Hurricanes in Berkeley??

You might think there had been a local hurricane, when seeing how quickly the Berkeley Rotary Club responded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina! It's amazing what's happened in only a year: resulting in more than $130,000 US donated, hundreds of hours of volunteer time, and an assortment of services to evacuees and to the people of New Orleans. Within a week of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina the Berkeley Rotary Club was spurred into action by the realization that such an extraordinary disaster had befallen the Gulf Coast.

The world witnessed the wrenching images of a darkened city, murky floodwaters and islands of desperate people seeking to survive and escape. Within days of the storm and flood, Berkeley Rotary's Larry Goldenberg established a phone bank at his Direct Line Answering Service and many Rotarians helped man it. More that $90,000 in donations to the American Red Cross were raised through this effort. At the same time Rotary club members passed the hat among the membership raising an additional $18,000.

Berkeley Rotary soon joined Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, the City of Berkeley agencies of Public and Mental Health, the Berkeley-Albany YMCA, Rebuilding Together and the faith based Berkeley Organization of Congregations to support and assist Berkeley's newly forming Hurricane Katrina Relief Center. The Center was housed in Berkeley's City Hall where it served Katrina evacuees from early September 2005-March 2006.

The long established Berkeley Rotary Endowment created a new community fund to aid evacuees as they arrive in Berkeley. When word quickly spread that evacuees were already arriving in the East Bay, donations began to come in and the fund got a big boost with the help of a fund raising dinner organized by Berkeley's Persian club. Soon the focus shifted to Berkeley's new Hurricane Katrina Center where evacuees were assisted. Connections with FEMA, the Red Cross, schools, housing and medical care were facilitated. The Berkeley Rotary Endowment Community Fund served many families helping with clothing, food, transportation, kitchen and household supplies, and school supplies as the displaced evacuees were made welcome to the community.

Having quickly secured and distributed funding to aide transplanted victims locally, the Berkeley Rotary next sought an opportunity to assist in New Orleans with work on a "hands on rebuilding project". Berkeley Rotarians reached out to members or the New Orleans Rotary Club which itself had been decimated by the floods and was about one-third its size before the storm. Though much collaboration and hard work the two clubs chose to undertake the task of helping bring the New Orleans land-mark Warren Easton High School back on line as a functioning high school.

Established in 1844, Warren Easton High was serving a largely black neighborhood before the storm. It is a designated historical landmark and had proudly received a "School of Excellence" designation for the performance of its students and teachers. The New Orleans Rotary Club had aided the school for years with scholarships, mentoring and sponsorship of an Interact Club. The historic school's ground level had been flooded but is structurally intact. The upper stories had sustained some wind damage; minor vandalism and it had long suffered from wear and tear and years of deferred maintenance.

Berkeley Rotary's role became one of a catalyst, working closely with the New Orleans club to help define a revitalization project and encourage broader interest in giving the city and its student their school back. Happily, support is now coming from many corners of the world.

On Wednesday, June 7th, a committed group of Berkeley Rotarians and friends depart for New Orleans with a work force. Spearheaded by Berkeley Rotarian Grier Graff, they will tackle portions of the school not covered by FEMA contractors currently restoring the flooded first floor. The Berkeley Rotarians will be joined by Rotary clubs from Hay River Canada, Rochester New York, Bonndorf/Germany, Lexington Kentucky, Florida Rotary District and California Rotary District 5160, all of whom are assisting with funding, supplies and/or volunteers. District 5160 matched Berkeley Rotary and together they will contribute $24,000 to the rebuilding effort. This hardworking large group of volunteers will clean, paints, polish, replenish and repair and make it a welcoming place for students returning in the fall.

What did Berkeley Rotary accomplish? 1) They helped raise over $90,000 for the American Red Cross. 2) They donated an additional $5000 to Alameda County Red Cross. 3) They assisted the City of Berkeley and its Katrina Relief Center. 4) They established a community fund that served evacuees fulfilling a gap in their needs. 5) They established contact with the Rotary Club of New Orleans and are pleased and honored to assist them in finding a way to help bring Warren Easton High back on line. 6) They organized a local work force of 33 to be joined by other Rotary clubs and their concerned friends. 7) They leave on Wednesday June 7, 2006, to help make the Warren Easton High School a welcoming functioning facility for students in the fall.

What better place is there to begin than in the Schools? The work isn't done! Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Berkeley Rotary Endowment fund with notation "For disaster relief and preparedness" PO Box 11706. Berkeley, Ca 94712 Pate Thomson, MD, President, Berkeley Rotary

From Grier Graff and the Berkeley Rotary New Orleans Project Team: Many of you know of our work in New Orleans in June, 2006, and have expressed some interest in coming with us in 2007. Yes, we are going back to New Orleans to continue work on Warren Easton High School in early June. The school is open with approximately 800 students. Much money has been raised (over $250,000) and New Orleans Rotary continues to raise funds and encourage volunteers to come in June 2007 to continue the work. We are hoping for a large turnout since much is still left to do. Some work has continued since we left in June 2006, the toilet rooms were repaired (not painted) and teaching supplies and equipment have been augmented by donations. Warren Easton is operating as a Charter School run by the alumni on the same model as before the storm. It is located in mid-city with a predominantly poor student population, 99% black. Last year over 90% of the graduates planned to attend college. This is amazing. To see what has happened go to the School web site and the New Orleans Rotary web site. Let us know if you are interested in coming this year. They promise the air conditioning will be working. Send in your information in parts, as you get it. The most important part is to reserve a space. We are working on the hotel arrangements and hopeful for a similar deal as last year, $50/room at the Marriott. SouthWest Airlines now flies direct from Oakland. Other airlines used last year were; United, American, and Continental. Transportation from the airport and to the work site will be by Rotary vans. If you arrive at an odd time we will direct you by shuttle to the hotel or Rotary event. We are also planning several group evening events, mostly meals. There will be plenty to do in the evenings and the weekend is open for touring. Last year, New Orleans Rotarians hosted a tour of the storm damage (Saturday AM) and introduced us to some great music and art. There was also a lovely Plantation tour up the river, and tours of the bayou. More information will be coming to you as we develop the plan. We hope you can join us for a week of work and fun. If your schedule does not permit a mid-week start date, you can join us on the weekend and stay a week, just contact Grier to discuss alternate schedules.