This is a post for The Home Depot Foundation who I love dearly. Every thought, opinion, and experience is all mine.
It is crazy to think that Katrina hit and destroyed much of New Orleans 10 years ago. It doesn't feel like it has been that long. And what is even more crazy is that there are so many places that look like it just happened last week. So many homes and buildings that are still damaged and in disrepair.
Shane and I had the opportunity to see it first hand when we went back there with The Home Depot Foundation to do service projects.
These pictures are of the same house you guys!
It is easy to sit here in my home that is in good repair (if you don't count the many DIY projects sitting here half done) and be comfortable. It is easy to get caught up in being comfortable and forget that there are others that are not as lucky. Helping to repair some of these homes was a sobering reminder. In talking with the homeowners and hearing how grateful they were they not everyone forgot about them made me realize how quickly we do forget. The stories flash on our TVs shortly after they occur and we feel so bad. We ache for them. Then a commercial comes on and we are thinking about stuffed crust pizza. Then the next week a new story dominates the media and the natural disaster and all those affected by it are out of our minds for good. I am grateful that there are companies, brands, and organizations who take on the tough job of rebuilding. I am thankful they do not forget.
Some people lost their homes completely and 10 years later and due to financial restrictions have not been able to rebuild. Shane worked with Habitat to build new homes.
This video shows the people we met and worked with. If you want to re-read Shane's post, it talks about the personal stories of the store managers featured in this clip. They are seriously amazing and I am so glad I got to meet them and see for myself that they were the real deal. Passionate and humble.
I love following Team Depot on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram so I can see pictures of all the different service projects they do all throughout the year. Service for veterans and for victims of natural disasters. It is my daily reminder to find ways to serve.
The Home Depot Foundation partners with bloggers such as me to share information on Team Depot projects. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say in these posts. The Home Depot Foundation believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot Foundation’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.
What a great cause! I think it's so easy for us to get caught up in the right shade of paint or feel in a room and totally forget that some people would be ecstatic to just have a safe, clean space to call their own!
I was sitting here just this morning, looking at the unfinished DIY project that is my lovely house, feeling a bit sorry for myself. Thanks for helping me reconnect with reality and readjust my thinking. :)
It's so hard to believe it has already been 10 years! I love to see all the hard work the HDF and the volunteers are putting in, great work!
Wow, thanks for sharing! What a transformation, and it's heartwarming to know that there are people working to make a positive difference in the world/
Thanks for the reality check ... reminders like this are a great way to stay grounded and remember that the most important things aren't really things!
so very cool!! I love these success stories of helping others. hard to believe its been 10 years since Katrina!
thank you for sharing. I cannot help but wonder how distracting and dangerous it is for those who have their homes back in shape and several of the places that would attract homeless, gangs etc remain intheir immediate neighborhood.
iis there anything legal that can be done about doing the demo on those structures. ?????????????
Wow this is amazing! It's great to read something so inspiring!
This is very interesting. It's great to refurbish property because it rises the value. This is very inspirational to many new investors showing us that it can be done and look amazing. I have a similar blog about property: http://realestateforyouallc.ipage.com