Longer Hours!

Its Official, with the near full onset of spring, the HandsOn New Orleans Tool Lending Library has extended its hours (and based on how busy it was this morning, the word is already out).  Here are the new hours, which offer you more reason to stop on by!

Monday-Thursday
8am-6pm
Friday
12 noon-5pm
Saturday
10am-2pm

and of course you can always make an appointment for other times

We hope that this improves the TLL for the best and look forward to seeing you soon,

Tool Lending Library Team

Small Engine Maintenance Workshop at the Green Project

Hello All,

Just a reminder that this Saturday starting 10am at the Green Project (located at 2831 Marais St, NOLA 70117) HandsOn's very own Ford Brewster will be leading a workshop on Small Engine Maintenance.  The Workshop, part of the Green Projectivities Series will include a presentation that will cover the basics of how small engines work along with how to amelioration some common and simple problems.  There will also be an opportunity to have some hands on experience with a select number of small engines.  Bring your questions and be ready to learn!

The workshop comes just in time for the spring season as we start to take out all of our outdoor power equipment, and it will help to make sure you are using the power equipment that we lend appropriately.

The Cost is $5 to the general public and it is free to members of the Green Project.

Spread the word and hope to see you there,
Tool Lending Library Team

PS- our phones are still not working properly and we are definitely missing some messages that people are leaving, we thank you for your patience as we try to sort this out

NOLA Energy Survey

The City of New Orleans needs your help!  There is a push occurring to try and make New Orleans a greener city, with greener neighborhoods. There will be several programs coming on-line in the coming months and years that will help homeowners retrofit their homes through rebate programs and affordable financing option.

Want to Help?   

By filling out a brief online survey (located at:http://nolaenergysurvey.com/) you will be helping the city of New Orleans understand your household energy profile.This information will help create programs that meet the city's need most effectively, which will in turn lead to a greener New Orleans. 

To learn more about the the City of New Orleans' efforts in energy efficiency and renewable energy, please visit: http://www.nola.gov/RESIDENTS/GreeNOLASite/GreeNOLA/

Feeling Generous?

Hello everyone,

Are you in a giving mood?  Well we just updated our Amazon Wish List and it is chock full of goodies ranging in prices from about $10 to $800.  Find everything here.  We will be updating it regularly.  As you probably already know we are a small non-profit and operate on a very small budget, if you can find it your heart to get us any of the things listed there, it would help us immensely.  Also if you have any tools at home you are not using anymore or tools that might need a small fix to work, feel free to donate them.  And remember, all donations are tax-deductible.

Also, we recently created a staff page where you can learn more about Ford and Patrick our tool lending library coordinators.

Look forward to seeing everyone soon

Tool Lending Library Team

New Billboard at the TLL!

We have a new sign!

Thanks to the efforts of numerous visiting volunteers and our recent influx of astounding AmeriCorps NCCC members, we now have a Tool Lending Library billboard on the side of our building. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to volunteering.

Sincerely,
The HandsOn New Orleans Team

The DIY Energy Auditing Kit Now Available!

Dear Members,

The DIY Energy Auditing Kit is now available to be checked out!

The DIY Energy Auditing Kit is designed to give homeowners and renters the ability to conduct a novice home energy audit that will enable them to make informed decisions about energy-efficiency upgrades. We hope to empower the citizens of Greater New Orleans with the ability to grow sustainably.

This opportunity was made possible through the Market Umbrella's generous Crescent Fund in May of 2010.
HandsOn New Orleans collaborated with Village Green of the New Orleans Public Library to develop a modest energy auditing kit.  Users can take there results to local green experts who can make qualified decisions on the next stage of greening.

Thank you to all who helped and please feel free to ask about the kit!

Sustainable wishes,
-Marc P Santos, AmeriCorps 2009-2010

Be Prepared for Hurricane Season/ Check Up w/ Local Forcasts

Be Prepared for Hurricane Season 2010

Get prepared for this year's hurricane season.  Take a look at this helpful information packet online or stop in for copy!

Click here to download the packet!

 Check Up with Local Forcasts

Remember to check the local weather reports and pay attention to weather warnings on TV and the radio.  Click here to find weather forcasts for New Orleans at Weather.com.

Stay safe!
-From the TLL Family

Hizah! The phones work again!

Hey members

The phones are alive!  Our system is back up and running so feel free to give us a call at 504-483-7041 Ext. 105.  Sorry for any inconvenience this dilemma may have caused and we plan to respond to all voice messages within the day.

Cheers,
Marc

Phones out at the TLL

Hey Members and Friends,

The phones are out at the Tool Lending Library!  Sorry for the inconvenience this may cause.  Our internet is still working so feel free to email requests at: tools@handsonneworleans.org

Cheers and I hope to have good news about the phones soon,
Marc

HandsOn News Letter Update: Spring 2010

This Spring, the HandsOn Tool Lending Library is embarking on its second year running. Community leaders and non-profits are spreading the word with great results! We are constantly improving the program and expanding our impact as a community resource.

By utilizing the Tool Lending Library (TLL), New Orleanians are saving over $10,000 a month on average and our stock of tools are seeing more action across the city. Since January of 2010, membership has increased by over 33%. Although small policy changes occur, members still have the opportunity to borrow tools a week at a time for $10/month.

Your are welcome you to look through our blog where we include frequent updates on our program activities as well as those of our members. We also offer construction plans with instructions for free and welcome anyone to take advantage. You can find archived newsletters following this link here.

Thank You Voters: We Won!

Hello TLL Friends,

We are one of the top three winners in the Crescent Fund! Nearly 900 ballots were cast so the competetion wasn't an easy one. Thanks for all your help!

Over the course of the next week, we will be refining our shopping list for the DIY Energy Auditing Kit. We hope to provide members with a user-friendly kit that will make energy savings a 1-2-3 process. No kit would be complete without some instruction and hopefully some coordination with fellow green-minded non-profits in the area.

Stay tuned for more development on our DIY Energy Audit Kit as well as tabling events at your local New Orleans Farmers Markets!

Cheers,
Marc

Vote for us in the Crescent Fund!

Hello Members!

Help vote for us here as we push forward with an opportunity to develop a DIY Energy Auditing Kit.

The shoppers of the Crescent City Farmer's Market graces three lucky organizations with the chance to gain up to $500 in funding for a program in return for time, talent, or treasure. This is made possible through there Crescent Fund which you can learn about by clicking here.

The DIY Energy Auditing Kit Proposal

Our Tool Lending Library has proposed to develop a simple, user friendly, Do-It-Yourself Energy Auditing Kit. Included in the kit will be simple tools that your everyday homeowner or renter can use to save energy and money. With the help of some local, experienced organizations, we would provide step-by-step instruction both in print and online.

View some of the proposed tools the kit will include here:

...In Return

The Crescent Fund is a "cash infusion", meaning that the Tool Lending Library must return the fund through time, talent, or treasure. In return for receiving the fund, the HandsOn New Orleans Tool Lending Library promises to give back 5 one-year memberships at 50% off the normal cost, 4-5 picnic tables and/or benches totalling at a $250 value, and a free workshop at the Tuesday Market on one of the following tasks:

• constructing a backed bench
• constructing a picnic table
• erecting a compost bin
• building a chicken coop
• or building a garden box

Thanks everyone, and don't forget to tell your friends to vote here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FHPLTYJ

Cheers,
Marc

Exciting news in Gentilly: HONO Day 2010, Jericho Road Community Garden/Clean Up Day

Two great projects in Gentilly this past weekend:

HandsOn New Orleans Day 2010

and

Jericho Road's Community Garden/Clean Up Day

HandsOn New Orleans Day 2010 was a celebration of our organization's 4th anniversary! Over 200 local and visiting volunteers helped to clean up Gentilly's very own Indian Village on March 20th. Teams of hard workers, from high school students to parents, utilized our TLL's cache of gloves, shovels, rakes, weedwackers, and hand tools to clear street debris and cut down overgrowth. In a matter of hours, the community had seen a great transformation and the celebration of genrously donated food, Mardi Gras Indian spectacles, and top volunteer recognition awards had begun.

Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative held a Community Garden/Clean Up Day in Gentilly the following Sunday where a number of volunteers beautified a section of the neighborhood and overhauled the site of an impressive community garden plot. Rachel of Jericho Road and her equally enthusiastic accomplace, Tammy, returned their tools with great stories of accomplishment. You can view their photo album on Facebook here and catch the visual storyline of what you can imagine was a monster-sized project. We're glad such individuals and organizations have this much motivation to see their projects to the end!

Do you have pictures of the house you are working on or the community site your friends fixed up? The HONO Tool Lending Library would love to share your story as a member of our Greater New Orleans community so that others can be inspired. Feel free to contact us with your pictures and stories via email or in person.

Cheers,
Marc

Thank you GNODRP for your wonderful donation!

We would like to extend a big thank you to Jeff, Asa and the great staff at GNODRP for the wonderful donation of tools ya'll presented to us earlier this month!  Dozens of tools were marked for community use like pruning shears, shopvacs, tile cutters, weedwackers, and many more useful goodies.

 For those of you who don't know, GNODRP stands for Greater New Orleans Disaster Relief Partnership.  It is a name that embodies their intrinsic value as a positive force in supporting our region's recovery and future disaster preparedness.  For more information, visit their website at www.gnodrp.org.

Donations like these help us keep our expansive tool inventory stocked and ready to serve community needs.  We are always willing to accept tool donations of new, used, or easily repairable tools.  Just contact us here at tools@handsonneworleans.org for any questions or comments.

Thanks again ya'll, I have plenty more updates to bring to light in the upcoming days so stay tuned!
-Marc

Promotion at the Gentilly Civic Improvement Association this Saturday

Exciting news coming up as we start to spread the word about the Tool Lending Library to local neighborhood associatioons. First on our list of stops is the Gentilly Civic Improvement Association Meeting happening this weekend.

There, I will be standing alongside Audrey Cropp, another HandsOn Staff Member pictured here to give a brief introduction to the Tool Lending Library as well as our Volunteer Leader Program. After the meeting, we will be able to answer any questions and register new members on-site!

After that, I will be dropping off a small stack of one-pagers to The Green Project in the St. Claude Neighborhood.

If you would like to help spread the word or are interested in having us come visit your local neighborhood meeting or other event, feel free to contact us at tools@handsonneworleans.org or by phone at 504-483-7041 Ext. 105.

-Marc

Tool Lending Library Quick Facts

Who?
HandsOn New Orleans, a HandsOn Network affiliate and local volunteer resource center, inspires and motivates people to meet critical community needs by encouraging active citizenship through meaningful service. Since our inception in 2006, HandsOn New Orleans has provided local and visiting volunteers with the tools, housing and training necessary to strengthen and rebuild the New Orleans community.

What?
The HandsOn New Orleans Tool Lending Library is one of the first official tool lending libraries in the city of New Orleans. The library consists of more than 4800 tools that New Orleans residents, non-profits and volunteers can utilize to repair homes, plant trees, beautify area schools and parks, and more.

Where?
The Tool Lending Library is located at 1204 South White Street in Central City.

When?
The Tool Lending Library is open Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday by appointment, and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (or by appointment).

How much?
For $10 a month or $100 a year, members may check-out tools for landscaping, painting, construction projects, neighborhood clean-ups and more. Members must present a valid, government issued photo ID and proof of address in the Greater New Orleans area when registering.

Need more information?
For more information regarding the HandsOn New Orleans Tool Lending Library, call (504) 483-7041 extension 105 or e-mail tools@handsonneworleans.org.

We have updated our wish list!

Thank you so much to everyone who has been offering to donate to the Tool Lending Library. We love seeing our tools being put to good use throughout the city! Sometimes that means excessive wear and tear that needs safe repair or replacement. We wouldn't be able to continue functioning without these regular generous donations.

We now have a Tool Lending Library Wish List for all to see. Tools specified are preferred makes and models but any help is warmly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for you considerations, and have a happy and safe Mardi Gras!