Rebuilding Houses in New Orleans

August 27, 2010 at 7:14 am , by Julie Bain

At Ladies’ Home Journal, we don’t just write about others doing good. We also practice what we preach! I’m honored to be in New Orleans this week for Rebuilding Together’s Fifty for Five project to rehabilitate homes damaged by Katrina. (LHJ‘s parent company, Meredith Corp., is a sponsor.) The Harris family bought this house in 1963 and it was almost completely destroyed by the hurricane floodwaters five years ago. Here’s our gang priming up the siding on this beautifully rebuilt house in preparation for its final paint job.

That’s Margaret Harris with me, right. When Katrina was coming, she said she didn’t want to leave. She’d ridden out many a hurricane in that house. “I thought my home was safe,” she said. She stocked up at Sam’s, and got out the generator. But her son convinced Mrs. Harris and her husband to get in the car and evacuate. They made it to their daughter’s house in South Carolina after more than 20 hours on the gridlocked roads, and they stayed  several months. When her son could finally get into the house, he saw the devastation and said, “Mama, don’t come back.” But eventually they did come back and lived in a trailer for years while they worked to restore the house. Soon it will be a welcoming haven again for their five kids, nine grandkids and three great-grandchildren.

After filling, sanding, priming and painting all day Thursday, our group of volunteers was tired but happy. Mr. and Mrs. Harris were so appreciative, and let’s face it, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as doing a little good. So we’re doing it again on Friday. It all culminates in a giant musical celebration to the renewal of the Gulf Coast on Saturday. I’ll report back.