January 18, 2006 — NeighborWorks America and the National Council of La Raza have collaborated on an effort to bring twelve AmeriCorps members to three Gulf Coast NeighborWorks network organizations responding to the Hurricane Katrina crisis. Funding for the AmeriCorps members has been approved by the Corporation for National and Community Development. Voice of Calvary Ministries in Jackson, Mississippi, Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans and Covington, Lousiana, and the Tejano Center for Community Concerns of Houston will each receive four AmeriCorps members for one year.

For the Tejano Center, four AmeriCorps members will provide direct support to hundreds of Latino and other minority evacuee households needing emergency housing assistance. Under the direction of Voice of Calvary four AmeriCorps members will serve as “on-the-ground” community organizers in Biloxi, Gulfport, McComb, and Jackson. Their work will include developing volunteer teams to assist displaced residents and helping in the renovation of community centers and housing. And for NHS of New Orleans and Covington, four AmeriCorps members will work in pre-dominantly African American neighborhoods to support community building efforts and housing repair.

All three of the NeighborWorks organizations believe that the addition of the twelve new staff members will greatly expand their capacity to reach out and serve the victims of Katrina. In addition to local training, all of the AmeriCorps members will be offered a week of training at a NeighborWorks Training Institute.

For more information on NeighborWorks America, visit www.nw.org.