Sustainability

The Covenant House Project: December 2005

SEH+S is working with Covenant House New Orleans to improve their use of Sustainable Energy. Donations for this project provide for emergency repairs and upgrades to recently damaged Covenant House buildings. These improvements in sustainable energy consumption allow more benefits from other funds to be applied to children's care and to the mission of Covenant House New Orleans.

Covenant House after Katrina:

Approximately 90% of the staff of Covenant House New Orleans are now homeless due to the destruction and displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina. This is in addition to the increase in homeless conditions for the resident care population. We have personally toured all the Covenant House facilities as well as a portion of the city of New Orleans. The destruction to all levels of culture and property is vast and too overwhelming to comprehend. As a result of our tour, we are placing all of our project focus on assisting Covenant House New Orleans in every way possible.

Why New Orleans and Covenant House matters to us.

Children are both the real and the symbolic representation of our future. The homeless children of New Orleans also represent a unique American fabric that has evolved from a blend of cultures, the "gumbo" so to speak that must be honored and preserved. This same spirit of soulful originality and authenticity is also the birthplace of the art of Jazz music, recognized and respected as a uniquely American art form around the word today.

New Orleans represents to us, the soul of our countries multi cultural origins, we are honored to be involved in helping them rebuild for a sustainable future.

Energy Consumption and the Rebuilding Process:

How will the upgrades to the Covenant House buildings and facilities be accomplished in a manner that benefits the care of homeless youth, and others?

There are two distinct paths to the rebuilding and restoration of Covenant House building and facilities presently in process.

The immediate needs:

The first priority is our current survey of needs in collaboration with Covenant House staff. The survey will be completed by December 19, and will outline the specific areas where donations will be applied to sustaining the present energy costs for facilities, now in compromised use. This funding aid can be applied to the current conditions, on an immediate basis.

Immediate needs / The Greenhouse program

We are also seeking donations for the restoration and rebuilding of the Covenant House greenhouse. This working greenhouse facility is part of a sustainable revenue program, which provides professional garden and landscape training as well as revenue producing projects. We are seeking donations of both funds and materials that will be used to restore this facility to working order, in the shortest time possible.

The long term Sustainable Energy Program

SEH+S is working to provide a long term rebuilding concept master plan through extensive documentation and analysis of present building and facility conditions. In addition to our own full time and volunteer staff, SEH+S will retain one or more recognized sustainable energy systems engineers to assist with the preparation of this long term rebuilding program. The application of sustainable energy systems and their specific application to Covenant House will be determined from this plan. The program will include the use of solar (solar-photovoltaic) panels, solar powered hot water and heating, solar powered anti bacteria water filtration systems, and other thermal shell and building upgrades that reduce utilities consumption. In collaboration with Covenant House input, SEH+S will provide funding for all material and installation of solar equipment and sustainable energy rebuilding.

The program goal is significant application of integrated building upgrades that will provide substantial operations costs reductions for Covenant House through sustainable energy use.

Fundingraising goals by June 1, 2006

Our initial fundraising goal for this project's emergency needs is a minimum of $50,000.00 by April 10, 2006 and $100,000.00 by June 1, 2006. Please consider this your priority in helping with the rebuilding of young lives in New Orleans.
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