Our Stories
Gulfport, MS — August 29, 2006 — Below are several success stories made possible by case workers at the Gulf Coast Community Services Center (GCCSC) in Gulfport, MS. The GCCSC is a program of IRD-US, a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to reducing the suffering of the United States’ most vulnerable groups and providing the tools and resources needed to increase their self-sufficiency. IRD-US is affiliated with IRD, an international organization headquartered in Arlington, VA.
Marie Walker
Ms. Marie Walker is a 76-year-old widow living in Gulfport MS. She cares for her 56- year-old son, who is blind. When the GCCSC received Ms. Walker’s case after Hurricane Katrina, it conducted a disaster needs survey to determine the severity of damage to her home and level of insurance. Like many, Ms. Walker was underinsured for the extent of repairs needed to bring her life back.
The GCCSC was able to arrange for organizations to donate the labor and materials needed to complete repairs to Ms. Walker’s home. Through her social security and a small pension, Ms. Walker would also purchase materials with as much money as she could spare. Together the efforts allowed her and her son to move back into their home.
Dorothy Magee
Ms. Magee is an independent and energetic 74-year-old widow despite her health conditions. She is diabetic, has an enlarged heart, kidney problems and pleurisy. Ms. Magee is on a fixed income, but she still had insurance on her thirty-year-old mobile home. Fortunately she was visiting her grandson stationed out in California during Hurricane Katrina, so Ms. Magee did not see the destruction until she arrived home from her vacation weeks later.
Because Ms. Jackson had insurance, she was not qualified to receive FEMA assistance.
But the settlement money would only cover fixing the roof to her mobile home, not removing the mold nor fixing her damaged ceilings. And not only was the insurance settlement not enough to do full repairs, Ms. Magee did not have any other place to temporarily live in. So she remained in her home in its deteriorated condition. Her insurance coverage was dropped once they sent the initial settlement amount.
Thanks to a collective effort arranged by the GCCSC, Ms. Magee was able to complete all other repairs without having to relocate. UMCOR-Seashore Assembly volunteered to do the repairs; Ms. Magee provided the materials. Ms. Magee gave her heartfelt thanks to all those who assisted in her recovery efforts.
Gwendolyn Pope
Gwendolyn Pope, a 52-year-old widow living on very limited income, came to IRD in February after seeing an article in the local newspaper. The contents of Ms. Pope’s home were not insured and her damage and losses were insurmountable. Ms. Pope was united with services to provide repairs, labor and utility assistance through the GCCSC.
“My life and home is once again livable, and I will be forever grateful for the special attention that my case manager and the center gave to me,” said Ms. Pope.
Gwendolyn Jackson
Gwendolyn Jackson of Gulfport was desperate for assistance. Her mobile home had taken quite a beating by Hurricane Katrina, but unlike many, she had taken out insurance on her mobile home. Because Ms. Jackson had insurance, she was not qualified to receive FEMA assistance. She thought she was prepared.
But the insurance company made a dramatic underassessment of the damages her home received, and she knew that the small settlement of just a few thousand dollars would never cover the cost of her repairs. Every day, Ms. Jackson’s home depreciated. Not only was she running out of time, she had no idea what her options were. She did not know where to turn.
One January morning, Ms. Jackson was watching the early show on WLOX, the local television station for South Mississippi. Lori West, program director for GCCSC, was on the early show to discuss the case management services provided by the center. Ms. Jackson immediately called to schedule an appointment with Rochelle Alley, lead case manager.
Rochelle appealed the insurance company assessment of Ms. Jackson’s home and advocated on her behalf, requesting a new adjuster to make the recommendation that the home was a total loss. Not only did Ms. Jackson win the appeal, she was able to receive bids to repair her home at a significant reduction in cost. With the funds that were left over from Ms. Jackson’s insurance claim, she could purchase materials to return to the only home she had ever known.
“I want to thank Rochelle for all of her hard work and help,” Ms. Jackson said. “Without her and the GCCSC, I have no idea what would have happened to me.”
Alberta Pitman and Patricia Spann
Alberta Pitman puts her arm through mine and leads me down the hallway of her newly finished home. “What a difference a year makes,” she says when we reach the brightly decorated kitchen. What a difference indeed. A nearby creek swamped every home in her neighborhood with over four feet of water during Hurricane Katrina. All of Mrs. Pittman’s furniture, treasured photos and everything else in her home was lost in a combination of mud and debris. As a disabled senior citizen, Mrs. Pittman called IRD to help bring her life back to normal.
Down the street, her neighbor Patricia Spann is even more excited. She claps her hands in excitement when I knock on her door to see the progress she’s made since we first met.
When Mrs. Spann first registered with IRD she was desperate for help. Her business had been destroyed by the storm as well as her home. She had no money for repairs.
“I’m a hard worker,” she said on that day. “I’ll do whatever I have to get my house fixed.” Now that IRD has arranged for volunteer groups to repair her home, she has poured her heart into it by decorating each room. Her hard work is evident in the care she has taken in making each room as beautiful as it was before the storm.
“See how it used to look.” She scatters photos that show a dark, mold-filled home on the dining room table. The pictures bear little resemblance to the beautiful spacious room it is now. Everything in the house had to be replaced, from the roof to the walls.
When she saw that her home was a moldy ruin, her eyes sparkled with tears. Now they sparkle with joy as she shows off her newly rebuilt bedroom suite. She pulls her silver wig on tight and sassily poses in her rocking chair. “Show them my smile,” she says when taking her photo. “I’ve got so much to be thankful for.”
Betty Moran
Betty Moran had major damage to her mobile home which was not worth what it would take to repair it. Ms. Moran is 63 years old, and did not qualify for either a loan or a homeowner grant.
Through the help of the GCCSC, Ms. Moran was recently put on a volunteer “re-build list” for her home. She is endlessly thankful for the effort of the GCCSC in seeking out the necessary resources for her to obtain safe, sanitary and secure housing.
“The center gave me someone I could turn to,” Ms. Moran said. “My case manager listened.”
Gene Taylor
Gene Taylor often joked about having the same name as the local congressman. Although he was disabled due to various health conditions and did not have homeowner’s insurance, Mr. Taylor did not let his worries keep him from having a friendly disposition and positive attitude. Instead he chose to make the best of his situation by heating up water or cooking his food on a grill when his kitchen was in need of repair. Mr. Taylor also did without a heater during the winter, and then without air conditioning for many warm months.
Luckily, with the help of the GCCSC, Mr. Taylor was provided an air conditioning unit last spring from a warehouse of supplies in Woolmarket, MS. The GCCSC also arranged to have the mold removed from around his windows through a group of Heritage United Methodist Church volunteers, and arranged for another volunteer group called Grassroots to provide a blue tarp until his leaking roof could be repaired by Bethel Lutheran Church.
According to Mr. Taylor’s fiancée Camilla, Mr. Taylor could breathe much better after the repairs. Before, he had been sleeping on a mattress in the living room instead of on the hospital bed in his bedroom to stay cool and comfortable. They both were so appreciative of the volunteers that came to their home that they made refreshments to serve during the much-needed breaks.
Unfortunately, Mr. Taylor passed away several weeks ago at home. But his loved ones send their thanks for everything that the GCCSC, his case manager Kimberly Picou, and the volunteer groups helped make possible during the final months of his life. Mr. Taylor will be remembered most for his easy-going manner and sense of humor.
(September 2006)