NEW ORLEANS, March 1, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- HomeAid, the country's leading non-profit developer of transitional housing, in partnership with its Gulf Coast Rebuilding Fund donors Ameriquest Mortgage Company, Argent Mortgage and AMC Mortgage Services celebrated today the completion of the Women's Shelter at the historic New Orleans Rescue Mission. Laverne Saulney, Deputy Regional Manager, New Orleans for the Office of Senator Mary Landrieu joined community members to dedicate the newly refurbished facility for Hurricane Katrina evacuees.
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The 4,000-square-foot women's facility provides housing to single women Katrina evacuees who want to return to New Orleans, but are currently without a livable home. This shelter is the first new facility to open for Katrina evacuees in New Orleans and fills an ongoing need for housing for female evacuees who are being evacuated from FEMA-funded motels or are still living in tent communities and cruise ships.
Evacuated during Katrina, Mary Weinenbacher, a grandmother who has been living in a tent community just outside New Orleans, will be one of the first women to move into the facility. "I don't know what I would have done without the Women's Shelter. I was down to my last supply of money and did not know where to go next," said Weinenbacher. "I am happy to be able to live in New Orleans again. Once the city gets in your blood, it will always be considered home."
"Just last week, we visited the St. Bernard Parish Tent City. Looking at one of the tents with its scattered cots that contained bedding, TVs and work clothes, I was overwhelmed by the loneliness and despair for the people living here. There was no privacy and no place to store their belongings," said Diane Dempcy, director of HomeAid's Gulf Coast Rebuilding Fund. "It was overwhelming validation for what HomeAid is doing in New Orleans and around the Gulf Coast. While the exact statistics are still hard to quantify, it is clear that the need for transitional housing continues to be dire."
"Six months ago, we watched in shock our as our city experienced utter devastation. Today, I am proud to be a part of the rebirth of the city," said U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu. "The restoration of the Rescue Mission is a perfect example of the great results that can be reached when the entire community works together." Sen. Landrieu will be represented at the Women's Shelter Event by Regional Manager LaVerne Saulny.
The rebuilding of the New Orleans Rescue Mission is the result of HomeAid, the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans, local homebuilder Toni Wendell of Olde World Builders & Remodelers, LLC, and national building industry companies Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Pella Corporation, James Hardie, and CalPASC. Together, this group of partners is part of a nationwide network of other partners including Shea Homes, Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., MBK Homes, Taylor Woodrow Homes, Crestwood Communities, Homestore.com, Suncoast Post-Tension, Goodman Manufacturing, David Weekley Homes, Tilson Home Corporation, Doyle Stuckey Homes, Green Mountain Homes, Bassenian/Lagoni Architects, Masco Foundation and OC Foundation, which are helping rebuild five other HomeAid projects in the Gulf Coast region.
"HomeAid, in partnership with our corporate sponsors, is proud to help meet the great need that still exists in New Orleans," said Genette Eaton, chief executive officer of HomeAid. "The Women's Shelter marks the beginning of the positive results that will come from our unified efforts. Working together, we can help the people of New Orleans rebuild their lives."
The project was funded by the Gulf Coast Rebuilding Fund, which was established in September 2005 through a $3 million donation from Ameriquest and its affiliates. HomeAid's national building industry partners and a network of organization partners have been hard at work rebuilding the Women's Shelter since Thanksgiving 2005 for a March 1, 2006 opening.
The New Orleans Rescue Mission will house Katrina evacuees for as long as the need requires. Residents have been chosen based on a comprehensive interview process, employment readiness test and a written plan documenting milestones for getting back on their feet. The Women's Shelter will accommodate single women.
For more information, or to make a donation to HomeAid's "Gulf Coast Rebuilding Fund," visit www.homeaid.org. Contributions can also be sent to HomeAid Gulf Coast Rebuilding Fund, 3919 Westerly Place, Suite 200, Newport Beach, CA 92660.
About ACC Capital Holdings and its Affiliate Companies
ACC Capital Holdings, parent to Ameriquest Mortgage, AMC Mortgage Services, and Argent Mortgage, is headquartered in Orange, Calif. As national mortgage companies, they help people achieve their home ownership dreams and financial freedom. To fulfill that mission, they originate and service home mortgage loans throughout the United States. ACC Capital Holdings and its affiliates employ thousands of associates nationwide. For more information about Ameriquest, Argent and AMC Mortgage Services visit www.ameriquest.com, www.amcmortgageservices.com, and www.argentmortgage.com.
About HomeAid
HomeAid is the nation's largest builder of housing for the temporary homeless and has helped more than 60,000 men, women and children. With the mission of building dignified housing where homeless families and individuals can rebuild their lives, HomeAid has locations in 17 markets within 11 states, has completed 117 housing projects nationwide with another 55 projects currently in development, and manages combined finance/construction assets exceeding $111 million. HomeAid was established in 1989 as a non-profit organization by the Building Industry Association of Southern California, an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders. For more information call 949-258-0850 or visit www.homeaid.org.
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