By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The St. John the Baptist Parish Long-Term Recovery Group has announced that it will partner with two faith-based, nonprofit organizations, Eight Days of Hope and World Renew, for a major restoration effort in areas affected by Hurricane Issac. Eight Days of Hope is an organization committed to rebuilding homes affected by natural disasters. World Renew specializes in disaster response and will be conducting a survey of long-term recovery needs in the area.  
Tupelo-based Eight Days of Hope is expected to coordinate the arrival of approximately 1,500 skilled volunteers in St. John Parish. The volunteers will provide rebuilding assistance to residents affected by the hurricane from March 9 to March 16. Homes will be selected following case management conducted by various volunteer agencies.
“Eight Days of Hope’s goal is to bring hope to those who are still waiting and to help them rebuild their homes,” said Eight Days of Hope President Stephen Tybor III.
Tybor said the project with St. John Parish was initiated by a chance meeting with an area pastor, Matt Tipton of the Hope Church. The two ran into each other while Tipton was in Memphis avoiding Hurricane Isaac, and he had heard of the Eight Days of Hope program.
“He introduced me to a couple of other local pastors, Billy Puckett of the New Orleans Baptist Association and Checkerz Williams of Celebration Church, and they were kind enough to meet,” said Tybor. “After praying about the opportunity, Billy Puckett became our key contact as we pursued meeting with the local elected officials.”
Eight Days of Hope is an all-volunteer organization located in Tupelo, Miss. For more information on Eight Days of Hope visit www.eightdaysofhope. com.  
World Renew, another group sending volunteers to the area to help with the recovery process, was established in 1962. The organization specializes in three types of projects — community development, international disaster and North American disasters. World Renew has offered disaster response services since 1972. Volunteers will be working door-to-door in various affected neighborhoods from Tuesday, Jan. 22, through Thursday, Jan. 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to address the needs of residents and inform them about available resources.
“The survey will gather a variety of information: what they experienced when they were flooding, what they lost, if they lost income, if they lost material possessions, what the damage was related to the structure of the home, as well as the contents too,” said Harry Kuiper, a World Renew DRS needs assessment manager.
Volunteers with the organization will be stationed at the St. John Volunteer Reception Center to help residents identify their unmet needs on Tuesday, Jan. 22, through Friday, Jan. 25, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 26, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Monday, Jan. 28, through Thursday, Jan. 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The World Renew teams will wear green shirts with the World Renew logo and identification tags, as well as provide a letter of introduction from the St. John Parish Long-Term Recovery Group
“We are so fortunate to have this organization come to St. John the Baptist Parish to assist our residents in rebuilding. There are still residents who are in need of assistance, and this will help them get back on their feet,” said Parish President Natalie Robottom.
Residents who are not contacted by the groups but continue to need assistance are asked to visit the center at 1933 W. Airline Highway, call the Home Repair Hotline at 985-359-0254 Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., visit stjohnrecovery. com or email isaacassistance@sjbparish. com.
Anyone interested in volunteering or donating materials to the Long Term Recovery Group should contact the Volunteer Assistance Hotline at 985-359-1024. Monetary donations can be made to St. John United Way (designate donations to SJBP Long Term Recovery Group), P.O. Box 2019, Reserve, LA 70084; or to the “Hurricane Isaac Recovery Fund,” First National Bank, 377 Belle Terre Blvd., LaPlace, LA 70068. Visit www.hurricaneisaacrecoveryfund.com for more information.