be part of the rebuild

no skills required – just a willingness to help bring a family home.

why the Lower 9th Ward?

The Lower 9th Ward was one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods during Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures of 2005. Rebuilding here has lagged far behind other parts of New Orleans due to deep-seated inequalities, institutional neglect, and ongoing barriers to return.

Over 98% Black before Katrina, the Lower 9th Ward was home to one of the highest rates of Black homeownership in the country. Many residents lived in homes passed down for generations. Our mission is to help families return to safe, secure, and affordable housing in the place they call home.

choose your volunteer experience

rebuild homes

Tues-Sat | 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

Join our home repair and construction teams to help rebuild flood-damaged homes for Lower 9th Ward residents.

Tasks may include:

  • framing, roofing, siding
  • insulation, drywall, painting
  • installing windows, doors, and fixtures

No experience? No problem. We provide all tools, training, and supervision. Just bring a willingness to learn.

support the food pantry

Saturdays | 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Help fight food insecurity by volunteering at our weekly food pantry.

Ways you’ll help:

  • stock and organize pantry, refrigerated, and frozen items
  • pack boxes for community members
  • carry boxes to cars

long-term & skilled volunteers

Staying 3+ weeks? Have a trade skill?

You may be able to support

  • volunteer leadership
  • construction site management
  • grant writing, outreach, and admin

Contact us to discuss long-term roles.

how it works

step 1: apply

Fill out the volunteer interest form and waiver after you read our Volunteer Handbook and FAQ carefully

step 2: confirmation

You’ll receive an automated email with our volunteer waiver. Within a week you’ll receive an email from our Volunteer Director to confirm your dates, or suggestions for alternative dates.

step 3: submit fees

Pay the housing or day volunteer fee via PayPal to finalize your spot. Project fees help to cover expenses associated with project coordination and supervision, as well as materials, fuel, safety equipment, insurance, and tool and vehicle maintenance. Please be prepared to pay a non-refundable 25% deposit to confirm your spot.

step 4: travel arrangements

Do not book flights or finalize any other travel arrangements until you’ve received confirmation from us that we can accommodate you on the dates you requested.

step 5: show up & serve

Orientation happens on your first workday. We’ll teach you everything you need to know.

Important notes:

  • volunteers must be 14+; minors require a chaperone
  • fees are non-refundable; only commit once you’re sure
  • housing and meals are not included unless arranged

volunteer housing

Home base: 1739 Jourdan Avenue

Our volunteer HQ includes:

  • 4 bedrooms with full bathrooms
  • full kitchen & common spaces
  • laundry, wi-fi, linens, and towels

transportation & scheduling

Location: 1739 Jourdan Avenue

Workdays: Tuesday – Saturday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

Food pantry: Saturday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Volunteers are responsible for their own transportation. Groups must bring vehicles. The house is near bus routes 8 and 84 and there is ample street parking.

Please arrive by 6 pm if you are staying at our house. No late-night check-ins.

equity & allyship

We rebuild because of injustice. The Lower 9th Ward remains vulnerable due to institutional racism, redlining, and inequity in disaster recovery. Our work is rooted in partnership. As a volunteer we ask you to:

Additional resources to consider:

ready to volunteer?

Join our network of volunteers making a real difference in New Orleans. Whether for a day, a week, or a season, you are welcome here.

sign up

volunteer FAQs

before you arrive

lowernine.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the long-term recovery of the Lower 9th Ward in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the associated levee breaches of 2005. We use volunteer labor under skilled supervision to build and repair homes in the neighborhood for pre-Katrina (legacy) residents. We also operate a food pantry here in the community that is open to all.

Due to its proximity to the Industrial Canal, the Lower 9th Ward was one of the hardest-hit communities in the Gulf Coast region during Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing levee breaches. Rebuilding has lagged far behind other neighborhoods due to institutionalized racism, poverty, the scale of the devastation, contractor fraud, and local, state and federal government inaction. Recovery has been slow, blight remains prevalent, and population return is significantly lower than the rest of the city. As of the 2020 census, Lower 9th Ward population “return “was only just slightly over 30%, lagging far behind the rest of the City of New Orleans. This statistic does not capture the fact that much of the population “return” is actually newcomers to the neighborhood and gentrification.

The Lower 9th Ward is an at-risk community, as are many low-wealth neighborhoods in America. However, catastrophic flooding following Hurricane Katrina was the result of poorly built and poorly maintained federal levees. Katrina did not “hit” New Orleans – it made landfall in Florida, South Louisiana, and coastal Mississippi to the east – it was the failure of the levees to contain the storm surge that flooded 80% of New Orleans in 2005. Rebuilding this flood protection system with improved engineering has greatly reduced the risk of flood to our city. For more information about the federal levee system not just in New Orleans, but across the country, please visit our friends at levees.org. Lower 9th Ward residents should have right of return just like any other areas that sustained damage.

We need volunteers to help rebuild homes, operate our food pantry, and bring their energy and enthusiasm to bear on an area of the country that has been too long neglected. If you have construction, carpentry, electrical or plumbing skills, you can help throughout the rebuild process and train unskilled volunteers. If you have none of these skills, you can let us train you – you need only a willingness to learn. Volunteers able to commit to working for 3 months or more can help managing the volunteer house, writing grants, managing our social media, and coordinating projects.

After you read out handbook and FAQs section, please fill out our volunteer form: https://support.lowernine.org/volunteer

Volunteers between the ages of 14-17 are welcome to serve with their parents, or as members of chaperoned groups – we require a minimum adult to teen ratio of 1 to 5. In order to be counted as a chaperone, you must be at least 21 years of age, and willing to be legally responsible for up to 5 teens throughout the work day. We ask that chaperones supervise and encourage younger volunteers on work sites. We are generally unable to work with volunteers under the age of 14, but may make exceptions for families who wish to serve together.

Given enough notice, we can usually accommodate any size group. Please email [email protected] if you want to bring a large group, and we will discuss logistics.

lowernine.org works on projects year-round. Our busiest times are during school breaks: the end of December through late January, late February through mid-April and May through June. So if you’re really flexible, we can definitely use your help during slower times. If your schedule is flexible, let us know, and we’ll tell you when we need you most!

We encourage individual volunteers to join us for a minimum of two full consecutive work days, but welcome groups for individual days of service as well (those orientations will occur in the morning of that day)

while you’re here

New Orleans is a world-famous city for good reason! Our staff and long-term volunteers are always happy to make must see/must do/must eat recommendations. Louisiana drinking age is 21, and marijuana is not legal. Enjoy our city responsibly.

We share meals in the house and take turns cooking for everyone. The accommodation fee will cover 3 meals a day. We can accommodate vegetarians but vegans/gluten free etc should plan to supplement their food. If you want some special foods or if you eat more than 3 meals a day, you will need to purchase these extras yourself (we can tell you where the closest places are!)

Nope, no prior experience needed. All you need is the willingness to learn.

safety & weather

 Weather can be highly variable (even cold!) over the winter and spring, and is very hot during the summer. Bringing proper layers will make the work day much more comfortable.

As is true in most American cities, the chances of serious harm coming to the average person is low. However, New Orleans does have one of the country’s higher crime rates – you do need to be aware of your surroundings and not take risks. See above for Louisiana state laws concerning drug and alcohol use. Volunteers, of any age, may not engage in behaviors that may put them, the organization, or the community at risk.

Volunteers staying with us for the months of June – October should be aware that it is hurricane season in New Orleans. lowernine.org does not take responsibility for volunteers in the event of a mandatory evacuation, though we will do our best to connect you with the necessary resources for evacuation (see ready.nola.gov/plan/hurricane/). We will not be working during a storm or severe weather event, but we do get back on the ground as quickly as is safely possible in the neighborhood to help people repair any damage that may have occurred. 

lowernine.org provides all necessary project training, tools and safety equipment (there may be a small fee for PPE and other small safety equipment items for groups, which will be built into your volunteer fee).

No, but we recommend that you obtain health or travel insurance for the duration of your service with lowernine.org. Property damage, theft, illness, off-work-site injuries, and travel itinerary changes are not covered by lowernine.org’s insurance, so it is essential that you obtain independent coverage for these events.

transportation

If you are able, you should bring a car for your service with lowernine.org! Cars help us move materials and volunteers around during the work day, and they help volunteers explore the city and surrounding area on evenings and weekends. If you are in a group of 4 or more people, you must bring your own vehicles.

 Our office is reachable by car, cab/Lyft/Uber, RTA buses (routes 8 and 84, cash or pay via the RTA Le Pass app), and bike.

international volunteers

You must obtain either a visa or visa waiver before entering the United States. If you will be in the US for less than 90 days, you may only need to apply for the Visa Waiver Program through ESTA. If you intend to visit the US for longer than 90 days, you need to apply for a Visitor Visa B. This will allow you to volunteer with us, and will not allow you to earn money while you are in the US. We are happy to provide documentation about our organization’s work as needed for visa and visa waiver applications. Please see visa requirements on the US Department of State website for more information.

You must be at an intermediate conversational English level, as well as intermediate listening English level to volunteer with lowernine.org.