Inspired by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Dave Skoblar and Pat Tirri started Project195 to be part of the solution
Where does inspiration come from? For Dave Skoblar and friend Pat Tirri, the idea for their organization was born at a humble kitchen table in Oakland, N.J., in 2008.
Project195 is an action-based eco/humanitarian nonprofit. It was named for the 195 countries recognized by the United Nations, to emphasize the point that all countries can have access to the organization’s aid, whether environmental or humanitarian.
While Dave and Pat first gave the idea for Project195 serious thought in Dave’s kitchen, the bold decision was the next logical step in a process that had began three years earlier, in the terrible wake of Hurricane Katrina. Dave and Pat watched with the rest of the nation as the waters rose and lives were destroyed. Moved by the images of devastation and overwhelming misery, they felt compelled to act.
And they did. Since its inception, Project195 and its volunteers have led several trips to the greater New Orleans area to assist in Katrina restoration, and have helped rebuild four homes and one church there so far. They represent a growing trend of small, effective, independent organizations springing out of the grassroots to meet community disaster relief needs....
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