Spring Break In New Orleans

[Saphire]

I posted this on the Community Board, and would like to post here, too! There was a front page article (March 10) about my son's group of volunteers from Boston College in the Times-Picayune! He is dog tired with sore shoulders and back, but they were able to sheet-rock an entire home before the next volunteer group comes in to continue. The work is getting done in New Orleans and so much of the help comes from volunteers. They don't have enough housing for all the people who are willing to help! Anyway, it is a great article and a great work all these people are doing down there!

Link to Article


Here is a slideshow that was done by the photographer who did the newspaper photos. The lady at the end, Shirley Long, cheerfully cooks breakfast and dinner each day for 50 student volunteers. Amazing.

http://www.nola.com/photos/t-p/index.ssf?angels

 

[kmab00]

WOW!! That really is amazing! Thanks for sharing your video.

I am from Louisiana.....I live in Lake Charles where Hurricane Rita hit. We were hit hard, however, my Great Uncle and Aunt live in New Orleans.......they were hit even harder. Right around Thanksgiving time of 2006 is when they finally moved back into their home....we visited not long after. They were actually the first ones on their block to move back into their home. Others have FEMA trailers set up in their yards while their houses are undergoing repair. While the rest just haven't even returned. You walk out onto their side porch and all you see is the mangled insides of their neighbors house (they are really close together). Their neighborhood was under 9 feet of water. You can see water lines on all of the houses....it's so terrible. My Aunt and Uncle stayed in NO during the hurricane b/c she had emergency surgery the day before the storm hit. Their story made Newspapers and even made national TV news. Here it is:

Husband At Wife's Bedside At Last
By JULIE PACE
Published: Sep 7, 2005​

TAMPA Ruby and Lawson "Buddy" Francis spent every day of their 59-year marriage together until a week ago Tuesday, when the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina forced them apart.

While Katrina barreled down on New Orleans -- the city where they had spent their entire married life -- Buddy, 83, stayed by the side of his 85-year-old wife at Methodist Hospital, where she had recently been taken for a medical problem. By Tuesday, a day after the storm hit, the water around the hospital had risen eight feet, and rescue workers told Buddy he had to evacuate.

Despite his pleas, Buddy was told he had to leave the hospital but wasn't told where he was going. He was flown to a Red Cross shelter in Little Rock, Ark., and had no way to reach Ruby to tell her his whereabouts.

Ruby stayed at the hospital until Saturday, when she boarded a plane for the first time in her life and was evacuated to Tampa. She found a warm bed, food and medical care at University Community Hospital. But confused and alone, frail and tired from her trip, Ruby could only think about one thing.

"I didn't have Buddy," she said.

An Arkansas couple who had taken Buddy in from the shelter helped him find Ruby in Tampa. Tuesday evening, one week after they were separated, Buddy flew to Tampa to be reunited with his wife.

"Hey, my baby doll," said Buddy when he saw Ruby.

They shared a kiss and clutched hands, both silent at first. Then the stories -- and the tears -- started to flow. Buddy paused, remembering the pain of being separated from Ruby.

"It's like cutting your left arm off when you don't have your wife with you," Buddy said.

The couple lived in the same New Orleans home, just four blocks from Lake Pontchartrain, since the day they were married. A friend who is still in New Orleans told Buddy the house and the couple's car are underwater. But Tuesday, as the couple whispered to each other, the material loses seemed immaterial.

"We can replace the house and everything else, but you can't replace a woman like this," Buddy said.

The couple has three sons, one of whom is still in Louisiana. Their 28-year-old granddaughter, Monica Francis of Fort Lauderdale, found Ruby on Sunday and has been staying with her at the hospital ever since. The hospital has opened a room for Buddy down the hall from Ruby.

A relief fund has been set up for the couple, and donations can be made to the Family of Ruby Francis fund at Wachovia Bank branches nationwide.

In February, the couple will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. It's too soon to know where they'll be living then. For now, being together is the only thing that matters.

"He's right next to me, and that's where he's going to stay," Ruby said.



I used to have a link to their video....it was on ABC Action news but it seems that the video is no longer in their archives.

I'm very glad to see that this board is here.

 

[Jeanny]

18 students from my school also went down to New Orleans on Saturday morning for spring break. There were 45 students who applied, but only 18 spots... they're hoping for more next year.

 

[zipuzee]

I want to say thank you for volunteering in our fair city. If it wasn't for you guys, this city would be even further away from recovery. As someone who personally benefited from volunteers like ya'll, saying thanks just doesn't seem to be enough.

 

[annegal]

Husband At Wife's Bedside At Last
By JULIE PACE
Published: Sep 7, 2005​

TAMPA Ruby and Lawson "Buddy" Francis spent every day of their 59-year marriage together until a week ago Tuesday, when the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina forced them apart.

While Katrina barreled down on New Orleans -- the city where they had spent their entire married life -- Buddy, 83, stayed by the side of his 85-year-old wife at Methodist Hospital, where she had recently been taken for a medical problem. By Tuesday, a day after the storm hit, the water around the hospital had risen eight feet, and rescue workers told Buddy he had to evacuate.

Despite his pleas, Buddy was told he had to leave the hospital but wasn't told where he was going. He was flown to a Red Cross shelter in Little Rock, Ark., and had no way to reach Ruby to tell her his whereabouts.

Ruby stayed at the hospital until Saturday, when she boarded a plane for the first time in her life and was evacuated to Tampa. She found a warm bed, food and medical care at University Community Hospital. But confused and alone, frail and tired from her trip, Ruby could only think about one thing.

"I didn't have Buddy," she said.

An Arkansas couple who had taken Buddy in from the shelter helped him find Ruby in Tampa. Tuesday evening, one week after they were separated, Buddy flew to Tampa to be reunited with his wife.

"Hey, my baby doll," said Buddy when he saw Ruby.

They shared a kiss and clutched hands, both silent at first. Then the stories -- and the tears -- started to flow. Buddy paused, remembering the pain of being separated from Ruby.

"It's like cutting your left arm off when you don't have your wife with you," Buddy said.

The couple lived in the same New Orleans home, just four blocks from Lake Pontchartrain, since the day they were married. A friend who is still in New Orleans told Buddy the house and the couple's car are underwater. But Tuesday, as the couple whispered to each other, the material loses seemed immaterial.

"We can replace the house and everything else, but you can't replace a woman like this," Buddy said.

The couple has three sons, one of whom is still in Louisiana. Their 28-year-old granddaughter, Monica Francis of Fort Lauderdale, found Ruby on Sunday and has been staying with her at the hospital ever since. The hospital has opened a room for Buddy down the hall from Ruby.

A relief fund has been set up for the couple, and donations can be made to the Family of Ruby Francis fund at Wachovia Bank branches nationwide.

In February, the couple will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. It's too soon to know where they'll be living then. For now, being together is the only thing that matters.

"He's right next to me, and that's where he's going to stay," Ruby said.

Awww....that is so touching.Glad they are back at home. Many are not so lucky

 

[Villain Dude]

I want to say thank you for volunteering in our fair city. If it wasn't for you guys, this city would be even further away from recovery. As someone who personally benefited from volunteers like ya'll, saying thanks just doesn't seem to be enough.

I agree completely... Thanks to so many who have come on their own and help this beautiful recover. May God bless you all.

-Chuck