Camp Hope

Camp Hope is a volunteer base camp located in a former school in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. Camp Hope has welcomed people from all over the United States and all over the world who have come to participate in the massive recovery efforts of St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

Camp Hope opened on June 1, 2006 in the former "W. Smith Junior Elementary School" in Violet, Louisiana due to the closure of Camp Premiere, a FEMA sponsored base camp established to provide basic life support for emergency response activities. Col. David Dysart (USMCR), the Director of The St. Bernard Parish Office of Recovery, formed alliances with multiple Non-Profit Organizations, volunteer groups and the St. Bernard School Board to relocate the camp and ensure the continued support necessary for the critical volunteer efforts to continue. The opening was facilitated by two AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps Team Leaders, Alexandra Curley and Kaija McIntosh, and overseen by St. Bernard Parish employee Tom Pfalzer.

The mission of Camp Hope then, in addition to providing low-cost volunteer housing, was to facilitate volunteer relief efforts in St. Bernard Parish and in the New Orleans area. This effort included managing and participating in the removal of health and safety hazards internal to residential properties throughout St. Bernard Parish to facilitate the rapid repopulation by displaced residents as a cost effective alternative to unecessary demolition, with the assistance of the local, state, federal, NCCC, and other volunteer and non-governmental agencies. At the end of the debris removal process, volunteers in St. Bernard had gutted over 2,500 homes in St. Bernard Parish.

In January 2007, Camp Hope changed its mission to focus on rebuilding and new construction. Camp Hope is currently managed by the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity affliate of Habitat for Humanity International. August 15, 2007, Camp Hope moved to its current location, the former "Beauregard Middle School" in St. Bernard, LA. Most volunteers who stay at Camp Hope volunteer with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity or with the St. Bernard Project (located in Chalmette, LA) though any volunteer is welcome.

Camp Hope is also a camp in California that serves children who have had a parent or sibling die. Children may attend this camp for free with the consent of parents and the generosity of donors who provide this much needed service.

External links

* [http://www.habitat-nola.org/volunteer/camp_hope.php New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity - Camp Hope]
* [http://www.camphopeca.com/ Camp Hope - California Children's Free Grief Camp]