Recruiters and Saints help rebuild in New Orleans Published May 18, 2009 By Staff Sgt. Adrian Bray 331st Recruiting Squadron NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Recruiters from the 331st Recruiting Squadron teamed up with the New Orleans Saints recently to help build a house in Musicians' Village, located in the Lower 9th Ward. The volunteer project was was led by the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity in conjunction with entertainers Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis. New Orleans recruiters Tech. Sgt. Laterance Dyson, Staff Sgts. Perry Morlando and Valerie Noel, and several Air Force delayed entry program members worked alongside Saints players Usama Young, Buck Ortega, Chris Reis, Tim Duckworth, Leigh Torrence, and Saints Team Ambassador Michael Lewis. The crew assembled inner wall frames and set them in place according to the floor plan. Recruiters felt their work made an impact on the community. "I had a great time doing Habitat for Humanity because we're making a difference in people lives," Sergeant Dyson said. "The site manager told us how this was helping people who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Even though I felt proud of what I was doing that day I also felt sympathy for the residents of the community. It's been almost four years and a lot of people are still trying to get back on track. I feel like our presence not only helped put a roof over their head but it helped uplift their spirits with hope and faith." When finished, Musicians' Village will include 72 single-family homes and five elder-friendly duplexes, built specifically for older musicians. The village will also have its own music center, the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, as its centerpiece. It will be dedicated to the education and development of the next generation of New Orleans music enthusiasts and the preservation of the city's unique musical heritage, according to Habitat for Humanity.