Looking Back at Our Trip to New Orleans

 

(L-R.) Mary Wahl & Cynthia painting, Bernie Wahl sawing trim boards)

Normalcy continues to return to the New Orleans area.  We just returned from our third rebuilding trip to the area since Katrina and are happy to say that, albeit slowly, residents are continuing to move back into their restored homes or building new ones.  Some areas, however, still show little improvement.  It will still be several years before life is back to normal for many.

(Cynthia's home next to the FEMA trailer)

This trip, after enjoying some fun Mardi Gras festivities, we worked for a 59 year old widow who now lives in a FEMA trailer with her 29 year old son and 6 year old granddaughter.  These living conditions are an improvement over living, for some time after Katrina, with 17 other people in a house with one bathroom.  Cynthia and her family would love to "go home."  Our desire was to help her get there as much as we could in the days we had available.  Her home, which was almost completely destroyed by Katrina floodwaters, has been in a state of restoration for some time.  Her contractor, who had completed the outside work and the basics inside, was murdered in October at another job site, thus bringing her construction to a standstill.  Cynthia had just given him $50,000 for supplies and now has to try to recoup that money.  She and her son both have some physical disabilities which prevent them from doing much of the remaining work themselves.

(L-R.) Bernie & Mary Wahl, Cynthia and son Chris)

(Trim painted and ready to install)

(Tayla (granddaughter) playing in unpainted living room)

We were able to prime and paint six rooms and do some of the trim work.  We also helped her order some of the materials she will need to get the house finished and clean up floors.  Sister Linda Songy and Sister Pam Hodgson bought them (from Holy Cross Sisters Hurricane Relief Funds) a kitchen stove, as well as gave them funding for some of their interior doors and flooring materials.  Cynthia was in tears at the graciousness of the Sisters and our assistance to provide her with a way to "go home" sooner.  We only wish we could have done more to speed up the process and we would love to be there when she can finally move back into her home.  We have no doubt it will be a joyous day!

A note of interest: Cynthia told us about her Blessed Virgin statue which she had in the house during the flooding.  The statue was not moved from its spot, harmed by the floating furniture or dirtied by the flood waters.  She said everything in the house was covered with a black flood silt but the statue remained clean.

(Cynthia and Bernie returning home with supplies)

* Bernie and Mary are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Marshfield, WI.  Bernie is a retired school teacher and Mary is a retired nurse/teacher.  Mary (Weinzatl) Wahl is a 1964 graduate of Our Lady of Holy Cross High School in Merrill, WI, which was operated by the Holy Cross Sisters. She entered the Holy Cross Convent and was a novice for about 15 months. The Wahl's currently reside on Palmetto Avenue in Marshfield, WI.  The Hurricane Relief Fund, started by the Holy Cross Sisters has raised over $41,000.  The money is distributed by Sister Linda Songy and Sister Pam Hodgson, who live in the New Orleans area.  Sister Linda is a chaplain at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women and Sister Pam is a teacher at St. Benedict the Moor School.

(Sister Pam Hodgson with her students at St. Benedict the Moor School, New Orleans)

(Bernie building shelves for St. Benedict the Moor School)

If you want to contribute to the fund, send to: Holy Cross Sisters, 1400 O'Day Street, Merrill, WI 54452. Mmake checks out to Holy Cross Sisters and note Hurricane Relief Fund.

(Cement slab ready for a home for a Grandpa and his grandchildren. Money from the Hurricane Relief Fund helped to make this project possible.)