NEW ORLEANS (press release) – New Orleans Mission, the largest faith-based private service provider for homeless individuals in the Greater New Orleans area, has just received a massive donation that will keep dozens of homeless individuals off the streets during the day. Yesterday, Warren Davie, President of Davie Shoring, donated and is transporting five modular cement buildings to the New Orleans Mission’s main campus on Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. The buildings, which total approximately 4,500 square feet, will soon function as a day room where homeless individuals can seek shelter during the day.
“Right now, many homeless individuals are camping out under the bridges during the day because our main campus can only accommodate overnight guests between the hours of 4PM and 8AM. These people have nowhere to go, no resources, and no access to bathrooms, so the conditions are extremely unsanitary and unsafe. This day room expansion is a huge blessing for them and for our community as a whole,” says New Orleans Mission Executive Director David Bottner.
The space will be able to house up to 75 daytime guests. It will include living space, men’s and women’s restrooms, a computer lab and workout equipment. Individuals are not required to be a part of the Mission’s year-long recovery program to utilize the space.
“Our ultimate goal is that these individuals will spend more time with us and say ‘Why am I not a part of this long-term?’ Our hope is that we can transition many of them into one of our work programs or our recovery program so that they aren’t wasting away hopeless on the streets. We will give them hope for a better future,” says Bottner.
Bottner says he anticipates that the day room will open in just a few weeks, but that depends on how quickly the space can be completed. The New Orleans Mission is currently seeking donations of electrical and plumbing infrastructure to finish the project. The organization is also in need of furnishings, workout equipment and computers for the space. Individuals or companies who are interested in contributing to the project are encouraged to email David@neworleansmission.org or call (504) 523-2116.
