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Homeowner Stories

What A Relief, Katrinas Connection

I posted a for a safe warm place to make fresh start, and I am willing to open my humble apt to a single professional that may want to come to California. I recieved a response from a 42 year old man who lost his place of employment, house and didn't have family, except for a few second cousins in NY City. I offered him a fresh start in Pleasant Hill CA. We have spoken everyday on the phone since his response, and he arrives in San Francisco on Saturday 09-10-05! I am so reliewved that I am in a position to help just one person..I wish I could take eveyone under my wing...

My life is Forever Changed

I am a 36 year old woman who lives in California. I am a mother of one 9 year old boy, a wife to a great man. My life seems close to perfect. On the day before Katrina hit I was at home in California watching as it unfolded on CNN. After seeing the disaster hit so many I felt so sick & sad. I went to bed turned on that T.V. to CNN & there I stayed for 6 days. I only got up to feed my family & drive my son to & from school. My housework stopped my social life was only to talk to family & friends about Katrina.Up untill that 7th day I could not figure how I too could help.After watching the Opra show I then realized that I too could help! I have been on line trying to help families reunite, posting my home on different sights for a familey to come stay with us. Just keeping my ears & heart open to others in need has been a great learning achievment. I am so proud to be an american, not because of how our government responded to the storm, but to the other Americans, the Servivers, the volenteers. That makes me feel a part of somthing grand. If anything good was to come from such a tragity, it would be for me to see so many come together as a family as a pack of fellow humans in need. The servers are in need for help as much as the volenteers are need to be needed to help. Bless all of us. With every turning day may we all grow & heal from a day that changed America forever.

Foster Care Requires Current License

As a credentialed retired teacher, adoptive parent, and former foster parent I contacted Los Angeles County to renew our foster care certification. We would like to have offered short term care to a child of Katrina until reunified with family or placed in a permanent home. We found this could not be achieved in California due to regulations. If the foster care license has expired, one must reapply, take a 60 hour course again, and probably wait 90 days to begin the process. So although many people wish to help the children, be aware you must have current certification in your state to care for any child "not known to you". Realize this protects children, but slows the process. The Red Cross does not act in any capacity in placing children, I am told. So I hope there are enough resources already in place for care for the kids.If you have a current license please step up to the plate on our behalf as well as for waiting children. We adopted an older special needs child of a different ethnicity than mine. It has been very successful for all of us.

Here Comes a CAT 5- Hurricane Katrina

Sunday morning 7am the phone rings and hear that a CAT 5 is heading for New Orleans. This is my husband's ex-wife calling to tell us what is going on and can they possibly come to our house in St. Louis, MO. Of course, I say yes, not realizing that this meant not only the entire family of six and one on the way any day but all of their animals as well. Three Shelties, a Cockatoo, and Cockateel, two finches and a parakeet, a cat, a hampster, a ferret, a tank of tropical fish and a hermit crab. The six year old is ADHD and is properly medicated. We have him in school and he is enjoying it very much. The college age son wasn't so lucky. His scholarship requires he only go to school in Louisiana or lose his scholarship. The 18 year old daughter has a ten month old baby and one coming 6 weeks early because of the hurricane. We are doing our best to keep every one in s positive frame of mind. This family left New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina, but are planning on moving to St. Louis because of the hospitality shown to them not only by us, but by the community at large. The people of St. Louis have stepped up to the plate and have made this family feel right at home. I am proud to live in St. Louis and proud to be part of a community that is so family oriented. sincerely, CarolBarbier Overland, MO

Nest full Now !

We have a young family, survivors of Katrina, living with us from Mississippi. A 7 year old and 20 month old girls. My husband and have 8 kids of our own so our life was quiet. Because, all ours are out on their on. But we feel like we are starting over. It's wonderful we sit and watched the news and our hearts hurt for all of the families. Wanted to do something but didn't know what to do. I lived in Mobile Al. for 42 years so this hit home. We got a phone call form someone that said this family needs help can you help? YES oh! did I tell you? The 20 month old is deaf and has to see a docter two times a week for other health problems. In Birmingham Alabama, this mother has done so good. Father works off shores. Comes in every two weeks. So we are helping all we can. We are now working on SIGN LANGAGE! Please, If you can reach out. Form Katrina to Rita someone needs you. Now we are saying what are we going to do with out this family when they find a new home somewhere? WE WILL MISS THEM BUT ARE GLAD WE REACHED OUT TO HELP. WHAT A TRUE BLESSING. BRENDA SCOTTSBORO AL

STill in need

We were victims of hurricane charley. FEMA told us our house(rental) . was un fit to live in and gave us 1400.00 to get a new place. NOW in cape coral Fl that money wasnt enough to get an apartment while paying for a hotel and food and ect. We were told that we were qualifed for a trailer our more assitance, but time and time again got the run around.An investigator told us he was looking into why we werentplaced anywhere, and then no reply. my husband also shattered his ancle and couldnt work at the time, and we have 3 children, so we had to move to New JErsey to be by our family for help. now i have been to churchs and social servies and they told us that we are still able to get help from FEMA and other orgnazations for help. we are a family of 5 living in a one bedroom apartment. We are still displaced and as i saw on the NEwsthe other night that there are still alot of familys from charley that are still in need of help. amd living in the trailer park woth no where to go coming this FEbuary. we just need a place to live to take care of our family, we are still in shock over this tramic experience. and still cant get any answers from FEMA on why we werent placed in a trailer or home? please contact us to let us know what we can do. We just want to have a normal stable life again. Sincerley, Corinne, george, Lily 5, bailey 3 and JAck 2