Woodstock, Vermont’sNorth Universalist Chapel Society’s

Hurricane Relief Trip 2005to New Iberia, Louisiana, to work withSouthern Mutual Help Association’s

Rural Recovery Task Force

Orientationat Victor’sw/ Judy Herring

& Juanita Alvarez-Mainster

Judy was ourprimary contact

with SMHA &became a goodfriend to us all.

Lorna Bourg & Sister Helen Vinton are the inspiration behind

Southern Mutual Help Association.

Our first day in the field. . . .doing assessments on Lamas Street

in Erath, Louisiana

Seeing the

Hurricane’sForce

in Esther &Intercoastal City

The destructionwas even foundin cemeteries.

Our Main Project: Repairing the Hurricane-Damaged

Home of The RossersKaren, Brad and their seven adopted/foster children:Terra, Frankie, Lynn, Dasha, Derrick, Monika & Tylor

Cleaning the Mold& tearing out rotted walls

. . .and Rotted Floors. . .

Haulin’ & Pilin’

Our first of several piles.

But they kept taking our piles away

(each time with a bigger tractor).

Many of us learnedTo use new tools. . .

After tearing the rotted floors out,

we replaced them with new ones.

At Last!the FEMA trailers arrived –

to be followed by NUMEROUS inspectors.

We put in the floor for the new kitchen (all new construction must be 11’ above sea level --the rest of the house is at about 8’, so there will be

three steps up to the new kitchen from the rest of the house).

And later the walls and roof.

As we returned to Vermont,we reflected on

how much there is that still needs to be done. . .

We hope many other volunteers will follow us in the coming months and

years to continue the work of SMHA’s

Rural Recovery Responseto rebuild rural Louisianabetter than it was before.

If your church or college is interested in sending a team to volunteer, contact:

Judy Herring atSMHA@SouthernMutualHelp.org

If you are interested in making a contribution to support this kind of work,

visit SMHA’s website at

www.SouthernMutualHelp.org