Our sixteenth trip to the Gulf Coast took place between March 29th and April 4th, 2007, when Bill Horn traveled to Gulfport, Long Beach, Bay St. Louis and Waveland, Mississippi.  Bill was joined by Stephanie Lucas, a parishioner of Old St. Pat's in Chicago, a parish that Bill has worked with on previous trips.  They stayed at St. Ann's Project Hope and Compassion ministry where we were fed and housed in their parish hall.  On one of our workdays we accompanied a group of teens and adult chaperones from Muskegan Catholic High School in Michigan to Long Beach where we gutted a storm damaged house.  Since we had 22 of us working at one time, we were able to complete the project in less that a full day, something that normally takes much longer.
 
           On two other work days, Stephanie and Bill helped a resident of Gulfport that we had worked with in the past.  We were able to put some color into his home by painting a number of rooms, something that is so rewarding after seeing so much destruction.  We had to leave the painting undone to respond to a request we received from the local St. Vincent de Paul Society representative to meet with a family that requested their help.  What we thought was going to be a routine inspection of the hurricane damages done to a home and the determination of what needed to be accomplished, turned out to be so much more.   As it evolved, the home reconstruction is only a small part of what is needing attention.
 
            Living in a FEMA trailer behind the storm damaged home in Waveland are three members of one family.  Marlene, the mother, Bernadine and Regan, her daughter and son.  Prior to the hurricane, Marlene and Bernadine were living in an apartment in Gulfport.  After they evacuated, and their apartment was totally destroyed by the storm, they moved into the trailer with Regan.  Regan had started an addition to his home sometime prior to the storm that would accomodate his mother and sister, since both of them are disabled.  The home suffered some damages that have been mostly repaired, while the addition is still  being constructed by Regan when he's not at his job.  He designed the addition to accomodate the handicapped as well as a lift system to be installed on a track in the ceiling that can be used to carry his sister from one area to another.
 
            Bernadine suffered a tramatic brain injury twenty years ago which left her a quadriplegic.  She was living in Washington, DC at the time, but returned home to be cared for by her mother.  Over the course of time, Marlene could not lift Bernadine because of Marlene developing osteoporosis. The lifting of Bernadine then became the responsibility of Regan, who is able to do this by returning home from his job twice daily to take Bernadine to the bathroom.  The only help they receive outside of the family is a nurse's aid that comes in for one hour a day, five days a week, to help bathe Bernadine. 
  
            Stephanie and Bill couldn't absorb all of this information in one visit, and so returned to develop a plan of action to help this loving and devoted family.  We have contacted their parish, Annunciation Church and requested their help, as well as a number of agencies and organizations that could possibly help with their case management and be a patient advocate.  We urged the family to tell us of things that they could use in their daily life to hopefully make it less of a burdon on them.  A wish list of items was developed that was shared with their parish, the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Long Beach, and various organizations.  The list includes:  various building materials (to complete the construction of the handicapped accommodated addition), a computer with voice activation and a laser mouse (that would replace one lost in the hurricane and allow Bernadine to connect with the outside world and to write again), a tilt table (which allows Bernadine to temporarily displace the presurre from her back onto her feet), a lift system (to move Bernadine from her bedroom to other areas of the home), and a handicap equipped van (to allow the family to leave their home). 
 
             Prior to this experience, we thought home reconstruction was pretty tough work.  After meeting this family, it seems like child play.  We thank God for this extraordinary experience and opportunity to share His love!!!  If you would like more information and/or to contribute to this cause, please contact Bill Horn at 638-4538. 
   

           Our seventeenth trip to the Gulf Coast took place between May 17th and May 23rd, 2007, when Theresa Boone and Bill Horn traveled to Gulfport and Kiln, Mississippi.  Theresa and Bill stayed at St. Ann's Project Hope and Compassion ministry where our volunteers have stayed many times on previous trips.  During our stay we were able to lend a hand to St. Ann parishioners preparing for their major fund raiser, the Catfish Festival.  The majority of our time we spent with the Necaise family, the family which was described above (see 16th trip). 
 
         Our days were consumed by reviewing the pending construction needs, making contacts with their local parish, and social service agencies that could be of help to the family.  As part of this effort, we were able to provide some respite relief for Mrs. Necaise which allowed her to leave in our vehicle for the afternoon.  It was so rewarding to hear Mrs. Necaise tell us how wonderful it was for her to be alone and driving a car for the first time since before the hurricane, all the while knowing that her daughter was being well cared for.  We came to Mississippi to share a blessing with this family, and in turn we were the ones truly blessed.  Our Lord is so good!
 
         Our eighteenth trip to the Gulf Coast took place between June 2nd and June 13th, 2007, when Bill Horn traveled to Gulfport, Pass Christian, and Kiln, Mississippi.  Bill stayed at our usual place, St. Ann's Project hope and Compassion ministry.  During the first week of his stay, Bill was able to recruit volunteer groups from St. Mary Cathedral of Owensboro, Indiana, and Lady of Lourdes Church of Owensboro, Kentucky, to help with carpentry, hanging dry wall, and yard work at the home of the Necaise family, described above (trips #16 and #17).  By weeks end, most of the drywall had been hung and a good part of it finished.
 
          Over the week-end Bill was able to attend a re-blessing by Bishop Thomas Rodi of Our Mother of Mercy Church in Pass Christian.  It was a very moving ceremony, especially for all of us that had worked to restore their buildings and make this day become a reality. 
 
          For the second week of construction at the Necaise home, Bill was able to solicit volunteers from another Catholic parish, St. Jane Frances de Chantal of Pasadena, Maryland, to continue the dry wall (hanging and finishing) project.  While this was proceeding, two social service organizations that we had previously contacted, informed the Necaise family that they were going to provide a motorized lift system to be installed in the home, various bathroom fixtures, as well as provide some financial assistance to help with the purchasing of additional construction materials.
 
          With meeting the Necaise family and experiencing their care and love for one another, along with their deep spiritual convictions, it is easy to understand how all of the volunteers from the four Catholic parishes that have worked and prayed with them during these two weeks would want to continue helping them even after our return home.  Our focus is now to raise additional funds to be used by this family in the purchase of items that we see would help make their lives less burdensome, including obtaining a handicap equipped van.  If you would like to contribute to this effort, which is being coordinated through the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Thomas the Apostle parish in Long Beach, MS, please contact Bill Horn at 638-4538.  Also, please consider joining in on our next trip planned for early August to help this and other families in the Gulf Coast.
 

          Our nineteenth trip to the Gulf Coast took place between August 4th and August 11th, 2007, when Bill Jerome, Bill Horn, and Bill Wuerth traveled to Gulfport, and Kiln, Mississippi.  The three Bill's stayed at St. Ann's Project Hope and Compassion ministry, where our volunteers have stayed many times in the past.
 
         The primary focus of our efforts were directed towards helping the Necaise family in Kiln, the family we have been working with since this spring.  At the Necaise home we worked with a youth group from St. Jane Frances de Chantal of Pasadena, MD on drywall; more taping, mudding, and sanding.  In addition to our visiting with the family, Bill Wuerth was able to take Mrs. Necaise and Deanie out for a ride on two separate days.  One can imagine how they enjoyed these outings, since the only other times they are able to get out is when Regan (Deanie's brother) takes them to church in his employers truck, their only means of transportation.  The Necaise's were not the only ones excited about this experience, the volunteers were also thrilled by seeing it take place.
 
         In addition to helping the Necaise family, some of our attention was given to locating other families that were in need of help.  We were able to enlist the youth group from St. Jane as well as another youth group from Sacred Heart parish of Bad Axe, MI in clearing debris from houses, scrapping and painting a house, and making some repairs.  A good amount of work is accomplished with all the youthful energy, but so much remains to be done.