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February 1, 2008
In January, 38 Coca-Cola Scholars from 20 states went to New
Orleans -- paying their own way -- to work on two Habitat for Humanity
homes. They worked in Musician's Village, a project started
by musicians Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis, which
is being built by volunteers with the New Orleans Area Habitat
for Humanity (NOAHH). In just 21 months, 70 homes have been
completed or are under construction. It was the Coca-Cola Scholar's
fourth trip to the Gulf Coast area since Hurricane Katrina.
The group united for seven days to help NOAHH work on two homes
under construction in the Musician's Village located in the
Upper Ninth Ward in New Orleans. Several Scholars in the group
were on repeat visits to the Gulf Coast, and Scholars came from
classes as far back as 1989.
The Scholars installed roof trusses, painted, installed windows,
hung drywall, and did plenty of hammering. Coca-Cola Enterprises
in Harahan supplied beverages to the volunteers all week, and
the group was hosted by Parkway Presbyterian Church in Metairie,
La.
The Musician's Village was created by Connick and Marsalis
to ensure that musicians return to New Orleans -- a city known
for its jazz, blues and other genres. For a family to qualify
to live in the Musician's Village, one family member must be
a musician. The village will have 72 single-family homes, with
the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music as the centerpiece. The
center will be dedicated to the education and development of
homeowners and others who live nearby. NOAHH also owns and is
building on 70 additional lots in the surrounding Upper Ninth
Ward area.
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