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From the Ashes of
Katrina
By Sister Joyce
Marie Hanks, MSC
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When the Marianites of Holy Cross returned to New
Orleans after months of evacuation due to Hurricane Katrina,
everything was gray and lifeless, like ashes. Death and dying
were everywhere. |
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As we picked up the pieces of our own lives and tried to
restore what we could of our own property, we were aware
of the many people who were struggling to restore normalcy
to their lives and make ends meet. As an initial response,
we established a fund to help others with rent, utility
bills, medicine and other necessities. But we |
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This
youth group from the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio were among
the volunteers who made the dream of home ownership a reality
for the Everage family. |
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knew these were only temporary aids. Last year, an
opportunity appeared for us to do something much more
lasting.
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Marianite Sister Beth Mouch, director of St. Jude
Community Center, put us in touch with Father Ed Brienz, a
priest from the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio. In the years since
Katrina, Father Ed has coordinated volunteers from Youngstown on
numerous rebuilding projects in the New Orleans area. This time
he was looking for a project that volunteers could work on from
start to finish. His diocese would provide the labor and a
contractor, but they needed someone who could provide the house,
the tools, materials and other necessities. And he wanted to
work with a family he could get to know.
We immediately thought of Lisa Everage, who had worked
for us as a housekeeper for many years. Lisa and her family had
been evacuated by the National Guard following Katrina and
eventually found themselves in Texas with little more than the
clothes on their backs. They were environmental refugees. The
disaster had not only devastated their home; it had turned their
entire lives upside down.
It wasn’t until 2008 that Lisa and her family were able
to return to New Orleans to try to begin again. Lisa resumed her housekeeping work
with us, and was able to
rent
an apartment and get the children in school again, but she often
shared with us how difficult it was to start over.
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Sisters
Joyce M. Hanks and Beth Mouch review the rehab supply list.
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That’s when we approached her with a proposal: “Lisa,
instead of paying rent every month, why not put the money toward
owning a home of your own?” We explained
that the Marianites could buy a home damaged by the hurricane that
would then be
rehabilitated
by the Youngstown volunteers.
St. Jude Community Center would provide the tools and
housing for the
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volunteers, and we would provide an interest-free loan
to take care of the rest.
Delighted, she agreed and the plan went into action. We
Marianites purchased one of the gutted houses not far from our
Holy Angels Complex,
supplied the materials, and took care of the legal work. St. Jude
Community Center bought the tools and housed the 250 volunteers
who came in rotating platoons under the direction of contractor
John Pitzulo. Within six weeks the house was completely restored,
using environmentally friendly materials and Energy Star products.
At the house blessing, Lisa managed only a couple of
words before being overcome by tears: “This means a whole
lot…it’s a dream come true for me. Now I have something I can
pass on to my kids.”
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RIGHT:
Lisa sheds tears at the blessing of her family’s new
home.
BELOW:
Lisa's children, Brittney and Kelly.
Photo by Peter Finney Jr. The
Clarion Herald, September 12, 2009. Used with permission.
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Perspectives Online is published by the Holy Cross
International Justice Office, www.holycrossjustice.org. |
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