The damage sustained by the girls’ home was so severe that restoration was
not an option. Boys Hope Girls Hope has acquired the property next to the
existing home and the plan is to clear the houses on both properties, making
way for a new girls’ home on the combined property. The timeframe is not yet
firm, but for now, the girls have settled into a rented house near their school,
enjoying their first sense of normalcy in a while.
The office has relocated to the One Shell Square building downtown and
resumed its normal buzz of activity. Recent fundraising events have included
the Race Judicata and a gala in September.
"Because of the generous support of the NECO family, the Boys Hope Girls
Hope family in New Orleans not only survived Katrina but is thriving today,"
says Paul Minorini, Boys Hope Girls Hope President & CEO.
The staff, Board Members, volunteers and friends of the program have been a
tremendous example of "men and women for others" in that they have stood by
the scholars, even as they coped with personal losses related to Hurricane
Katrina. Many have said it was possible only because of the support they were
receiving from so many people, like the members of NECO, who reached out
to them.
