Books On Hurricane Recovery

As I have time, I'll be posting more links to books regarding the rebuilding of Pearlington, Waveland, Bay St Louis, Kiln and the rest Hancock County. If you know of any, please let me know.

I've long held I wouldn't advertise anything that was a for-profit endeavor, but I think at this point, they need to be shown in an effort to prove rebuilding has yet to be complete.

The first is Pat Holt's Rebuilding Pearlington. She's a lady from basically all over the nation, having served in the military and after retiring, took up photography. I wish her memoir included many more of her photographs, but perhaps she is working on a separate book for those.

I do have a few others, which will be posted in the appropriate blog, and then all will be collected on the KatrinaNetworking blog

Blog Index

Items in RED are NEW
Items in GREEN are UPDATED

Other Sites Related to BSL Relief
Katrina Networking Site
Hancock County Agency Information
Pearlington
Waveland
Gulf Coast Artist Relief Blog
Gulf Coast Emergency Services Relief Blog
Real People Relief

Volunteer Information
For Agencies and Organizations
Katrina's Angels
For Non-Profits and Municipalities - Reorganized and added to
Assistance For Schools - Reorganized and added to
Grants for Non-Profits
Grants For Communities
Citizen Action Team
Community Gardens Effort All 3 installments linked at top
City Action Partnership
Gulf Coast Civic Works Project - please support
MS United Methodist Disaster Response
UMCOR Response
Safety Guidelines For Volunteers

For Individuals
Resource Pages
Grandfamily/Single Parent Resources
Family Resources
Medical Resources
LA Family Resources
Education Assistance
Businesses
Mortgage Resources
Furniture and More
Home/Utility
Elderly
Resources for Children/Childcare
Disabled
Grants for Individuals - does not include homeowner or repair grants
Dental

Articles, etc.
Article Index
Pictures and Videos Collected
Blogs To Follow
FEMA Information

City Information
City
Department Locations
City Police Needs
City Fire Department Needs

Children and Schools
Our Lady Academy Updates
Mommy 101 - Baby Shower for the County
Hope Haven Childrens Shelter
Bay/Waveland School District
Our Lady Academy Needs Lists
Bay Catholic School
Community Organization
Boys and Girls Clubs

Churches
Our Lady of The Gulf
St Rose de Lima
Lagniappe Presbyterian
Powerhouse of Deliverance Church

Other Local Agencies
Coastal Family Health Clinics
Foundation Hope
Gulf Coast Recovery Corp

Organizations to Volunteer With
Eight Days of Hope
Impact Ministries
City Team Ministries
Heritage Conservation Network
KenTenn
Mission From Minnesota
Kansas East United Methodist Conference
Port Townsend Sister City
Presbytery Disaster Assistance
HANDS

Helping Without Going Down

Art In The Bay

By BENNIE SHALLBETTER
Feb 9, 2007, 17:22

In addition to today's usual Second Saturday fare will be work by Indiana wood carver Dayle K. Lewis and Louisiana carver Amy Canada. The duo will be set up on the corner of Second St. and Main St. in Bay St. Louis all day.
Carvings are made from local, storm damaged wood, mainly pine, pecan and live oak, said Lewis. The pair, along with Lewis' wife Gayle have been working for several days to create wood statues ranging from alligators, to bears, to angels, to fleur de lis. They will also be working at the site on Saturday. You can bring your own wood.
Dayle Lewis, above, and Amy Canada, below, carve sculptures out of trees felled during Hurricane Katrina as part of the KatRita Wood Project. The artists will in Old Town today for Second Saturday.
Canada said she hopes to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Leetown Fire Department towards their building fund. Lewis joined in because, he said, he had planned to come down as a volunteer anyway and the chance to help and do what he loves worked out well. This is his second trip to the area.
The idea for using the felled Katrina wood for a carving project came about as a result of the need Canada said she felt to stop the enormous waste of wood after the storm. She first looked into milling the wood for lumber but came to dead ends, she said.
A website gave her the idea to recruit carvers. She posted a message and within five minutes answers came in by email and by phone. People were interested.
Since then Canada has organized several 'carve-ins."
With a chain saw, blow torch, grinder, sander, stains and a little paint Lewis, and Canada, can create just about anything your heart desires.
This week the group gathered behind the old Ruth's Cakery on Court St. to work for three days before setting up shop today. Prices set on pieces are suggested donations that will cover costs, Canada said.
Using his art to help others is nothing new to Lewis. He donates several thousand dollars worth of hand carved sculptures for fundraising events each year. Right now he is involved in a project to raise funds for a soup kitchen in Richmond. To do so he is creating a series of angels.
When he is not working at his home on 4 acres in Richmond, Indiana Lewis travels around the country to various festivals to create and sell his wares. He also works on commission orders, both at his home and the home of his clients. As he puts it, "I make house calls."
"The thing I like the most is to go in a back yard and watch the people's faces as they watch the transformation from a stump to a creation," said Lewis.
Lewis was raised on a dairy farm in Pratt, Kansas and trained as and Industrial Engineer. He started carving, by hand, in 1992 and with a chain saw in 1996. He went full time into carving in 2002 when he was laid off from his engineering job due to downsizing.
It was scary, at first, Lewis said, but now he loves the freedom. He also teaches classes in wood carving.
"It's creative, it's fun and you get paid – that is everybody's dream," said Lewis. He gives ultimate credit for his creativity and gift to God's inspiration, he says.

Photos December/January

A house rebuilt by the Presbyterians


Elevation change to comply with new codes


A house in a Pearl River development


One House gave Right of Entry, the other did not. ROE allows the National Guard come in and remove debris, but not the house. (From Gary - ROE allows the Corps of Engineers to come in and remove debris, or tarp the roof. In some cases they would remove demolished buildings and large debris a homeowner could not normally clean up.)


A newly rebuilt house with a well supported heat exchanger (AC unit). Most are only strapped to the house.


Steel structural support still waiting to be rebuilt

Bay Waveland Merger Shelved

Bay St. Louis-Waveland merger study shelved
Financial outlooks still grim

By RYAN LaFONTAINE
rlafontaine@sunherald.com

HANCOCK COUNTY - Researchers have stopped work on a study of the potential benefits of merging Bay St. Louis and Waveland into one city, according to the government think tank overseeing the survey.

The two cities began discussing a merger sometime last year, after Katrina annihilated most of their taxable incomes and infrastructure.

Although the merger review has been shelved, a report released last week shows just how dismal the financial outlooks really were, and still are, for Bay St. Louis and Waveland.

"We have suspended the (merger) study and it was what we thought would be best for the two cities at this point," said Marty Wiseman, who runs the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University, which launched the study in March.
Katrina washed or blew away nearly 65 percent of homes countywide and with them went the governments' property-tax revenues. The casino and other giant retailers that had generated so much of the sales tax used to form the cities' operating budgets are slowly returning.

When revenue streams turned into trickles last year, Coast leaders were left to find money to rebuild infrastructure- sewerage, roads and public buildings - and create competitive salaries for the staff needed to maintain city services, all while funding their daily operations.

"To the outside observer having two municipalities wiped off the map presents an opportunity that the cities may not have otherwise, but to the citizens in those cities, (talk of a merger) would present a very chaotic situation that they just don't need right now," Wiseman said.

Why stop?

Several elements contributed to the study's suspension: Researchers believed data collection was getting in the way of storm recovery and trying to engage locals consumed with repairing their own lives into a government-merger discussion would be difficult.

The two cities recently settled an annexation dispute, adding hundreds of new properties that won't appear on tax rolls until next year, which Wiseman said "drastically changes the property-tax dynamic."

Also, Waveland was in the midst of a sizzling election to decide who would lead the city for the next four years, but Wiseman is quick to say the decision to stop the research was made only by the Stennis Institute.

"I want to make it clear that we were not asked by Mayor Tommy Longo nor Mayor Eddie Favre to stop the study," he said. "We made that decision ourselves."
But had a completed study been published around election time suggesting a merger was the only means of ensuring survival, it would have instantly created the single largest campaign issue.

Waveland candidates mostly debated issues of future development, building codes, money spending and transparency at City Hall, but top government experts
advocating an all-out merger with the Bay would have spawned where-do-you-stand questions no candidate could have avoided.

"We certainly didn't want to influence anyone's campaign whatsoever," Wiseman said.

At one point last year, Bay St. Louis and Hancock County leaders sounded as if their governments were lashed to the railroad tracks, counting down the days, hours and minutes to unavoidable insolvency. Local leaders have since received some federal and state backing to barely stay afloat.

But though the Bay, Hancock and other Coast governments were spreading a dark message of despair and pleading for help - mainly financial - from anyone who would listen, political leaders in Waveland continued to portray an almost-thriving city that was leading the storm-recovery race with its deep pockets.

Longo was criticized by some of his opponents for being out of touch with the fiscal realities of post-Katrina government.

To his credit, the city did have a $3 million cash reserve to live on after the storm, but Longo bashers have said with an annual budget more than double the reserve, that money ran out long ago.

Despite Longo winning last week's mayoral election, a study favoring a merger for the betterment of the two cities could still shove the mayor into a corner.

According to state law, the mayor of the largest municipality, based on population, would become the mayor of the newly formed city, which means Longo would likely have to walk away from a seven-year career at Waveland's City Hall.
'Struggling to survive'

According to a 70-page report published last week by the Stennis Institute, Waveland and Bay St. Louis are still "struggling to survive."

The report is part of a three-year study by the Stennis Institute and New York's Rockefeller Institute to determine Katrina's effect on Coast governments and their budgets.

The initial report from interviews with local leaders shows sales taxes in Bay St. Louis dropping from about $1.5 million to about $400,000, property taxes being cut in half and the city's annual budget sliced by nearly 80 percent of its pre-storm level.
Most of Waveland's $6.5 million budget was supported through sales taxes, which the report says are staggering back to their pre-storm level.

From July 2005 to the same time in 2006, Bay St. Louis lost $349,279 of its state sales-tax transfers, and Waveland saw a 30 percent drop, losing $678,281.
Gulfport, by contrast a much larger municipality, saw a 39 percent drop in diverted sales tax that accounted for more than a $7 million loss.

A lot of the financial bleeding on the Coast has been slowed by state and federal grants, private donations and loans.

The Bay has borrowed nearly $8 million since the storm and has applied for an additional $10 million to cover operating and recovery costs. City leaders are hopeful most of the loans will be "forgiven" or turned into grants.

Wiseman, who is expected to soon discuss potential cityhood with community leaders in Diamondhead, said he expects to restart the Bay-Waveland merger study within the next 12 months or "when the time is right."

Coastal Family Health Clinic

www.coastalfamilyhealth.com

1/15 BAY ST. LOUIS CLINIC REBUILDING UPDATE:
After losing a large clinic location, Coastal served the recovering area from trailers and mobile clinic units while searching for potential new locations in the Waveland Bay St. Louis community. Coastal has been operating from a leased 5,000 sq ft medical building since June 2006. Coastal has negotiated a purchase option for the building and is planning to renovate and expand to meet the patient volume of the community. Currently the facility is supporting 3 providers. The renovation project funded by Social Services Block Grant funding will enable the addition of 3 exam rooms and one provider by the end of summer 2007. Located in front of Hancock County General Hospital facing Highway 90, the location is accessible to many of Coastal's pre-Katrina patients and a short drive to Waveland or downtown Bay St. Louis.


CFHC was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and sustained damage to 12 locations, with 3 locations completely destroyed. From the moment that Katrina hit, Coastal has provided and continues to provide essential primary health care for more than 30,000 residents in Coastal Mississippi. Demonstrating a knack for flexibility and creativity, CFHC immediately opened temporary service sites wherever an opportunity arose. Now, Coastal is working on semi- permanent service sites to begin to improve the continuity of quality healthcare for the people of Coastal Mississippi.

Coastal Family Health Center operates community health centers located in communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Center makes available quality primary health care, dental care, and optical care to residents of this area, especially to those who have limited resources to pay for the care they need. All of our clinics accept Medicaid, Medicare and other health insurance. For patients who do not have health insurance, the Center will adjust their charges based on income level and the number of dependents. Patients are expected to pay on their accounts as they are able, but no one is denied treatment because they have no money at the time they need care. Also, the Center makes an effort to assist with transportation for those patients who do not have other means of getting to a clinic for care.

Of their 12 sites - 2 of which are mobile units - 3 were completely destroyed and only 1 made it through with no damage at all. The one in BSL was completely destroyed, but with the help of Loudoun Medical (who operated the BSL Free Medical Clinic) were able to establish their presence once again far more quickly than otherwise could have happened.

I have an email into them for more information on the need for volunteers, materials, meds, equipment, etc. as well as if people can donate to a specific site.

The woman who has been incredibly instrumental in organizing the clinics since The Storm is Jennifer Knight. WOW - talk about amazing! There is a video clip of an interview of her here:
www.wlox.com go to heros of mississippi.......

9/6 Found on www.WLOX.com

The Coastal Family Health Center opened a new clinic in Pass Christian Wednesday. Medical care close to home will make life a bit easier in the Pass.
"There aren't any medical facilities that we could find. It's a long distance to go to Long Beach or Bay St. Louis. They need something here," said clinic nurse Deborah Flagg.
Clinic clerk Jennifer Stroud echoed her words.
"They lost their houses, they lost their cars, so they can't drive to Long Beach. They can't drive to Bay St. Louis. They can't go anywhere, so they need something here. "
Coastal Family Health will run the clinic, offering basic medical services from a nurse practitioner.
"We'll take care of things like diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, colds, flus, things like that," Flagg said.
The clinic has two exam rooms and a mini medical lab for blood tests and other procedures. Funding for the clinic comes from a grant from AmeriCares. The international relief organization recognized the need for health care in Pass Christian.
"Anybody can come to the clinic whether they have insurance or whether they don't have insurance. It doesn't matter whether they get Medicare, Medicaid, it doesn't matter. Initially we're just going to take walk-ins, and as our clientele builds up and gets to be a heavy patient load, we'll start doing appointments."
Clinic costs are based on income and is open to any Pass Christian resident. The clinic is located on Saucier Avenue behind Our Mother Of Mercy Church. It's open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8am-3:30pm.
AmeriCares is also funding a mobile dental clinic in Pass Christian. It should be open sometime in November.
For more information about the new medical clinic or the dental clinic you can call (228) 861-8834.

6/25
From Direct Relief International

MISSISSIPPI

Coastal Family Health Center Clinicwww.coastalfamilyhealth.com $93,000

Procurement: Clinic supply restockingCoastal Family Health Center Clinic (CFHCC) lost its clinic space at Moss Point during Hurricane Katrina. Direct Relief granted funding to establish a replacement unit and provide necessary equipment and supplies so that it could once again provide healthcare services to its community, which needed its assistance more than ever. Merck Pharmaceuticals agreed to donate the modular building to CFHC and the local county-owned hospital, Singing River Hospital, agreed to pay for its transportation to site.

CFHCC makes available quality primary health care, dental care, and optical care to its community, with an emphasis placed on caring for those who have limited resources to pay for care. The Center also makes an effort to assist their patients with transportation when they lack other means of receiving care.

St. Rose de Lima Church

ST ROSE DE LIMA CATHOLIC CHURCH
301 SOUTH NECAISE AVENUE
BAY ST. LOUIS, MS 39520
Tel: 228-467-7347/467-7357
Fax: 228-467-7740
E-mails: strdc@bellsouth.net, office@strosedelima-bsl.org
Website: www.strosedelima-bsl.org

“In that day I will restore David’s tent.
I will repair its broken places, restore its
ruins, and build it as it used to be”(Amos 9:11)

Gift Cards are also appreciated...
http://katrinanetworking.blogspot.com/2006/02/stores-to-buy-gift-cards-through.html

3/18/07
Shrimp po-boy sale sponsored by the Booster Club, will be held on Fri., March 23rd, 11:00a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

8/23 Relief and Recovery Effort Progress and Status
(Taken from their Newsletter)

Completed Remaining
Roofs 68 153
Drywall 32 310
Electrical 41 229
Plumbing 30 200
Interior Paint 20
Carpentry 12
Debris Removal 96

Average Funds Needed For Roof And Drywall Work: 4670.00

Money Raised - 552,000 Money Used - 433,000

Appliance Drive Received Needed

Refrigerators 85 308
Stoves 67 244
Washers 79 256
Dryers 60 126
Dishwashers 13 30

Coming Soon:
2007 Calendar with photos of church community, volunteers and the recovery efforts. Available at St. Rose for $10 in late September. Proceeds to be divided between Relief Effort and St. Rose Education Fund.

New Housing Location:
Since the school is going to be returned to its orginal use, there is hope of repairing the Retreat Center at St. Augustine Seminary. Hands On will be assisting with the repairs and St Augustine will be furnishing the materials, with use being able to use the building to house volunteers for an 18 month period.
Until then, we have rented a 7 bedroom house for volunteers.

Schedule
Major Volunteer Weeks:
October 13-22
November 17-26
December 8-17
January 5-14
February 9-18

A FEW FACTS

Time after time we have heard people say: “we did not know” ; “this is nothing like what we saw on TV or what we read….”No TV coverage or report can do justice to the reality of destruction.” We have witnessed many people breaking into tears as they see the level of destruction and how people are struggling to cope with the new stresses of life.

Post-Katrina life remains a challenge on a daily basis. Most individuals and families at St. Rose and in the Bay St. Louis-Waveland community are displaced residing in tents, temporary FEMA trailers or with multiple families or neighbors in single-family dwellings that are in ill repair. Many parishioners and residents have lost employment and health care benefits due to the destruction of local businesses.

Access to health care remains very limited. Our local hospital was severely damaged due to the hurricane.

Fortunately, the National Guard set up a large M.A.S.H. unit and doctors and nurses from across the U.S. provided immediate health care to residents of our county as well as to displaced persons from New Orleans. Recently, the hospital was able to reopen the emergency room but can only admit 26 patients to the facility. When the school system re-opened in November only 39% of the pre-Katrina students returned. Hancock County was reduced to ground zero. Of the 400 + local businesses, only 5% of them are back in operation.

The community is down to two operational gas stations, one grocery store, a couple of restaurants, one bank and a few much-needed hardware stores. The rebuilding process is going to be a long and tedious endeavor. As the majority of our people have experienced considerable problems with their Insurance Companies and FEMA, a number of Churches and Faithbased organizations have shown the face of God, brought a Spirit of Hope to our People, empowering us to continue our journey of faith.

Our Lady Academy Girls School

www.OurLadyAcademy.com
Photos - you can see the before and after very graphically:
http://www.ourladyacademy.com/main-photos.html

Donations can be made through our website and PayPal or send check or money order to:
OLA Katrina Fund
222 S. Beach Blvd
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520.
Attention: Connie Chevis.

3/18 CHEF’S FEST – SUNDAY, MARCH 25TH! COME ONE, COME ALL!

St. Joseph Hall
We have contacted Guild and Hardy Architects to design St. Joseph Hall. Taylor Guild was the architect for McAuley Hall and his firm has done the drawings for the new OLG Rectory and Parish Offices. Thus, he knows our area and school well. His first task is to complete a site plan, establishing where future construction for Holy Trinity and for OLA will be located, making sure there is room for everything that both schools anticipate needing in the near future. Then, he will begin work on St. Joseph Hall. We hope to be deep into working drawings by the summer. FEMA and MEMA are “on board,” and the Diocese has given its blessing. Let the project
commence!

12/3 December News Letter

DECEMBER 2006 NEWSLETTER FROM SR. JACKIE
Wendy's Heisman Award
It is my pleasure to announce that Victoria Romano has been named a state finalist in the
Wendy's Heisman Scholarship Program. This award is based on athletic prowess,
academic excellence, and exhibited leadership skills. Victoria will attend a dinner in
January in Jackson where those moving on to the next level in the competition will be
announced. Congratulations, Victoria!
National Young Leaders Conference
OLA junior, Emily Vaughn, recently returned from a week in Washington where she
attended the National Young Leaders Conference. She spent some time with Harriet
Miers, President Bush's former Supreme Court nominee. She spent a day in Congress,
sitting in Gene Taylor's seat in the House of Representatives. She also was able to visit
the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial, among others. I think it was a fabulous experience for Emily!
OLA Swimming
Not to be out-done by the OLA state volleyball champions, the OLA swimmers took to
the pool several weeks ago and competed in the state meet. Swimmers, Samantha
McLeod, Madeleine Loftus, Nikki Vaught, and Alyssa Walter set school records in the
200m medley relay and the 200m free relay. Alyssa set a NEW STATE RECORD of
2:08:64 in the 200m Individual Medley. She shaved over 2 seconds off the old state
record, which she also held. Congratulations, Alyssa! Congratulations, swimmers!
Safety and Security
Like you, I have been reading about the recent rash of guns in schools in South
Mississippi. Although I have little fear of such a thing happening at OLA, I think safety
must be uppermost in all our minds. To that end, I have decided to secure all doors in
Mercy and McAuley Halls immediately after school begins in the morning EXCEPT the
front door, by the office. Thus, if you need to come to school, you need to use the Union
Street door, by the main office. Also, the only door to Johnson Hall that will be left open
is the door that leads to the parking lot. I'm afraid that this will inconvenience you some,
but a little inconvenience is a small price to pay for safety.
Mother's Prayer Group
Do you know that we have a group of mothers and teachers that meet to pray for OLA,
SSC, and Holy Trinity on the first Wednesday morning of every month? This month, the
gathering is on Wednesday, December 6th, at 9:30 AM in OLA room 16. Prayer will last
about 40 minutes. Please join us!
Financial Aid Workshop
OLA and SSC will jointly sponsor a college financial aid workshop at 5:30 PM on
Tuesday, December 5th. This is a MUST meeting for all junior and senior parents who
hope to apply for financial aid for their daughter's college education. I attended this
meeting last year and it was full of wonderful hints as you walk with your daughter
through the maze of the college admission and financial aid process. The meeting will be
in the Resource Room at SSC.
Youth Legislature
Twenty-three young ladies from OLA participated in Youth Leg this year. Carly Johnson
was named Outstanding Committee Chair; Ansley Blalock, Ashley Derenbecker and
Carly Johnson were named Outstanding Representatives. OLA had five bills passed:
Emily Vaughn and Lauren Poncet, Kathryn McDonald and Samantha McLeod, Carly
Johnson and Madeline Vosbein, and the combined bills of Amber Favre, Jennifer Roy,
Nikki Vaught, and Kaitlyn Stovall.
Cross Country
The OLA Cross Country team placed third in the state meet. Amelia Simpson and
Lauren Seal received medals for being selected to the All-State Team (the top 14 runners
in the state). The entire team finished in the top 40, out of 89 runners. Congratulations,
Coach Hull. Congratulations, ladies!
MS State Band Clinic
Megan Gargiulo was selected for the MS State Band Clinic. The gathering will be in
Tupelo from December 7-9. She is one of only French Horns selected for this event.
Megan has also been selected for membership in the Long Beach Youth Commission.
This is an advisory board of youth to the city council.

8/5 OLA's summer fundraiser, the Race To Rebuild, was held Saturday morning, July 1st, at 7:00 am in Bay St. Louis, and was very successful! Not only was it a fun event for the community, but the funds raised will support OLA's rebuilding and recovery expenses since Hurricane Katrina.
Thank you to all who did so much work to plan the event, as well as everyone who supported and participated in it. Photographs and more details of the event in action will be posted here shortly. We are especially grateful to OLA Class of '84 Alumna Michelle Van Peski Ridder for serving as the event coordinator, and to Connie Chevis who provided key assistance.
We are also very grateful to our sponsors.
This will be an annual event, so plan to attend next year!

School Update

Textbooks are in - almost $100,000 worth! So.. you will have a great teacher, a room, a blackboard, a textbook, and a roof over your head. You just won't have a desk for the first two days of school; they are scheduled for delivery on August 14th. But.. there will be brand new carpeting in all classrooms; you will survive! The floor isn't so bad! Also, technology will be late in arriving. We are ordering almost $150,000 in computers, servers, printers, copiers, etc. It will be GREAT, but it will arrive LATE. GREAT and LATE - isn't that the story of our lives recently?I just got off the phone with the finance department at Bay-Waveland. The Displaced Student money that we have all been waiting for has been approved in Jackson. Bay-Waveland will approve the disbursement of it at their monthly school board meeting at the end of the month. We should receive a check in the middle of August; Sister Anna Louise will then issue a check to you; you should get it by the end of August. (I was hoping to have it for you at final registration on August 7th, but it looks like it will be a week or so later than that.)

From Jeannine, May 6

Just want to thank you for all the prayers, love and support you have given us at Our Lady Academy this school year. Thanks to your prayers, the grace of God has blessed us abundantly this year.

By the end of January, over 80% of our student body had returned with a promise of more to come in the fall. At the end of May, our students will have completed a full school year in seven months, doubling up on classes every day. Despite living in campers, without computers, libraries, and equipment, they have worked amazingly hard to complete all their assignments in a timely manner and excel in all areas, from academics to sports! One of our seniors has achieved a full ride to Princeton and our sports teams have all made it at lease to district playoffs. Our soccer team came out second in the state (they were state champs six years running) despite the fact that they didn't even have a field to practice on!

Our retreats have been awesome experiences! The retreat team, who puts on retreats for 7th, 8th and 9th grade retreats managed to prepare grace-filled, memorable experiences for all of the students despite the fact that they had little meeting time at school. The leadership that was displayed was awesome! The upperclass retreats were a gift for all of us. Our girls were in the worst of circumstances, sleeping on floors, roofs and walls being put on the buildings we were in (you can't stop volunteers!) and no plumbing and showers in one facility (it was amazing to watch the girls adapt to that!) God was so good to all of us!

We had intramurals, big sister/little sister ceremony and our first talent show. Since there is not much to do for entertainment around here, these activities provided lots of fun for all concerned! The inventiveness and creativity of the girls has been amazing!

Our buildings are coming along. In January we moved into five classrooms in McAuley Hall. There is talk of our science labs being replaced soon. Most recently, a roof went on to Mercy Hall - the most badly damaged building. Volunteers are rebuilding Johnson Hall. Both buildings should be ready by August when we begin a new school year. Our beloved St. Joseph Hall is gone and we are going to take out a loan to replace it, but that is down the road.

People who come to volunteer from all over the world, have been amazed at the joy they see in the faces of our girls! Every volunteer says the devastation is beyond anything they imagined from the pictures they had seen. And, yet, our girls have risen above adversity to live the joy of the Lord. In this Easter Season, we have much to be grateful for knowing our God is leading us to Resurrection here in South Mississippi!

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for us. Know you and your students remain in our prayers daily. Thanks especially for the prayers, they lift us up each day. Keep them coming, especially over the summer months.

Sincerely,
Jeannine Burch

Any donations would be greatly appreciated.

For More Information and Updates on The Buildings -

http://www.ourladyacademy.com/main-fundraising.html

The greatest is the selection of one of our volunteer groups as an award winner of the “Make a Difference Day” contest. This group has been at OLA from the very beginning and continues to help. We are inspired by their generosity! We also have much to report as our students have jumped into the swing of things and are once again making great accomplishments, we are so proud of them.

“Make a Difference Day”.
In October, 2005, our friends from Pope John Paul II High School of Hendersonville, TN brought down the first “18-Wheeler” filled with equipment and supplies for OLA. They also worked for several days gutting and cleaning one of our teacher’s homes. After returning to JPII, they submitted a recount of how they helped in the efforts to rebuild OLA to the USA Weekend Magazine contest called “Make a Difference Day”. The newspaper was very impressed and selected JPII as a winner. The story will be published on Sunday, April 23, 2006 in USA Weekend or PARADE Magazine.
Check out: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006603220312.

The award includes a $10,000.00 check which they will donate to the OLA Rebuilding effort. JPII has helped our school so much by sending funds, supplies, materials, volunteers and many prayers. We at OLA are so appreciative of everything they have provided. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!

Scholarships.

Margaret Hadden is a finalist for the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation. This award is evaluates academic, community service and school involvement. 75,000 students from across the nation applied and Margaret has made it to the final 250 students. She is guaranteed a $4,000.00 scholarship. She will be flown to Atlanta on April 6 for the final competition. If she is selected as one of the final 50 recipients, she will receive a $20,000.00 scholarship. Let’s keep her in our prayers.

May 28,

I just got word that Margaret received the Coke scholarship! Woo - way to go!

GREATEST NEED. OLA has 2 buildings which still need major repairs (Mercy Hall and Johnson Hall). Through the donations of so many, funding is available to complete the rebuilding of Johnson Hall ($150,000.00) and most of Mercy Hall ($300,000.00). The estimate on rebuilding Mercy Hall is coming in at about $420,000.00. The roof is $64,000.00, the roof decking is $47,000.00, doors are $42,000.00, etc. We still need $150,000 to be able to finish Mercy Hall.

OTHER NEEDS
Tuition assistance. Many of our students lost their homes and their parents are rebuilding their lives, businesses, etc. Some are even paying mortgages on the previous homes which have been reduced to concrete slabs. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a student this is an area of need. Tuition for one student is $4350.00 per year. Of course, partial sponsorship is possible - every little bit counts!

St. Joseph Hall.
St. Joseph Hall was so badly destroyed by Katrina the building had to be bulldozed. This building will need to be replaced. Preliminary estimates are $500,000.00. OLA may have to take out a loan to replace this building. This is a very scary proposition to those making the decisions because we will be burdening future parents with a large financial obligation. OLA has been very, very prudent and frugal and has always operated “in the black”.

Donations can be made through our website and PayPal or send check or money order to:OLA Katrina Fund
222 S. Beach Blvd
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520.
Attention: Connie Chevis.

*Please designate on check if intended for tuition.

Our school is a very special place and “Katrina may have CRUSHED our School but Not our SPIRIT.” Please keep us in your prayers, stop by, visit us and see why we love this school so much.

God Bless you. Thank you for your help and prayers.

Connie Chevis
Teresa Romano
Sr. Jackie Howard

Lagniappe Presbyterian Church

http://www.lagniappechurch.com
http://lagniappechurch.blogspot.com/
http://www.lagniappeinterns.blogspot.com
http://www.drtomarmourblog.blogspot.com - This gent's particular calling is Sheds of Hope. I will be posting regarding his work in the near future. Please visit both his blog and the church's website in the volunteer section to learn more.
3/12
Interns! Interns! Interns! It's that time of year again, Lagniappe church wants college students to start thinking about the summer and coming to serve with us doing summer interships. This is an amazing opportunity to work with teams doing disaster recover and for you to participate in the restoration of the Gulf Coast.
Who? We are looking for 16 college-aged men and women 18+ who are extremely mature and hard-working.
When? We need interns on site from May 23rd through August 19th 2007 If you would like more infomration then follow this link.
If you'd just like more information then e-mail us at: summerinterns@lpcpca.com

Lagniappe Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 4382
Bay St. Louis, MS 39521

Physical Address:
Lagniappe Presbyterian Church
647 Demontluzin St.
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 39520

Bob & Mary Lee Bolitho, (Site manager- April 1 forward)
(864) 879-8449
ptlalways@prodigy.net (Bob)
marylee@wolffind.com (Mary Lee)

lagniappe (lan-yap) n. Chiefly Southern Louisiana and Mississippi 1. A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer with the customer's purchase. 2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. [Louisiana French, from American Spanish - la napa, the gift.] -AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Here's what I consider to be the most well-named church ever. What better gift that the gift of faith? We are often asked if we have needs other than specific financial donations- absolutely!

We will keep this list current but PLEASE call or e-mail before purchasing an item so that we can avoid 'extra' items.

We need Shed assembly kits donated! What a great way for your youth group or children's ministry to get involved with Lagniappe Church! Below is a listing of items which should be in each kit and don't forget they would all need to be in a storage container. Please mark EVERYTHING with the letters LPC and put it in the kit and ship to us.

Drill (plug in or cordless but the cordless seem to run out of juice so either extra batteries or one of each- 18v minimum)
Several phillips head replacement bits
Skill saw
Speed square
50 foot extension cord
2 utility knives (straight and hook blades)
hammers (3 or more)
chalk line
tin snips
nail pouch
tape measure
Square
3' level
storage container for all of it
bucket with organizer (outside pockets or slide in totes for organization of needed extra nails and screws)

Relief & Work Site Supplies

Enclosed pull behind trailer to use for supplies at worksites (received!)
Open trailers to use for delivering storage sheds (Received!)
LARGE storgage building built to keep supplies in 10x20 minimum (needs to be non-permanent to avoid code issues)
Pickup truck for mission groups to use (Received!)
Bracket and Winch for Dodge Pickup- removable and hitch mountable
Sheetrock
30 year architectural grade shingles
Roofing felt
DRILLS! Cordless and Corded
Extension cords
Nail guns
Home Depot gift cards
Lowes gift cards
Nail gun nails
Sawhorses
Trailers for supplies Plywood (treated & untreated)
Nail aprons

Equipment
Digital camera, 5.1 mpxl or greater (Received!)
Sony Cybershot 256 mb Memory stick cards (Received!)
Rechargable Batteries for camera (Received!)
Office Depot/Office Max gift cards
Vent-A-Hood for Kitchen 8,000.00 (Received)
Microwave Ovens (4) $1,000.00 (Received)
Janitorial (mops and buckets etc) $500.00 (Received)
LCD projectors $2,500.00
Motorized Dropdown Screens $1,000.00
Flat Panel Monitors $700.00
Sound System for sancuary $25,000.00 (Received)
Gravel $5,000.00 (Received)
Outdoor Lighting $3,000.00 (Received)
Chain-Link Fencing and Gate $11,000.00
9000 sq feet of VCT floor $8,000.00
HVAC for office space (including installation) $5,000.00
Flooring for batchroom $6,000.00 (Received)
outdoor basketball goals $500.00 (Received)
Picnic tables & outdoor furniture $250.00
Misc Kitchen Equipment $2,500.00 (Received)
Kitchen Refrigeration Repair $2,599.00 (Received)
Insulate and Panel Walls in Building $25,000.00
Plywood and Panelling for offices etc $15,000.00 (Received)
Roof Installation $15,999.00 (Received)
Copy Machine Lease $3,600.00
Computers $700.00 each (15 needed)
Computer Installation $3,000.00
Phone System Installation $3,000.00 (Received)
Outdoor Signage $5,000.00 (Received)
Server for computer system $2,999.00
Fuel Costs (Shell and Chevron fuel cards) $2,500.00
Building Maintenance Equipment (mowers etc) $1,200.00
Office Depot Gift Cards for office supplies $50.00
Domino's pizza Gift Cards $20.00
Delta or Northwest Airline Miles (intern trips home, and travel)
A/C for Jetta $1,200.00
Windows for Jetta $200.00
Compressor for Astro Van A/C $1,200.00
Sams Wholesale gift cards $20.00
Temorary Office Building $3,999.00 (Received)
Carpet in New Office $3,500
Handicapped Bathroom finishing $4,000.00 (Received)
Finishing out Offices (pastors study) / Bookshelves etc $5,000.00
Scaffolding $3,000.00
Laser Level $1,300.00
Lighting & Fixtures for offices $3,000.00
Parking Lot improvements $1,000.00
Software $2,900.00 (Received)
Postage Meter $300.00
Printing Supplies and costs $5,000.00
Outdoor Garbage Cans $1,000.00
fire extinquishers $3,000.00 (Received)
travel trailers $27,000.00

9/10 Update From Andy
Things are good in the Bay at Lagniappe. We have no volunteers right now (by design) but will start to ramp back up by next week. We'll be getting some volunteers in later this month, and will be close to capacity (300) in October. We have around 160 for the week of Thanksgiving, but we do need more volunteer groups to be here to help.
We have been housing some Habitat Groups and they have gone out and built houses, but there are so many houses that need repair, not just new housing.
What do we need? Obviously money -- for long term sustanance. It takes a lot of staff, to be able to provide the food, housing, work orders, scheduling, logistics, and the social work / case management... Not to mention the "church" part of the staff. We need to raise money to continue being able to keep the staff that we have, and we need groups to come to help rebuild with us.
We can also house and feed groups from other organizations for them ( if they don't have housing). We have a great commercial kitchen/with staff and have bunkhouses with A/C and hot showers and nice facilities for folks to stay with us.

Foundation Hope

Tricia@Foundation-Hope.org
12/23
Below you will find a link to a website that we have created for our Hurricane Katrina T-Shirt Fundraiser. Brett & Deanna Favre and their foundations, along with Foundation Hope, Inc. are trying to bring awareness and support back to those along the MS Gulf Coast who were so adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina. AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We know the power of one individual to make a difference in the lives of others. So, we ask you to please consider supporting this effort AND please forward this message with the link to as many people as you can and encourage them to give a HAND UP to those on the MS Gulf coast in rebuilding their lives, homes and communities. So many resident's are losing HOPE; especially during this holiday season. You can give the greatest Christmas gift ever by giving the gift of HOPE to these families through supporting this effort.
Foundation Hope, Inc. has currently completed 15 homes and with your support we can do so much more. We realize that many people across this nation cannot physically come and volunteer, BUT YOU CAN give and have a GREATER impact in a life. The purchase of one T-shirt can support (3) licensed and skilled laborers DAILY to work on the homes in our program. Foundation Hope, Inc. can complete a new construction or repair project in an average of 7-10 days. Imagine the impact YOU CAN have by supporting (3) laborers DAILY...... WWW.FOUNDATION-HOPEGEAR.ORG
Please visit the website and make a difference this Christmas in the life of one who greatly needs you and your support. For more information concerning our efforts, please contact the FoundationHope, Inc. offices at (228) 255-0244.
The Foundation Hope, Inc. website is currently under construction, but please revisit our website at

This is the house we built from scratch.....1204 sq ft. on 14 ft. pilings for less than $25,000. Finally found the builder and the person to agree with me that it could be done.

9 months of much prayer and much persistence paid off! Finally.

This is our second one and the third is going up Aug. 10th.


(Their first one was a total rebuild for a leukemia child's family)

We are Foundation Hope, Inc. a non-profit organization providing disaster relief to the residents of the MS Gulf Coast. This is my hometown. I have lived north of the coast in Hattiesburg for the last 11 years, but my mom, uncles, aunts, brothers, bets friends, etc. all still live on the coast.
I made my way with my friends back to the coast via vehicle and ATV to start distributing supplies that my friends and relatives from across the country started sending to us. With the help of our friends at the Air McNair Foundation and The Brett Favre Fourward Foundation and the personal assistance of their volunteer-extraordinaire, Rick Maddox, we started the Point of Distribution (POD).

This turned into what is now known as Foundation Hope, Inc. Since, we have been granted a 5 million dollar In-Kind donation from The People of Saudi Arabia to rebuild damaged homes. We started this effort February 13.

Shipping Address:
Foundation Hope
414 Highway 90
Bay St Louis, MS 39520-3531

Monetary Donations to:
P.O. Box 3324
Bay St Louis, MS 39521

Skilled Labor
GENERAL CONTRACTORS
ELECTRICIANS
PLUMBERS
SHEETROCK HANGERS & FINISHERS
PAINTERS
CARPENTERS
ROOFERS
CERAMIC TILE INSTALLERS
APPLIANCE INSTALLERS (ALL KINDS)
LANDSCAPERS
SURVEYORS‘ELEVATION CREWS’

Gas Powered Items
GENERATORS
PAINT SPRAYER
CHAINSAWS & CHAINS
PORTABLE CEMENT MIXER
LEAF BLOWERS
TRENCHER
STUMP GRINDERWOOD
CHIPPER
TILLERS
WEEDEATER/EDGERS
LAWN
MOWERS
TRACTOR
FORKLIFT
BOBCAT

Power Tools
DRILLS
ROTOZIPS
CIRCULAR SAWS
WET SAWS
PORTABLE POWERED TABLE SAW
NAIL GUNS (AIR COMPRESSED BRAD NAILER COMBO KIT WITH THREE GUNS INCLUDED)
SAW HORSES
TEXTURIZING KIT/SPRAYER
FLOOD LIGHTS
ANY CORDLESS EQUIPMENT
CUTTING TORCH
WELDER HEAVY DUTY
DRYWALL
SCREW DRIVER
RYOBI RECIPROCATING SAW
ROOFING GUN
COMPOUND SAWS
BLOW TORCHES
SANDER-ORBITAL, HAND, BELT
INDUSTRIAL SIZE FANS
SHOP VACS (LARGE & SMALL)
WET/DRY VACS

Tools
HAMMERS
SCREWDRIVERS (ELECTRIC AND MANUAL)
MECHANICS TOOL SETS
SAWSGANG BOXES
STAPLE GUNS
WRENCHES
BROOMS-REGULAR & INDUSTRIAL
PAINT BRUSHES & ROLLERS
PAINT EDGERS
PAINT SPONGE BRUSHES
TROWELS
PUTTY KNIVES
EXTENSION CORDS
SCRUB BRUSHES
DOLLIES
PALLETT JACKS
PIPE WRENCHES
PIPE BENDER
CROW BARS
TAPE MEASURES
SAFETY GOGGLES
MOPS
MOP BUCKETS-INDUSTRIAL
RUBBER MALLET
CHISELS
CAULKING GUNS
LAMPS
UTILITY TABLES
SPRAY BOTTLES
WIRE STRIPPERS
WIRE CUTTERS
LEVELS
CHALK LINES
CARPENTERS PENCILS
T-SQUARES
PLUMBING INSTALLATION KITS

Outdoor Tools
SHOVELS
RAKES
LADDERS
SCAFFOLDING
WHEELBARROWS
TRAILER (COVERED & UNCOVERED)
SPADE
PICK AXES
ROCK RAKE
SLEDGE HAMMERS
AUGER
POST HOLE DIGGERS
WEDGES

Outdoor Supplies
FILL DIRT-----THEY ARE CHARGING WAY TOO MUCH
PESTICIDE
FOGGERS-BUGS
BUG LIGHTS
SCREENS
FENCES
MAILBOXES
HOUSE NUMBERS
STORAGE SHEDS

Supplies
SANDPAPER
EXTENSION HOSES FOR AIR COMPRESSOR
PAINT PANS
DROP CLOTHS
BUCKETS
SPONGES
GLOVES
MASKS
WATER HOSES
CARGO NETS
BUNGEE CORD/TIE DOWN STRAPS
NAILS-ASSORTED
SCREWS-ASSORTED
PAINTERS TAPE
PRIMER
PAINT
PAINT THINNER
TRASH BAGS
CLEANING SUPPLIES
ROMEX WIRE
ELECTRICAL OUTLETS
ELECTRICAL SWITCHES
OUTLET COVER PLATES
SWITCH COVER PLATES
PVC PIPE
STORAGE SHELVES
INVENTORY SOFTWARE & MARKING KIT
CAULK
TUB & TILE CAULK
GROUT
GORILLA GLUE
WOOD GLUE

Building Materials
SHEETROCK
SHEETROCK MUD
SHEERTOCK TAPE
CORNER BEAD
SHEETROCK NAILS/SCREWS
LUMBER – ALL KINDS
SHINGLES
FELT
ROOFING NAILS
TOILETS
SINKS
PLYWOOD
DOORS
WINDOWS
INSULATION
CEILING TILES
ALL TYPES OF FLOORING
LIGHT FIXTURES
CEILING FANS
OUTDOORS LIGHTS
SIDING
BRICK
DRIP EDGE
RIDGE VENT
SOFFIT
FASCIA
FAUCETS
MOLDING

Home Owner Needs
HOT WATER HEATERS
A/C UNITS
APPLIANCES
SMOKE DETECTORS
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
DOOR KNOBS
SINKS
METAL ROOFING & CEMENT