Columbus Mission to Mandeville, Katrina Relief

Editor's Note: Janet is becoming legendary in this work. This letter is directed to the Bruce Willis Foundation, but is informative for all of us who have contributed to this effort and continue to. Pics and the supplies list she mentions are on the picture site: http://www.therenos.com/katrinaPictures/Janet/

There are times in our lives that God shows us how big our world is without making us feel small and insignificant. In our state of feeling perpetually frustrated and helpless, He constantly reveals Himself to us over and over again.

My name is Janet Hines and I am the director of the disaster relief program that we are conducting here at our church in Mandeville, LA. At our first meeting on the first Saturday after the storm, we decided that we were willing to take on the project of helping our community in a time of desperate need. We made it our goal to become a beacon of hope with Jesus as the source of our light to our neighbors.

At that time, none of us realized how God was going to use us in the way that He has. In the last month, we have housed over 800 volunteers here in our building. Let me explain that our building is really new. We had only met five times for worship prior to the storm August 29, 2005. Over 3,200 families have received relief supplies through our front doors. Services such as tree removal, yard cleaning, and house cleaning/gutting has been provided for over 200 households at no cost. This is ongoing in our projects daily.

We are no longer providing supplies to individuals directly from the warehouse as immediate needs in our community have been met. Our focus has shifted to serving the outlying communities with the items that they need. We are acting as a distribution center for incoming donations, which we sort, pack and distribute to areas in need.

Communities are still in crisis. Grocery stores are now open but often shelves stand empty. Schools have homeless teachers living in tents, without access to running water. These selfless professionals have returned to serve children without having their own basic personal needs met. Families who were blessed to experience no damage find themselves housing a dozen or more survivors.

Homes, which were flooded, stand stagnant with mold and toxic waste. These residences must be gutted. This process has been labeled “de-mucking”, and reduces a home to its skeletal framework. Often the elderly or the ill have no means to accomplish this daunting and emotional task. Shelters have been emptied forcing these individuals to return to unsafe living conditions.

Medical clinics and hospitals have been slow to return. Our program provided immediate medical services through a team of doctors, a nurse practitioner, a pharmacist and nurses who offered donated prescription medications and over the counter pharmaceutical items throughout the shelters and communities. Makeshift clinics were set up in fire halls. Nursing teams met before dawn to provide vaccines to the National Guard and other members of the armed forces before they entered New Orleans to search for survivors and victims.

We are so appreciative of your participation in the “Got Your Back” program sponsored by Nickelodeon. We are praying that you would be able to provide further assistance to facilitate our efforts here. Following this letter are photographs and categories and listings of items that are crucial to continuing the recovery. We thank you for considering further participation in our efforts as we continue serving our community.

God Bless You,


Janet Hines
Director