Contributor Profile: Shawn Kelley

Shawn Kelley
Location: Rockford, IL / Covington, LA
Occupation: Graphic Designer turned Disaster Relief Coordinator
Houseblog: Our Home Renovation

Shawn and his wife have been in Louisiana for several months helping coordinate disaster relief teams that come from all over the country. They are looking forward to returning home in a few months to have their first child and continue working on their 1928 bungalow.

Shawn learned about tools and construction from his father, who chose to be a plumbers apprentice and an electricians apprentice "just for fun". Shawn loves woodworking and getting to see something that he created - especially when it actually works and turns out the way it's supposed to.

In November 2005, Shawn traveled to Louisiana with his wife for a week to help with cleanup and relief efforts in New Orleans. Realizing the extreme need in the area, they returned in December and have been there ever since. Their role is to coordinate teams each week, matching up skills with work that needs to be done. With an average of 75-100 people that come every week to help, since September their organization has provided over 100,000 volunteer manhours to the Greater New Orleans Community, helping more than 1400 families. The work is widely varied, though the majority is gutting of homes (including content removal) and repair (drywall, roofing, etc.).

Shawn is looking forward to writing for Toolspotting and sharing his experience and observations on tools that are used hard everyday, as well as gaining and passing on valuable insight and tool knowledge from the contractors that volunteer each week.

Posted by Shawn Kelley on March 20, 2006 10:49 AM | TrackBack |

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