A nonprofit born out of Hurricane Katrina is preparing to reach a milestone of its own.
SBP, also known as the St. Bernard Project, is a disaster recovery nonprofit marking its two-decade milestone of working to make a difference both locally and nationwide.
Inside SBP’s Mid-City warehouse, shelves are stacked with mudding tools, demolition, framing and early construction supplies.
“Core to our program work is the rebuilding of homes for homeowners affected by a natural disaster: a flood, a hurricane, a wind event,” said Thomas Corley, SBP’s chief operating officer.
The nonprofit was originally called the St. Bernard Project, named after the parish that suffered extensively after Hurricane Katrina.
“When we formed, we were in St. Bernard Parish, a parish that had 100% devastation following Katrina,” Corley said.
SBP’s efforts have expanded beyond parish lines and state borders, driven by the belief that community is not defined by proximity.
SBP has rebuilt more than 730 homes in New Orleans and is nearing 7,000 nationwide, with projects spanning from New York City to Texas and Florida.
“Because we have lived this and done this, because we continue to see communities threatened by natural disasters, we feel a great sense of responsibility to reduce that time between disaster and recovery,” Corley said.
All of this is made possible, SBP says, with the help of more than 150,000 volunteers.
READ MORE:This nonprofit was born out of Katrina. Now, it’s helping families rebuild nationwide
