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And the work goes on………
 
January 2008 March 2008
We are fast approaching 21/2 years since Katrina hit the
Gulf
Coast , and while much progress has been made, there is still a lot to be done. There are thousands still in FEMA trailers. While the numbers look like a great reduction since the last posted numbers, they do not take into account the families who have now moved in to MEMA cottages. A nice step up, for some from a FEMA trailer, but we have to realize that the MEMA cottages too, are temporary. Eighteen months from the time they are set on a property, they must be returned. This means that those families who have received them have 18 months, or less, depending on when they received the cottage, to rebuild their homes.
St. Clare Recovery is once again asking for your help. Here are the major obstacles that we are facing……
1. Skilled Volunteers – Throughout the winter months, we have been blessed with
many who have returned time and again, and we are truly grateful….but we are fast approaching Spring, which means that those who have construction skills will be returning to their own work up North. This is when we need to appeal to the many of you who are retired from construction type work or those handy men and women who have some experience in home remodeling projects. Please, prayerfully consider your time, treasure and talents. If you have been to Waveland/Bay St. Louis, please come back-we are not yet finished! If you have not, please consider a working vacation…it might just be the most rewarding one you have ever experienced!
2. Building Materials – Even though many have finally received insurance or grant monies to help rebuild, quite often the dollars just do not stretch far enough. Not only can the residents not afford to hire the work done (which is where you, as Volunteers, make the difference), but often there is not enough money to purchase materials to finish the home. And, of course, those who did not receive insurance or grant money, for whatever reason, need plenty of help. While there have been some small grants from sources such as Salvation Army and Red Cross, these grants are becoming harder and harder to get. Bogged down in paperwork, it is a lengthy process and again, many do not qualify. Meanwhile a house sits half finished….the hope that was restored when Volunteers arrived to start work on a home is quickly dashed while the family sits in the FEMA trailer or MEMA cottage looking at a half finished dream.
January, 2008
January, 2008
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP
A. Gift Cards – Purchasing gift cards for Lowe’s, Home Depot or even Wal-Mart.
Send these cards to:
St. Clare Recovery
518 Jeff Davis
Waveland, MS
39576
St. Clare Recovery will use these cards on an “as needed” basis to purchase building materials for the homes that the Volunteers are working on. Lowe’s has the best selection of building materials, so that would be the preference, but Home Depot does carry a selection of plumbing and electrical supplies. Wal-Mart cards are used to purchase small items for the home when move –in time comes, such as towels, bedding, etc.
B. Cash Donations – Donations can be made online through this web site using the “donations” button, which will take you to Pay Pal. This is a secure site and the money is automatically transferred in to the St. Clare Recovery account.
Or you may mail your donation to:
St. Clare Recovery
518 Jeff Davis
Waveland, MS
39576
C. Materials – Many of you work at businesses who would be glad to donate building materials – perhaps a load of Sheet Rock, or a box of plumbing or electrical materials, plywood, roofing materials, 2x4s, caulk, sheet rock screws, nails, insulation, paint…the list goes on and on, but there may be something, large or small amounts, that your company would be happy to donate. St. Clare Recovery is a 501(c) 3, not-for-profit organization, which makes the donation a tax deduction for the donor. If you think that your company might be able to help us, please give call so that arrangements can be made to receive the materials. We do have access to storage for both large and small amounts.
Call or E-mail:
Jane Crady
317-642-7322
jacc1@tds.net (that is a #1 in the address)
Again, thank you for all you have already done, and please prayerfully consider your time, treasure and talents. The people of Waveland/Bay St Louis need your help! God Bless.
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A lone Volunteer stands with the people of Waveland at the Memorial Service on Aug 29, 2007
Two Years after Katrina... there is so much yet to be done….
"Don't forget about us," said Brent Woodfill. He moved to Waveland after Katrina hit to help his family. He's been volunteering ever since. With an endearing smile, he says, "Don't forget about us. There's still a lot of need here, and there's still a lot of hope here. Don't let it pass."
That was the message during the Second Katrina Anniversary Ceremonies on Coleman Ave. in
Waveland, MS when our own Brent Woodfill, St. Clare Recovery’s Coordinator of Local Volunteers, was interviewed by WLOX Channel 13. He said it all in that one simple plea.
There are over 4300 Families still crowded into FEMA trailers in
Hancock County, MS and the cry for volunteers is still as great as ever.
While much progress has been made, much is still left undone. . The heat of summer has kept many volunteers away and slowed progress. But as September approaches, the working conditions are much more favorable and we can only hope and pray that the volunteers will return. Winter will not be far behind, and while winter in Waveland is still ideal for building, it brings its own problems with the risk of fires from propane heaters in the small FEMA trailers.
Over the past two years, with the help of generous volunteers from around the country, most of the demolition and debris removal was completed and thousands of homes that were uninhabitable were repaired. Many families were able to move back into their homes, thanks to the efforts of volunteers like you. But there are still thousands more to do.
Now the reconstruction goes on in earnest, and the residents of
Waveland, MS need your help again! As the grant money finally begins to become available, the homeowners find themselves able to purchase some or most of the materials needed to rebuild, but they cannot afford the labor. Some did get enough money from the grants to build the shell. But what good are a frame and a roof if there is no plumbing or electricity - no floors or walls - the dollars will not stretch far enough to pay for the labor to put their homes together again.
That is where you, the volunteer, come in. We need you to help! We need your skills; we need your compassionate hearts!
Please prayerfully consider your time, your talents and your treasure. If you are being called to help, please answer the call. Register now on this web site, or donate using the donations button. God will bless your efforts and the people of Waveland will be forever grateful.
Thank you for answering the Call to Care!
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Coleman Ave and Beach Blvd., August 29, 2007
Coleman Avenue, August 29, 2007
Memorial Services August 29, 2007
The Memorial Wreath is cast out into the ocean August 29, 2007
The Hope and the Gratitude Remain
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Excerpt from "Mission Katrina"….
Please read the entire story under Stories from Volunteers
The Starfish story. It was unsettling to leave with so much left undone. It seemed as if we barely scratched the surface. How could the little we did matter? It was difficult to reconcile this pull of needing to go, yet wanting to stay. Then, a Waveland resident reminded us of the significance of our visit through the starfish story. While thousands in Waveland, and miles stretching on either side, are still waiting to be rescued, we were blessed to have made a difference for a few. The bottom line: the little each person is willing to do adds up to something big. The members of St. Clare Recovery certainly believe this. On the grounds of the church (where all that remains is the foundation of the majestic brick structure) stands a hand-painted sign: KATRINA WAS BIG BUT GOD IS BIGGER - To this I say, Amen.
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| A home is built to replace a FEMA trailer |
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St. Clare Recovery is a Mission of St. Clare Parish, Waveland, MS.
Mission Statement: To coordinate the skills and efforts of, and provide clean and affordable housing for volunteers who come to the Waveland/Bay St. Louis, MS area for the purpose of assisting the residents of the Waveland/Bay St. Louis area to rebuild their homes and their lives spiritually, physically and emotionally following Hurricane Katrina.
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"The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If someone who has wordly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth" - 1 John 3:16-18
"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."
Mother Teresa
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'
Martin Luther King Jr.
"Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given."
Mother Teresa
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream."
Mark Twain [Samuel Langhornne Clemens] (1835-1910)
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