Update - Rebuilding Efforts in New Orleans

During the week of October 13 thru 17, a group of Pohick volunteers donned their construction belts and made a fifth trip to New Orleans to assist the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana with their rebuilding efforts. To date, the Office of Disaster Recovery reports the following Ministry by the numbers:

            • Houses Gutted: 883 houses gutted, $6,000 value per house
            • Houses Refurbished: 43 houses, $150,000 value per house
            • Case Management: 1,337 persons or families
            • Feeding: 83,090 meals
            • St. Anna’s Mobile Medical Unit: 9,499 people cared for
            • Homecoming Centers: 42,388 persons or families
            • Community Organizing: 5,238 people involved
            • Volunteers housed and coordinated: 7,271 volunteers

            Below is a letter from one of the homeowners who has been served by this effort and who wanted her letter to be shared.

My Doors Are Always Open

            This letter is in appreciation for the help that you gave to help repair my home in New Orleans, Louisiana. To the Bishop and his Christian family; all the young people for their hard work, the endless hours of work; and to the many generous donations of supplies to repair and rebuild my home - I want to say, “Thank you all.

            Hurricane Katrina changed my life in ways I never thought was possible. After a lot of travel, sleeping on floors, not knowing where I would end up, I have always been able to find a job and take care of myself.  But the past two years, I was not even able to do that.  I could only remember there was a God and that He would not forsake me. I have had hard times when I was raising my children as a single mother, but Katrina was something altogether different.  I have never felt so lost in my entire life.

            But God had a ram in the bush, and it woke me, filled me up, and I had to hold on to his words. In Hebrew 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and he is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  I repeated this every day. Some of my family thought I was losing my mind when I would say, God said not to worry, he is in control. I knew He would send someone to help me. I just didn’t know it would be such an army.

            I can’t begin to thank you for allowing God to use you to help me. Because of you angels, I am home where I can rest. I don’t have to worry about being on the streets, and my home is more beautiful than it was before Katrina.

         To all those who have helped support any and all of the mission trips, Iowa, New Orleans, Savannah,  the support is so deeply appreciated!