While business and tourism thrive in the French Quarter, where damage from Hurricane Katrina is nearly invisible, the Ninth Ward and other less affluent neighborhoods are still like ghost towns. Many houses still lie abandoned or demolished. Some show signs of renovation cut short.

Guided by two Habitat supervisors, the students and adults arrived to find a cinder block foundation at the property at 2573 N. Tonti Street and to receive instructions on safety and building (mostly hammering) skills. They moved, evaluated, measured and organized two truckloads of lumber to the back yard of the property and shovelled a cubic yard of sandy soil to fill in the gaps in the foundation.  

The volunteers spent their nights recovering from their labors by bonding with card and board games at a nearby mission, learning details from locals about Katrina's affect on the broader New Orleans community, and more motivated to do the best job while on the work site the next day. One night, as an added treat, the group attended a Hornets basketball game.