A Super Bowl title in 2010 was taken as a sign of resurgence for the City of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. But almost two years following their Super Bowl triumph, a group of Saints teammates is still working off the field to turn hope into reality for New Orleans-area families.

For the second year in a row, Saints safety Roman Harper and former Saints player Darren Sharper have teamed up with United Way of Southeast Louisiana to support its NO Place Like Home project and Harper’s Hope for the Holidays campaign, which launched last year with the rebuilding of two New Orleans-area homes for families displaced by the hurricane.
Joining the project this year are Saints players Malcolm Jenkins, Jahri Evans and Lance Moore, who are helping to rebuild three new homes in time for the holidays.
Harper, a Saints’ second-round pick in 2006, arrived in New Orleans less than a year after the catastrophe left thousands of local residents homeless. He says, “I’ve seen this city grow in the few years I’ve been here, but there’s still a long way to go. So many families are still displaced from their homes and struggling. They don’t have the money and other outlets to bounce back.”
Harper, a difference-maker on the Saints D, is making an even bigger impact in the community and on the lives of others. “I’m blessed to be able to give these families a better day, somewhere to sleep at night, and a place they can call home,” he says.
On Friday, Dec. 16, at the Westin Hotel in New Orleans, Harper and friends will host a “Hope for the Holidays Gala” to raise funds for the rebuilding project.
You can support the cause and give the gift of hope by texting HOME to UNITED (864833) to donate $10 to the campaign.
Learn more about the Hope for the Holidays campaign and Harper’s Hope 4*1 Foundation by visiting his website.
Photo:  gossiphat.com