Annual Conference & Exposition - Friday Schedule

During the 2008 GIS/CAMA Technologies Conference that was held in New Orleans, conference attendees participated in a post-conference volunteer activity through the Beacon of Hope Resource Center. All who participated were grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to rebuilding efforts by cleaning up one of the affected areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

We are again working with Beacon of Hope for the URISA Annual Conference to ‘give back’ to New Orleans. Make plans to participate!

Beacon of Hope Resource Center - The center is “…a grassroots organization taking proactive measures to rebuild neighborhoods using volunteer effort and attempting to bring back people to neighborhoods that are struggling to recover. Through generous donations and the efforts of volunteers we have had an immediate impact on the surrounding community,” says Beacon’s Director of Volunteers Liz Widener.

URISA volunteers will be bussed to the Gentilly area of New Orleans, which was a particularly hard-hit area following Katrina. Because of the breaches and the failure of levees in the surrounding area, floodwaters submerged most homes in the area to the roofline or higher.

Slowly but surely, residents are making their way back to the area to repopulate the neighborhood. To make their home-coming a bit easier, we will be cleaning and cutting down overgrown lots, picking up debris and cleaning storm drains throughout the Gentilly area. Beacon of Hope will provide tools (shovels, rakes, garbage bags). Bring workgloves if you have some and dress appropriately (as if you were doing yardwork at home).

Some comments from participants during the GIS/CAMA Conference:

• "Seeing the entry dates that emergency response crews spray painted on the abandoned homes was depressing. They were searching for flood victims and utility hazards. Once we started clearing debris from the sidewalks and streets I felt really good inside and I would not hesitate to do it again."
  

• "It was a great project to be involved with and I can only hope that our small contribution to the cleanup might help make a difference to the residents, letting them know that there are people out there that still care about them."
  

• "This was my third trip to New Orleans, and my first charity experience. I still can’t find the words to describe the experience. I can only say, this was the first time I didn’t have a problem doing hard work and it didn’t matter to me that my body ached afterward. It was a rewarding experience, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. What I found impressive was the positive attitude of the people who live in New Orleans. I will be in New Orleans again in October, and I am looking forward to another charity event."

Get involved! Be sure to register for the Charity Event!