homeowners.
• Planted over 100 trees and cleaned 6 parks/community spaces.
• Helped to build 8 playgrounds with KaBOOM!

This year our goal is to rebuild 45 houses. Help us make it happen!