CWS Grant at Work in Storm-Ravaged Gulf Coast

by Matt Hackworth, Church World Service

Poplarville, Mississippi - Thelma Henry wished she could have baked one of her trademark pies for the men working on her storm-damaged home -- but there were problems in her kitchen.

"Things just slid right off the stove because the floor was slanted down," the elderly widow said of her home's pronounced tilt. "I was worried if another storm or strong wind came along, I still could have lost my house."

Hurricane Katrina's ferocious winds pushed her home off its foundation, making only a single doorway barely accessible. Extensive roof damage from the storm sluiced rain into her kitchen, in defiance of the blue emergency tarp emblazoned with the word "FEMA."

Henry fought the rain indoors as her home teetered precariously on its piers, all the while trying to figure out how she could get things repaired. A $10,000 insurance deductible put storm repairs out of reach on Henry's retiree income, and federal coffers ran dry just after Henry's petition for assistance was approved.

Henry's worries ended on a warm February day, when a contractor pulled a red pickup truck into her gravel driveway with supplies and a crew to re-level her ranch style home in Poplarville, MS, at no cost to her. Another crew will replace the blue emergency tarp federal contractors installed after the storm with a new roof free of charge to Henry. Such blue tarps are ubiquitous along Hurricane Katrina's and Rita's paths, but they are slowly disappearing. Church World Service, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International, is working to repair homes of low- and restricted- income families that received little or no help from insurance claims or the federal government.

"Many of these families have been living in temporary trailers or even tents since Hurricane Katrina," said CWS grant administrator Bonnie Vollmering. "Major repairs and a lack of financial means are keeping these people out of their homes."

CWS has long supported and facilitated long-term recovery groups across the United States, enabling community members to identify and implement assistance following disasters. In the Gulf region, as these organizations select families who might need help, they can apply for a $7,500 CWS grant to pay for repairs or purchase materials. Ultimately, 500 homes should be repaired or rebuilt by the grant.

A CWS grant paid for new kitchen cabinets and fixtures in Paul Sandifer's home near Columbia, MS. After Hurricane Katrina pushed a big-top pine tree over onto his mobile home, Sandifer's dwelling caught fire. Left without a place to live and only Social Security as income, Sandifer slept for two months on a concrete pad under a lean-to. Now he's days away from moving into a completely new home.

"This whole thing's a blessing," Sandifer says. "I've been under so much stress about this thing but I woke up one Monday, and help was here."

Sandifer cares for his disabled brother while trying to complete most of his home on his own. A maroon van brings volunteer labor from the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) to help.

"There are so many people out there who still need help," he said.