Contact Information:
Brent Halfwassen
General Manager
(414) 383-7792
brent@thecommunitywarehouse.org
Four Years After Hurricane, Elderly and Disabled Still Struggling to Recover
(Milwaukee WI, August 4th, 2009)— As the nation approaches the four-year mark on August 29th of Hurricane Katrina, many individuals and organizations acknowledge the continued need for relief and supplies to Louisiana. One nation-wide non-profit organization that works to help disabled and elderly victims of Katrina is Rebuilding Together. Rebuilding Together provides free home improvement modifications and repairs to these individuals, keeping their homes safe and accessible.
Community Warehouse in Milwaukee recognizes the work that Rebuilding Together is doing and has helped in a significant way. As a non-profit, Community Warehouse provides affordable home improvement materials to residents living in Milwaukee’s Community Development Block Grant Neighborhoods. By receiving new and unused materials from contractors, builders, manufactures and other organizations, Community Warehouse donated a large amount of materials to the effort in Louisiana.
Ray Curtiss, Procurement Specialist at Community Warehouse, initiated the donation of excess inventory to Rebuilding Together, “I’m grateful that we are able to help. Katrina seems like old news because it happened a couple of years ago but people forget that it’s still an issue. That’s why this donation is special to me.”
However, it wasn’t until recently that Community Warehouse had a way to bring the materials down to Rebuilding Together’s site in Louisiana. Schneider National, Inc., the country’s largest private truckload and transportation carrier, has volunteered one of their semi-trucks in Oak Creek to transport the load. Having made trips down to Louisiana in 2005, Schneider was glad to be part of the effort.
“We moved approximately 40 FEMA loads, 16 charity loads and 179 relief loads in the days following the hurricane,” said LuEllen Oskey, administrator of the Schneider National Foundation, the company’s charitable giving arm.
The hurricane, which hit New Orleans on August 29th, 2005 flooded 80 percent of the city and caused 90 percent of individuals in southeast Louisiana to evacuate their homes. Around 15 million people were affected by the hurricane and 1,836 individuals lost their lives making it the deadliest hurricane in the history of the United States.
The response to the hurricane included relief from federal government agencies, state agencies, federal and National Guard soldiers, charities, and individuals. Thousands of volunteers all around the U.S made their way down to Louisiana to provide supplies and aid. Shelters were set up in over 19 states, and volunteer efforts have not ceased.
In 2005, the Schneider National Foundation donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross and established a special relief fund.
Now, with Schneider’s help, Rebuilding Together can give thousands of individuals and families the materials from Community Warehouse. These materials include sinks, doors, desks, cabinet doors and cabinet knobs, all items essential for getting their lives back on track. The donation signifies all three organization’s continued support for victims of the hurricane. Not only is Community Warehouse thankful for Schneider’s transportation, but the residents of New Orleans will be too.
“Schneider’s help has been a total answer of prayer,” said Curtiss. “They are helping out two nonprofits that can’t do it on their own. And they’re helping people rebuild their lives.”
About Community Warehouse
Community Warehouse is a non-profit, faith-based provider set up to serve people in the Milwaukee community with affordable home and facility improvement materials. Our goal is to partner with foundations, individuals, builders, contractors, manufacturers and retailers to provide the resources that are needed for rebuilding Milwaukee’s under-served communities and as a result, significantly improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.
Offering hope and changing lives…one household at a time.
About Schneider National, Inc.
Schneider National, Inc. is a premier provider of truckload, logistics and intermodal services. Serving more than two-thirds of the FORTUNE 500 companies, Schneider National offers the broadest portfolio of services in the industry. The company’s transportation and logistics solutions include One-Way, Intermodal, Transportation Management, Dedicated, Bulk, Supply Chain Management, Warehousing and International Logistics services.
Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Schneider National has provided expert transportation and logistics solutions for more than 70 years. A $3.7 billion company, Schneider National conducts business in more than 28 countries in North America, Europe and Asia and continues to grow its international service offerings. For more information about Schneider National, visit http://www.schneider.com or call (800) 558-6767.
