Most of the devastation from Hurricane Katrina occurred in the outskirts of New Orleans and the surrounding suburban area. Many of those areas have been restored, but some do remain either unrestored or torn down and undeveloped.

For this reason, the PES host committee for the 2010 IEEE Transmission & Distribution Conference thought it would be a good idea to offer attendees of the conference the opportunity to contribute to that restoration effort through a volunteer activity.

As a result, the group is planning to offer attendees an opportunity to volunteer on the “St. Bernard Project." This is an award-winning nonprofit rebuilding organization whose mission is to remove barriers for families who want to return home. The average cost to rebuild a home in St. Bernard Parish is $15,000 and takes 12 weeks. These costs are kept low because most of the labor is provided by volunteers. Liz McCartney, director and co-founder, was named the CNN 2008 Hero of the Year.

On Monday, April 19, 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m., transportation and lunch will be provided. Space is limited and at a premium. Reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.