Theres No Place Like Home

In New Orleans, the St. Bernard Project is Proving There's No Place Like Home



In New Orleans, the St. Bernard Project is Proving There's No Place Like Home, both Zack Rosenburg and Liz McCartney did not except so much disaster Hurricane Katrina had left behind. When they realized how many homes and communities were destroyed, they decided they would try to help everyone little by little until everyone had in some way been helped. They established St. Bernard Project (SBP), an organization that would help all the communities that had been torn down by Hurricane Katrina. Even though many other places had been affected, the pair decided to name the organization after one of the hardest hit areas: the St. Bernard Parish area. The St. Bernard Parish area had been labeled an uninhabitable location. The SBP later collaborated with Toyota.  The non-profit organization has grown in the past years. More and more volunteers have contributed to the growing cause. Even though it has been years since the hurricane, many people will have that happiness of being able to return to their old homes. I think that these 2 people are beyond amazing for doing so much for others, shows how much people are willing to help others. 


Both Zack and Liz wanted to help people. Even after they both realized how much work it was going to be, they decided it was best to do it anyways. Here are some statistics about the SBP:  “So far, the SBP has mobilized 36,000 dedicated volunteers and built more than 400 homes for residents of New Orleans.” The SBP organization has help over hundreds of residents of New Orleans to have their homes again. Homes that were once wrecked are now rebuilt for those who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina. The organization has helped so many emotionally. Here is another person who has benefited emotionally by her house being rebuilt: “One of those people was Me'shelle Williams, who told Rosenburg, "Katrina took my childhood away. By rebuilding my home, [SBP has] given back my childhood.” She moved back into her home a full five years after Katrina.” Williams’s home was rebuilt; all her memories in that house came back. Her “childhood” was taken from her by Katrina. Williams was able to go to the house she had spent time in. The author wanted to demonstrate how much the organization had helped those affected by Katrina. She also used so many examples and the power of SBP to the residents of New Orleans. 


My personal response was that the SBP is truly amazing. It is helping so many people go home. So many people were devastated to know that their homes were destroyed. Memoires were lost, family members left, homes were destroyed. If organizations had not come together to help those who had suffered, then New Orleans could still have been in ruins. Yes, it took years, but it helped many people return to their towns and staying there. Many people would be able to return to their original homes. To everyone who was helped by these organizations, they have a personal reason to bet thankful. Me'shelle Williams herself was thankful for her house being rebuilt. She was able to return to where she had spent her childhood in; one more person being reunited with her home.