RTA Welcomes A New AmeriCorps Member

Here at  Rebuilding Together Acadiana, we  welcomed a new AmeriCorps member to our team in August. George Arceneaux IV will be serving with us for a year in the CapacityCorps program,
a partnership between AmeriCorps and Rebuilding Together that places national service members in RT affiliates all around the country to help with their programs and expand their services to reach additional homeowners.

RTA has hosted CapacityCorps members since 2009, but George is the first Acadiana-native to join the ranks. He recently graduated from St. Olaf College, in Minnesota, but returned to Lafayette to join AmeriCorps and give back to the community that raised him.

Over Summer Vacation, RISE Volunteers Make an Impact with Rebuilding Together

This past summer in July, a group of over 100 volunteers from the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette joined with RTA to work on 15 homes in a single week. Their group was mostly high-school students on summer vacation, with some adult leaders, who came out to volunteer with us through a faith-based service  program called RISE (Rising in Service to Everyone), an annual week of service sponsored by the Catholic Church.

RTA Marks Fifth Annual AmeriCorps Week with a Service Project in Rayne

Last week, AmeriCorps members, alumni, and partners across the country marked the fifth annual AmeriCorps week by performing service projects, hosting community events, and engaging government officials and community leaders to support community service and spotlight the role AmeriCorps plays in addressing  America’s most pressing social needs.

Homeowner Stories: Cleavland & Corine JohnBaptist

No one could ever say that Cleveland and Corine JohnBaptist didn’t deserve our help. The elderly couple has lived in Crowley their entire lives, over 60 years for each, and before they retired they both worked for A.S.S.I.S.T. Agency, a Community Action non-profit that provides services for improving the lot of families living in poverty.

Homeowner Stories: Howard Broussard, Generous and Thankful

Howard Broussard lives in the likewise named city of Broussard, Louisiana. Now retired, he formerly worked for Southern Structures LLC, making building materials, and spent seven years as a volunteer boxing coach. When we met him for the first time, he told us that things have been hard for him  since his wife died, but that he keeps going so he can