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 Kingsley House
  
With the help of CWLA's Katrina Kids funds, Kingsley House is fortifying its campus to withstand the furies of hurricanes to come.
Using an $80,000 gift from CWLA, Kingsley House is embarking on deferred maintenance projects throughout the 63,000 square feet of space it maintains in downtown New Orleans. These projects include exterior painting projects, replacing and sealing parapets, replacing doors and inadequate security devices, repairing air conditioning elements, inspecting water drainage, ensuring the campus architectural elements meet historic district requirements, and hiring a project manager to guide the deferred maintenance work.
Executive Director Keith Leiderman says his organization, which has been serving children and families in New Orleans for 110 years, is grateful to receive the funds from CWLA because facility repair monies are hard to come by.
"There are so few funders who recognize that, even with good insurance coverage and some FEMA assistance, there is additional work that neither of those entities will cover that must be done to mitigate future storm-related damages," Leiderman says. "CWLA's foresightedness is helping us to do exactly that."
Kingsley House sustained more than $1.5 million in damage to its historic facility due to Hurricane Katrina. Nine of their 11 historic buildings sustained minor to significant damage. All of the losses were due to wind or water entering the facility through damaged roofing, dormers, windows, and doors.
All Kingsley House staff were temporarily displaced following the storm and today, about 30% of essential staff have been retained to assist the agency's recovery activities.
Leiderman is crossing his fingers that another hurricane doesn't blow through New Orleans this year before Kingsley House has completed all of its repairs, but he notes that, at the very least, "CWLA's support has brought us the flexibility we need to manage the process well."
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