From the bottom of our hearts, from our salty, sassy city: thank you.

6 Notes

At the rate we’re rebuilding New Orleans, we’ll get everyone home in about 14 more years.

Nerd Orleans started back in March of 2010. Our first (but not last, y’all) project was based on one simple concept: wake up and fucking do SOMETHING. And we did.

For each of you who put a paintbrush in your hand, added a few dimes to the coffer, donated books (thanks, O’Reilly!) or those who offered plain old common sense advice: thank y’all. Thank y’all. Thank y’all a kabillion times a kabillion.

From the bottom of our salty, sassy city’s heart: thank you.

We did it.

What’d we learn?

First and foremost: volunteering is crazy fun. It takes you out of your own worldview and into another person’s life. As we said when we started: let’s see some people with a real problem. Miss Josephine here shared with us her story of how “a bunch of kids, who are MY ANGELS” helped her get home.

She’s home. She’s taking time out on her Saturday to tell us why she appreciates us being here to help. She’s awesome.

Love your neighbor. Spend a little time working on someone else’s problems, and guaranteed: whatever you’re going through today, this year, this lifetime, you’ll appreciate what you’ve got. You’ll shake up that piece of you that forgot that you’re really part of a community.

Preach: you are lucky. Get your fool self up and help someone else who isn’t.

Show up: No matter what you think is a blocker. No one wakes up on a balmy Saturday morning and thinks “oh gee, I bet it’ll be super to fix a house today!” Just. Show. Up.

We had nearly 150 volunteers who never would’ve shown up otherwise come help on our first day.

Experience: You don’t have to be an expert, you don’t have to sign up for the rest of your life. Just give a few short hours. It’ll be more fun than you ever thought.

We planned all day for the next event.

Plan ahead. No, plan WAY ahead. WAY WAY ahead of Nola time.

I’m not gonna lie: it’s hard to wrangle a bunch of people. Event planning’s not my strongest suit. (Event ATTENDING, now that’s another story.)

Ask for help. Keep asking. You never know who will be awesome enough to show up. (Hi, Pete!) Cajoling, wheedling, bribing and pleading: please help our city. Please give us something. Whatever you can. Keep after people. You can do it.

Be ready to communicate in the ways people already work with: I didn’t have fliers or business cards at the ready. I should’ve.

When you’re trying to do something good, people will sometimes tear you to shreds. To this I say: haters gonna hate.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you all for supporting this successful first project. We’ll be back sooner than you know.

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