This should be obvious to everyone, but the recovery and rebuilding of New Orleans is a volunteer based one. Manyof us started with the thought that we can do it ourselves. We can gut and repair and rebuild our homes with no-one's help. We will deal with FEMA and SBA and LRA on our own. We will do this alone.

And then we realize we can't do it alone. No one can do what we have done and what we must do alone. We do need help. We do need understanding. We do need volunteers.

Today the news media will be covering our recovery and each station and newspaper and network will likely include one token 'volunteer hero' story, but that isn't enough. The real story is the volunteer movement. Katrina has done what even 9-11-01 couldn't do. This disaster has galvanized the country and helped bring about the return of true social activism on a national scale. Our mass apathy has been slowly eating away at our country and now armies of volunteers are giving up their time, their Spring Breaks, their vacations, their money, their sweat and their tears to help rebuild a region that is a much a part of this country as any other.

We will see a domestic issue of major importance discussed in national debates during the Presidential election. A state in the south with only a small number of votes has been moved into the forefront thanks to a national of volunteers and a national anger at an event that is almost a national disgrace.

New Orleans hasn't started recovering alone (and yes we are recovering slowly but surely). We are recovering on the backs of volunteers and we thank you and promise to do the same for you.