This week, NOAHH hosted Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), as she toured Musicians’ Village and met with NOAHH leaders. The CNCS is a federal agency that coordinates millions of Americans each year in various service programs, including AmeriCorps. The AmeriCorps program is a key part of NOAHH’s success over the course of our 31 year history, with AmeriCorps members from the Vista, Direct, and National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) programs making up a significant part of the NOAHH staff.
AmeriCorps were part of the staff when Hurricane Katrina hit, and they were instrumental in getting the organization back on its feet quickly so that the increased need for safe, affordable housing could be met. The rotating groups of NCCCs were the backbone of so much of the city’s recovery that Jim Pate, executive director of NOAHH, has often said that “the best thing the government sent to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina came in a grey shirt with an AmeriCorps logo on the sleeve.” As NOAHH has grown and transformed over the last few years, AmeriCorps have spearheaded everything from our Attack the Block, A Brush With Kindness, and the New Orleans Habitat Urban Garden Initiative to our ReStore procurement, social media presence, and Hispanic outreach. It is not exaggeration to say that without them, NOAHH would not have accomplished a tenth of what we have in the last 8 years.