Imagine 31 people getting to spend the day helping to demolish a water-soaked, mold-infested building (the Southern Athletic Club, being transformed into the Garden of Prayer), and helping to sand and otherwise prepare for painting one of the 50 homes (the Major home) currently being refurbished by the St. Bernard Project. Now imagine temperatures of 90 degrees or so, humidity, dust, dirt, and noise. And believe it or not (actually, knowing these folks it's easy to believe), the volunteers - led by repeat volunteer Gerald J. "Gerry" Salontai, P.E. (The Salontai Consulting Group) - returned to our hotel absolutely elated; proud of their efforts to make things better for New Orleanians. Photos of the volunteers in action are available on our website, at http://www.asfe.org/index.cfm?pid=11408.

All 27,000 structures in St. Bernard Parish - adjacent to New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward - were deemed uninhabitable thanks to Katrina, leaving 67,000 residents homeless. Over the past three years, the St. Bernard Project has worked with more than 21,000 volunteers from around the world to help rebuild more than 275 homes with much more to be done. Learn more about the St. Bernard Project (and consider making a much-needed donation) by visiting www.stbernardproject.org.

Their work done, the volunteers were treated to a lavish crawfish boil at the hotel, organized by David E. Lourie, P.E., D.GE (Lourie Consultants) and paid for through the generous support of:

• ASCE-New Orleans Branch
• Ardaman & Associates
• Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc.
• Eustis Engineering Services, LLC
• Fugro Consultants, Inc.
• GeoEngineers, Inc.
• Professional Service Industries, Inc.
• Stantec, Inc.
• Terracon.

ASFE also helped by sponsoring a pajamas and book drive in support of the Pajama Program, a nationwide effort to obtain donations of pajamas and books for distribution to kids in shelters and group homes. Stephanie J. Bialobok, P.G. (Lourie Consultants), working with the ASFE spouses, coordinated this effort and enabled ASFE to provide 47 pairs of pajamas and 54 books to New Orleans-area children by a truly worthwhile charity ( www.pajamaprogram.org).

ASFE and the citizens of the New Orleans area thank the many generous contributors.

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This story was provided by ASFE - The Geoprofessional Business Association

The New Orleans Branch of ASCE would specifically like to thank David Lourie and Pat Fischer (US Forensics) for representing ASCE and supporting a great cause for the St. Bernard Project.