WASHINGTON - April 27 - Gail Tucker is 54 years old, but says she now “realizes how little children feel when they say, “Mama, I wanna go home.’’

With the help of ACORN, Tucker has moved a little closer to returning home. On Wednesday, April 12th, ACORN’s Clean-out Demonstration Program gutted Tucker’s home at 5169 Venus St. in Gentilly. Her home is the 1,000th house ACORN has cleaned since launching the program in December for homes in the Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans East, Hollygrove/South Carollton, and Gentilly.

ACORN could not have reached this goal without an infusion of hundreds of teacher and student volunteers who have given up their spring breaks to come to New Orleans and help rebuild, including students from Cornell University and the Pratt Institute, two schools whose city planning and architecture experts are helping ACORN with comprehensive rebuilding plans for New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward. Student volunteers with the community organization Relief Sparks also helped ACORN preserve over three dozen homes in March.

“This program gives some hope to residents who want to come back to New Orleans to rebuild,’’ said Brian Lewis, ACORN field manager for the Clean-out program.

On Wednesday, teachers from the Syracuse New York Teachers Association removed debris, furniture and clothing from Tucker’s home. The teachers have been in New Orleans since Sunday cleaning homes through ACORN’s Clean-Out program.

“We saw a need and wanted to help,’’ said Jim Restin, who teaches at-risk children in the Syracuse City School District. “We saw all the great need and saw the great job ACORN was doing on the news, so we decided to come down to help.’’

Tucker, who is living in Baton Rogue with her son, a law student at LSU, said she is overwhelmed by the volunteer support. “I can’t believe there are so many volunteers,’’ Tucker said. “I’m extremely grateful for the effort ACORN has made. This is such a great help. I could not have had my house cleaned without the help of ACORN.’’

She’s waiting for the next hurricane season to pass before moving back into her home. “As I look around my neighborhood, I wonder where all my neighbors are.’’

###