Persevere hosts New Jersy PAL volunteers

Persevere recently hosted a hardworking enthusiastic group of 21 youth and adults from Howell, New Jersey. The Howell volunteers are members of PAL’s Howell, NJ chapter. PAL or The Police Athletic League works to improve relations between police officers and youth through various activities. The PAL/Persevere volunteers helped with the construction of the Randy’s Rangers new volunteer camp. Their contribution of time and energy will ensure the success of both other volunteers in the future and the survivors they touch. Their actions will reverberate for years to come!

To learn more about PAL visit their website

Persevere Helping Construct New Volunteer Camp

Persevere volunteers are in the midst of helping construct Randy’s Rangers new volunteer camp. Randy’s Rangers is a fellow disaster relief organization in Pass Christian. Once completed the new camp will be able to house and feed 80+ volunteers at one time.

To learn more about Randy’s Rangers visit their website

Persevere renews partnership with West Seneca Americorps

Persevere and The West Seneca, NY Americorps have renewed their partnership in supporting volunteers and their efforts in post Katrina recovery. West Seneca Americorps members are part of the “Americorps Gulf Coast Recovery Team.” West Seneca provides vital resources to some of Persevere's fulltime volunteers and continues to be a major catalyst for change in areas like Bay St. Louis, Waveland and Pass Christian Mississippi. Persevere thanks our friends from the West Seneca team for all of their support.

For more information about The West Seneca Americorps program visit their website

An Eco-Friendlier Persevere

Persevere is set to begin using a more environmentally friendly bar and chain oil in all of its chainsaws. Persevere has ordered 17 gallons of Stihl’s BioPlus bar and chain oil. BioPlus consists of a vegetable oil base making it less harmful to humans, animals, micro-organisms and plants. BioPlus is also rated to be 93.8% biodegradable in only 21 days. The increased flow characteristics of using a bio-based lubricant will allow Persevere to dramatically reduce its’ overall use of bar and chain oil. The oil pumps built into each chainsaw can be adjusted to use less oil while still maintaining proper lubrication.

Persevere has also taken other steps to be more in tune with mother nature including using interior and exterior solar powered lights to illuminate our tool and equipment sheds.

For more information about Persevere’s commitment to the environment contact us at: info@perseverevolunteers.org

Compassion, Inc.

Persevere was featured in the November issue of the @BC web Bulletin.

Click here to read the @BC Bulletin article

Brother & Sister Team Join Persevere

Barbara and Sam Seymour have joined fellow Winchester, MA native and Persevere Operations Director, Rebeca Howard in Mississippi. Barbara and Sam will be volunteering with Persevere’s Katrina Relief Project until late December.

Persevere Awarded Grant

Persevere was recently awarded a generous grant from the Clipper Ship Foundation to further hazardous tree removal along the Gulf Coast. The grant funding will be used to buy more equipment including safety equipment and new chainsaws. The grant also provides Persevere with fuel funds for tree team vehicles and saws. The grant comes at a crucial junction in the race against time to bring down the dead standing trees that threaten FEMA trailers and homes being rebuilt. For ways you can help contact info@perseverevolunteers.org

Persevere and Americorps St. Louis

Members of the Americorps ERT (Emergency Response Team) based out of St. Louis, MO have started working with the Persevere Tree Team. Americorps members will be assisting Persevere volunteers clear trees after they are felled. The ERT Americorps are staying at Village Tent City in Pass Christian. Persevere will begin construction of a kitchen for Americorps and other volunteers staying at tent city early next week.

Persevering at BC High

Bill Driscoll Jr. returned to his old stomping grounds to speak to students about volunteering and his experience helping those affected by Katrina.

Click here to read the article on BCHigh.edu

Persevere Tree Team Update

October was another successful month for the Persevere Tree Team. Our quest to help residents rebuild and/or remove hazardous trees surrounding their houses or trailers continues to gain steam. During the month of October Persevere volunteers removed 160 trees. That brings the total to well over 600 trees removed since June.

Driscoll, Persevere Founder Honored At BC

On October 19th Bill Driscoll Jr. was honored by the Boston College Alumni Assocoation with BC's Young Alumni Award. The Young Alumni Award of Excellence is bestowed each year on a distinguished alumna or alumnus who has graduated within the last 10 years. Driscoll graduated in May 2005 and was honored for his Katrina relief efforts.

Find the text of his acceptance speech below:

Fr. Leahy, Fellow honorees, distinguished guests, graduates, students and guests of Boston College

I would first like to congratulate the other recipients here tonight – it is an honor to be in your company

I thank the alumni association for their support and recognition in bestowing this great honor upon me. Most importantly those that worked hard to make this event possible and Eva Maynard for believing in me.

I also thank my family for providing a solid foundation throughout the years especially my parent who afforded me the opportunity to study at Boston College and my grandfather who started what has become a family legacy at The Heights.

I would particularly like to recognize my father who has been instrumental in our recovery efforts lending his time and construction skills over many trips.

I have worked along side scores of volunteers from Boston College – three of whom make up Persevere’s fulltime staff. Rebeca Howard, Jen Marsh, and Marianne Tierney all are graduates of the class of 2006 and all are working hard for the people of Mississippi.

I must look pretty green to some of you – But like many, I have learned a great deal since leaving Boston College and one of the more important and refreshing lessons has been that the Boston College Community practices what it preaches.

It is refreshing to know that BC’s promise to nurture men and women for others is not just a hollow marketing slogan. Time and time again organizations at BC have not only opened up the check book but sent students alumni faculty and staff to aid those affected by Katrina.

I have received help, often without even seeking it, from fellow classmates and other alumni in the form of fundraising, recruiting and assistance related to their various professions. A classmate of mine Melissa Bruno has done tremendous work for us and I thank her.

Without the support of the BC community Persevere would simply not be able to do what we do on a daily basis.

We know that we will not be able to solve everyone’s problems. But if we can remove some of the stress that is over the heads of those trying to put their home and lives back together then we have accomplished our mission. In my opinion we have accomplished a great deal in a very short time. Since June we have removed over 600 dead sanding trees that died as a result of the salt water storm surge. We funded and installed over 5000 street signs that were erased by Katrina – and in towns like Waveland and Bay St. Louis, where so many landmarks were lost, residents often tell us that without the signs even they would not be able to get around. Persevere helped rebuild and restore Hope Haven a shelter for abused and neglected children.

When I touched down on the gulf coast a little over a year ago the devastation was impossible to exaggerate. Today most of the storm debris is gone, many of the homes and business along the coast are still missing, but there is an unbroken sprit that renews each day at sunrise and is rewarded with a gulf sunset at night. I am proud that Persevere is a symbol of the unbroken sprit of the Gulf Coast. A spirit comprised of both an infusion of volunteers from around the country and the life long residents determined to rebuild.

In the end I believe the awesome forces of Katrina will pail in comparison to the force and effect of the relief effort. The response thus far has been breathtaking, but the job is not done yet and we will be back at it Monday morning

Again I thank the Alumni Association for this great honor

As well as BC High and Boston College for instilling in me the understanding and importance of being one of the Men and Women for others.

Thank you.

Click to read the Heights Article BC's best honored at awards ceremony

Minnesota Conservation Corps begins work with Persevere

Over the next several weeks Americorps members from the Minnesota Conservation Corps will be working with Persevere helping take down some the dangerous dead standing trees along the Gulf Coast.

Click Here to read the text of a recent television news piece from WWLTV in Louisiana.

BC Chronicle Article

Persevere was featured in the BC Chronicle

Click Here to read article

Patriot Ledger Article

Persevere appeared in the Patriot Ledger on Sept. 1st

Click Here to Read Article

Persevere Tree Team

Persevere has become the go to group for volunteer tree work along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We removed 189 trees during the month of August and surpassed that mark in September with 220.

Persevere has removed over 500 trees since June.

Dead standing trees continue to be a major threat to residents living in FEMA trailers, houses and other structures. Persevere is working with local and county governments to help alleviate the tremendous tree problem.

Click below to read the text of a local televison news piece that featured Persevere and our tree team.

http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?s=5293101

Persevere completes distribution center build out

Persevere completed the construction of a loft and shelving system for the new St. Vincent DePaul/ Our Lady of Fatima distribution center located in Biloxi, MS. The center provides home goods, food, and clothing as well as other amenities to residents and homeless in the Biloxi

area.

Persevere has completed several jobs for Fatima and continues to work closely with their out reach programs assisting residents with rebuilding.

Hope Haven Office Space

Persevere has substantially completed new office space at Hope Haven.

Hope Haven is a shelter for abused and neglected children in located Waveland, MS. The new office space will be used by Hope Haven's administrators. The original space was destroyed by Katrina.

Once Persevere installs a new door and window the Office will be complete. HH has begun moving into the office already and will be functioning out of it shortly.

HH's shelter re-opened its doors this week welcoming in several new children.

Webex - Databases

Persevere is running databases developed using Webex's Weboffice program to keep track of volunteers and work orders. Weboffice allows us real-time access to the status of a project and is proving to be an extremely helpful and high tech disaster relief tool.

Persevere Tool Bank

Starting Monday July17th Persevere will have a small community tool bank available to residents and volunteer groups working in the area. For more information please email :

info@perseverevolunteers.org or call 228-533-2116

Touchdown!

June 10, 2006

Our heavy equipment has arrived! Persevere now has a borrowed backhoe and a bulldozer assisting in the Katrina Relief effort. The equipment was shipped down from NH with the help of Hands On Disaster Response (formerly Hands On USA).

The equipment's first order of business will be to assist Kaboom and the Hands on Network prepare John Henry Beck Park in East Biloxi for renovation.

This heavy equipment sets Persevere apart from most relief groups who do not have this type of machinery at their disposal.

The machines come with high maintenance and fuel costs. Donations to help defray the cost of maintaining the machine are much appreciated.

Over the next year the Persevere backhoe and bulldozer will be involved with many types of projects including:

Clearing land for rebuilding

Demolition

Stump removal

Grading lots

Linking water and sewer lines to new and existing homes

Playground construction

These machines will provide residents with services that would normally run them bills for hundreds of dollars - free of charge

check out our photogallery to see the machines in action:

http://community.webshots.com/user/PersevereDisasterRelief

D-Day June 6, 2006

I'll see you on the beach... June 6th 2006 marked Persevere's launch of fulltime operations along the GC. We will be here for at least the next year. Between February and June of this year we completed numerous small projects while laying the foundation for Persevere's sustained Katrina Relief effort. Our home base, located in Pass Christian, is nearly complete with some cosmetic work still needing to be done.

In the early hours of June 6^th, on the 62^nd anniversary of allied invasion at Normandy, we took our ceremonial walk up the beach. Team Persevere’s “storming of the beach” symbolized the start of our year long mission to help the people of coastal Mississippi recover and rebuild.