Join us to help rebuild New Orleans!
On November 8th, the Saturday after the conference from approximately 9am to 5pm, ApacheCon is arranging a volunteer event to help rebuild a small part of New Orleans. We welcome our Members, Committers, and attendees to stay the Saturday following the conference to help us make a difference in the real world.
Our current volunteer plan
Please signup on our CrowdVine event listing, and meet by 8:30am in the Sheraton lobby, where the planners will arrange transport over to the work site. We'll be working on updating the landscaping and helping to finish up a rebuilt home, including installing a fence around the property. We already have the raw materials for the fence, and various hand tools needed.
The Beacon of Hope coordinators will provide water on-site, and SCP our conference producer will provide lunch of po'boys, muffaletta, and sandwitches for workers at or near the site. Please dress appropriately to spend the day outdoors and working in the yard.
We'll actually be travelling to this address (but please: work with us to arrange transport, so we don't lose anyone):
969 Porteous Street
New Orleans, LA, 70124
If you have your own car here and can volunteer to drive people to and from the event, please let one of the conference planners know!
We'll have more details shortly; please be sure to signup on our CrowdVine event listing so we have a count of who's coming! Note: please do not travel independently to the work site without speaking with one of the conference organizers so we have a count of who to expect.
Why We're Doing This
One of the reasons we selected New Orleans for our venue was to try to help out. Not only can we help by bringing ApacheCon's business into the city, we can also band together and work with a local non-profit to make a real difference with our hands.
Our planning team and Justin Erenkrantz have talked with the Beacon of Hope Resource Center to arrange for an ApacheCon group volunteer activity during the day of Saturday, November 8th. We'll be able to accommodate all skillsets in our volunteer work. From the Beacon of Hope site, they're looking for:
Types of Tasks: light work helping with sign-in or distributing trashbags; medium strength required to pick up and bag or stack trash; volunteers with strong arms, legs and backs for digging out shrubs; and chainsaw- savvy volunteers to cut down dead shrubs and small trees.
While we're hopeful there are some folks who are happy yielding a chainsaw, there will be plenty of room for folks who want to help organize or do lighter tasks. Basically, if you show up, fear not: we'll find a way to put *everyone* to good use helping out in the city, whatever your physical abilities.
How to volunteer
For now, please head over to our CrowdVine site and signup to attend. Feel free to leave comments or questions for other attendees there.
We hope that as many of our attendees who can stay Saturday will say yes, and will help ApacheCon make a difference in the real world. If you can attend, be sure to book your travel appropriately. Being able to stay through Saturday night is ideal, but there will be plenty of opportunity for people who need to travel home Saturday evening. Be sure to pack one set of outdoor clothes, as well.
More information about the volunteer event location, getting to the event, and facilities and lunches will be provided to everyone who checks off "Yes" above, and will also be available at the conference.
We look forward to seeing you at ApacheCon!
