The Fulton Lions Club helped sponsor Mary Chirello of Fulton, a Business Major at Nazareth College, Rochester, for a recent trip to New Orleans by 20 Nazareth students who volunteered to participate in Project Homecoming, a post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding effort, it was announced by James Sokolowski, Fulton Lions President. “When Hurricane Katrina hit in Aug. 2005, it left 80% of the City of New Orleans under water,” Sokolowski said. “Our club was proud to support this effort to revitalize neighborhoods and rebuild.”
Chirello and her fellow volunteers spent the week before last Christmas putting the finishing touches on several homes, Sokolowski said. “They installed bamboo flooring, hung sheetrock and doors, did caulking, taping, cleaning, and touch-up painting among other jobs.”
“This was the second time I was able to join the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans with my fellow students, “ Chirello said. “We also volunteered to help the week before Christmas, 2009 where the amount of cleanup that still needed to be done made a profound impact on me. Our most gratifying accomplishment for our group on this trip, however, was that we were able to help some of the residents move back into their homes just in time for the holidays.”
Project Homecoming was started by the First Union Presbyterian Church and eventually had three other churches join in its efforts, along with Hosanna Industries, Inc. and Catholic Charities, said the group’s website, www.projecthomecoming.net). Since its inception in April, 2007, Project Homecoming has utilized its experienced construction management and more than 8,000 volunteers to rebuild 120 homes at less than one third the cost charged by contractors. The organization prides itself on the quality, efficiency, and sustainability of its building practices, made possible by a combined 50 years of construction experience among its Construction Managers.
Lions clubs are committed to sight and hearing preservation. The Fulton Lions Club, also know for their Palm Sunday Pancake Breakfast, Lions Loot Sweepstakes and Labor Day Duck Derby, provides financial assistance for those in need of eyeglasses, eye exams and hearing aids to residents in the Greater Fulton area. For further information on Fulton Lions, visit www.FultonLionsClub.org.
missing or outdated ad config
