RIMS Community Service Day focuses on rebuilding two catastrophe-affected neighbourhoods in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, La. – About 100 risk management professionals joined forces with the St. Bernard Project, a non-profit that provides critical resources for communities afflicted by natural disaster, on Apr. 26 to lend a hand in rebuilding two New Orleans neighbourhoods.

 The 14th Annual RIMS Community Service Day, sponsored by Zurich North America, will return to the city where it first began in 2007 following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, notes a statement from RIMS, the risk management society. Risk professionals gathered for the RIMS 2015 Annual Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans, being held April 26-29, spent the day building and painting new homes in Gentilly and New Orleans East.

RIMS reports that through the Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lab, SBP works to share lessons learned, prevent common barriers to recovery and help communities utilize SBP’s standardized, repeatable and proven-effective model.

Also sponsored by Zurich, a second Community Service Day project will be held Apr. 28 in the Exhibit Hall at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the site of RIMS 2015. This is the fourth consecutive year that Zurich has sponsored RIMS Community Service Day activities.

The second project will benefit Blessings in a Backpack, a local non-profit that provides elementary school children who are on the federal Free and Reduced Price Meal Program with a backpack of food to take home for 38 weekends during the school year. Risk professionals will lend their support by assembling backpacks that will then be donated to Educare to benefit students at local schools in the Bayou District, the RIMS statement adds.

“The Community Service Day tradition has become an amazing opportunity to repay our hosting cities for their hospitality,” says Mary Roth (pictured above), executive director of RIMS. “The people of New Orleans have taught the world a valuable lesson of determination and perseverance. The two charitable organizations selected have truly noble causes and we’re delighted to be able to support the local community,” Roth continues.

“Zurich is delighted to be sponsoring RIMS Community Service Projects again this year and thrilled to be working with two New Orleans-based charities with which we have long-standing relationships,” adds Dan Riordan (pictured right), Zurich CEO of Global Corporate in North America. “All of these efforts by RIMS attendees are key to helping build a resilient New Orleans.”

The RIMS Annual Conference & Exhibition attracts some 10,000 risk and insurance professionals and features 150-plus educational sessions, keynote presentations, special events and 400 exhibitors.