March 19, 2009
by Bethany Furkin

A volunteer working on the floor of a home damaged by Katrina. LACOMBE, LA – Rosena Johnson's home is set back from the road and is surrounded by plenty of land. The one-story house has been in her family for decades, built by her mother week by week.

But when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, and hurricanes Gustav and Ike followed in 2008, the house that had been home was badly damaged.

Johnson tried to get assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but got tied up in bureaucratic red tape. The necessary paperwork was incorrect and misplaced – the titles for her home and one owned by her father in another town had somehow been mixed up, and Johnson's name was misspelled on another document.

Because she is on a fixed income, Johnson couldn't afford to hire a lawyer who would help her sort through the confusion.

This kind of disorganization and frustration can cause people to give up, said Jean Marie Peacock, associate presbyter for congregational development and disaster recovery with the Presbytery of South Louisiana (PSL). After facing so many obstacles and getting the runaround time after time, storm victims – Peacock herself included – begin to lose hope.

"After eight months, I was reduced to tears, saying, ‘Help me, help me, help me,'" Peacock said.

Finally, Johnson's niece got her in touch with Catholic Charities USA, which does case management work for homeowners. That organization referred her to Presbyterian Community Outreach (PCO) in Slidell, LA.

PCO is a member of Northshore Disaster Recovery Inc., a group of agencies dedicated to people affected by Hurricane Katrina who were uninsured or underinsured and whose needs will not be met by other relief organizations like FEMA or the Red Cross. PCO's work is funded by a variety of sources, including grants, donations and homeowner insurance.

The group has worked on about 100 houses, averaging about 12 full rebuilds and six to 10 partial rebuilds or small projects a year.

Because construction coordinator Kevin Krejci has a background in working on trailers, PCO can also do repairs on them – a service that other organizations cannot offer.

"I'm pretty proud of the products we give to these families when we're finished," he said, adding that PCO tries to work on homes within a 40-minute drive of Slidell.

Volunteers who sign up with PCO can stay at the PCO Center, which can house 80 people at a time. The center is funded through donations and money from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and PSL.

PCO volunteers are now working on repairing Johnson's badly damaged roof. Last week, students from Owens Community College in northwest Ohio, were at Johnson's house working on the roof repairs. The money is coming from PDA's "unmet needs" fund, which PCO has access to.

Johnson has had her share of disappointment. After the hurricanes, she had a heart attack and was away from the house recuperating. While she was gone, people broke into her home and stole several antiques and heirlooms. They also shot at her house, using it for target practice. Bullet holes still pock the walls.

But despite her troubles, Johnson said she still has hope.

"Trust in God" is what gets her through, she said. "There's somebody doing worse than me. I'm blessed to wake up each morning."

Johnson is thankful for the work done by PDA volunteers and plans to donate what she can once she's back on her feet. For now, she feeds the volunteers lunch, which on March 10 consisted of true Cajun cuisine – rice and beans and pigtail gumbo.

Presbyterian News Service