Friday, July 11, 2008

People of the Parish: Sharon and William - there's more to the story

Sharon, Reanna, and William are fighting eviction from their FEMA trailer while St. Bernard Project works on their home. The sign was still standing when they returned home after Katrina.

We heard there was more to the story of the "you gotta have FAITH sign", so we went back to revisit William, Sharon, and their daughter Reanna.

They once again welcomed us into their FEMA trailer and their home being rebuilt with the help of St. Bernard Project. William described coming back to find his home destroyed, and witnessed homes throughout his neighborhood pushed off their foundations and scattered throughout the streets. He wondered how to go about breaking this news to Sharon, who was staying with friends in the Lower Ninth Ward. "How do you go about telling someone her life as she knew it was washed away?", he wondered with anguish.

As he looked around, what he found still standing was the "you gotta have FAITH sign." Although the sign was put in the yard to show support for the New Orleans Saints football team, it took on new meaning post-Katrina. They advised there were many instances of religious artifacts surviving in areas where all else was destroyed.

So, this family believes their faith brought St. Bernard Project and volunteers from around the country to their aid as they were faced with a deadline from FEMA to leave their trailer by August 1. They view each nail hammered into the wall as one step closer to reclaiming their home and filling it with the sounds of children and grandchildren celebrating life's moments. They hugged us, waved good-bye, and once again invited us to Thanksgiving dinner.

No comments: