Reflection: The Value of Volunteers at SBP
April 28, 2025By Mike SullivanSBP Director of Service Experience Volunteerism is at the heart of SBP—it’s how we began. Our progress is powered by people who care: from the more than 150,000 volunteers who’ve rolled up their sleeves across the country, to the 3,000+ AmeriCorps members who’ve committed nearly a year of their lives to serve, to …
Celebrating Youth Volunteers: National Volunteer Week 2025
April 25, 2025SBP believes that young people who step up to help transform their communities are heroes. They serve communities recovering from disasters, bringing not only tools and hands-on support, but also optimism, compassion, and grit. Every nail hammered, wall painted, and floor installed by our service volunteers is an act of generosity that helps bring families …
After Katrina, They Showed Up. Nearly 20 Years Later, They Still Are.
April 21, 2025Celebrating National Volunteer Week Klene Up Krewe volunteers and SBP staff working on a rebuild site in New Orleans in 2022 On the fifth anniversary of 9/11, a small group of volunteers from northern New Jersey felt a deep pull toward New Orleans, a city still reeling a year after Hurricane Katrina. Just as thousands …
Giving Back, Together: Volunteer Service is a Family Affair
November 22, 2024For Lolo Pendergrast, a retired teacher from Charlotte, North Carolina, Thanksgiving marks nearly two decades of giving back to communities in need through volunteer work with SBP. Her journey began after Hurricane Katrina and has become a personal tradition of service, skill-building, and purpose. In the fall of 2005, like many people across the country, …
One Month After Helene: Sources of Solace
October 31, 2024In Hurricane Helene’s wake, one survivor has found a way to transform destruction into art. Debra Bakeman of Tampa, Florida, draws inspiration from the ocean to create glass sculptures, freshwater pearl and crystal jewelry, and paintings. She frequently donates or sells her art to support the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home to the dolphins and jellyfish …
Two Hurricanes, One Warning: System Failures Demand Immediate Investment in Change
October 7, 2024Resident Anne Schneider, right, hugs her friend Eddy Sampson as they survey damage left in the wake of Hurricane Helene, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Marshall, N.C. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) By: Elizabeth Wright, SBP Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (NEW ORLEANS) Oct. 7, 2024—In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact — and with Hurricane …