The Johnny Appleseed Project Celebrates Mardi Gras!

Persevere volunteers handed out over 700 small trees during the Pass Christian Mardi Gras Parade. As part of our on-going Johnny Appleseed Project we decided to hand out trees instead of the traditional Mardi Gras beads. The trees were a welcomed sight and we ran out about 3/4 of the way through the route. Police estimated the crowd size between 30 and 40,000 party-goers. Persevere was joined on our float by TREE LOGIC a local band that sponsors The Johnny Appleseed Reforestation Project. Persevere's was the only float in the entire parade with a live band.

We also collected several thousand empty cans during the parade as a fundraiser. We were mentioned in the Sun Herald for our efforts and TREE LOGIC as well as one of our volunteers appeared in the Sun Herald’s online slideshow of the event. View the slideshow or read the article

Persevere's Photo Gallery Tops 21,000 Views

This week Persevere's "Webshots" photo gallery topped well over 21,000 all time views. Our photo gallery has been online since March 2006. We continue to update the gallery with photos of our projects and volunteers. To view click here.

DVD Now Available

Persevere has produced a promotional DVD that contains two of our videos ( Persevere:Full Speed Ahead & The Persevere Tree Team) as well as some photos of our volunteers in action. If you are interested in helping fundraise and/or would like to promote Persevere let us know. We will be happy to send you a DVD or two that you can pass around at work or to friends and family. Help us continue our grass roots operation! Send us an email with your mailing address and the number of DVDs you would like. Thanks for supporting Persevere!

Persevering Since 2006

We here at Persevere are celebrating our successful first year! We would like to thank all of the our supporters and those who make Persevere a reality each day. Without our volunteers and donors the vital work we have completed and the ongoing projects in the community simply would not be possible.

In our first year of operation we responded to both Hurricane Katrina(our ongoing relief project) and the Ground Hog Day Tornados in Central Florida. Please continue to support Persevere and our important work along the Gulf Coast.

Project Report 2/8/2007

GROUNDHOG DAY TORNADOS RESPONSE
LADY LAKE, FLORIDA

Event: Tornados
Project Type: Short Term Response / Immediate Disaster Relief
Project Dates: 2/2/2007 – 2/6/2007
Location: Lady Lake, Florida

Summary:
In the early hours of 2/2/2007 Central Florida was struck by several tornados that killed 20 people and caused localized damage in four counties. Persevere volunteers (4) toured each area before establishing camp in the town of Lady Lake to help with tree and debris removal.

We cleared trees and debris from road ways and off of and out of trailers and houses. Persevere volunteers also helped secure tarps in place of missing roofs, take down damaged car ports and repair interior walls.

Persevere’s response was an all around success. We were able to learn a great deal in terms of responding immediately after a disaster and how to plug into the chaotic early stages of a relief effort. In total we provided help to 25, mainly elderly, households.

Collaboration:
Persevere volunteers welcomed the help of volunteers from Hands On Gulf Coast and Hands On New Orleans (both affiliates of Hands On Network/HON). Persevere’s experienced tree team cut while the HON volunteers hauled. We also worked alongside the Lady Lake Sheriff’s Department and their teams of Lady Lake inmates that were helping clear debris from the streets and from around residences.

By the Numbers:

Volunteer Hours: 280

Project Expenses (fuel, meals, supplies): $411.00

Total Value of Donated Labor: $5,600.00

Groudhog Day Tornado Response

Persevere responded to the Groundhog Day tornado devastation in Central Florida between 2/2 – 2/6. Given our proximity to the disaster we decided to respond and were able to help with tree and debris clean-up as a well as securing tarps to damaged roofs. A full recap of our second disaster relief project to follow soon.

Local band sponsors Johnny Appleseed Project

Persevere's Johnny Appleseed Project is proud to have the support of the local band and Gulf Coast favorite Tree Logic. The band is graciously donating a portion of every CD sold to Persevere for our efforts to replant the Gulf Coast.

To hear music by Tree Logic and learn more about the band go to their site

Holiday break brings volunteers

From Dec. 26th to mid-January Persevere hosted over 60 volunteers.

Church of the Nativity volunteers from the Baltimore area came down immediately after Christmas and spent their holiday break serving the people of the Gulf Coast. With an experienced drywaller on their team the Maryland group finished the drywall on a newly constructed house. A demolition crew took down a condemned house, leaving just the plywood layer of floor, and salvaged wood from the house for the homeowners' use in rebuilding.



Two groups from Boston College - one from the Intersections program and another supported by UGBC, VLSC and Campus Ministry - followed the Maryland group to continue work on these projects. Part of the BC team continued working with Rebecca and David, homeowners of the newly constructed house, moving ahead with siding. BC volunteers finished the demolition job, salvaging the rest of the wood. Other projects including drywall, a neighborhood debris clean-up and interior and exterior painting were also tackled by BC.



Though most members of these three groups never even overlapped work days with the others, the collaborative effort of the three was inmense. It is estimated that these groups brought Rebecca and David months forward in the recovery process, since without the volunteers they forge along on their own in time off. Along with labor costs saved to the homeowner of the demolition job, thousands of dollars worth of lumber was salvaged for rebuilding.

Thank you all for your hard work!!

The Johnny Appleseed Project

Hurricane Katrina brought an enormous storm surge which killed 4 million acres of trees in Mississippi alone according to the USDA Forest Service. As we are removing those dead and harmful trees, Persevere is also initiating the Johnny Appleseed Project, a reforestation project helping revitalize this now very brown landscape. Two tree giveaways have been scheduled around this year’s local Mardi Gras parades.