Katrina Mission

Four men left BDBC in a truck pulling a trailer filled with tools and supplies gathered by members to answer a call for HELP on November 4, 2005. Their journey of hundreds of miles brought them to an area of much destruction but much hope on the part of the people of Lacombe. Mary Beth Thomas, a resident, had initially surveyed the area just northwest of Slidell about six weeks following the storm. She found that several folks had made their way back to the area and desperately needed assistance. Somehow, the message got to Beaver Dam.

As Ms. Patricia Pierre and her daughter, Miss Althea Ducre, were busy in Ms. Pierre's ravaged home, voices came up the driveway and into the house…”Is anyone here?” After receiving their assignment and directions at a local staging area, Adam Gragg, Robbie Kincaid, Tom Payne and Ralph Taylor were a welcome sight to these two women who were struggling with the realization that they were not able to do the work that needed to be done. Before work even began in the house, the fellows had to clear the road of fallen trees in order to get equipment in. The next job was pulling everything out of the house – getting rid of the water soaked interior and the black mold. The process began and over the next months many hands would join in reclaiming Miss Patricia's home.

A side story enters the picture at this point. Miss Althea was a real estate agent. Word was received that some toys were being sent from someone connected with BDBC. What address should be used? Miss Althea decided that her work address would be best. Several days later the office called to say that two big boxes had arrived. This happened not once but three or four times over the course of the next several weeks. Miss Althea had the delightful job of getting toys out to every child in the area! She commented that it was very special to see a child clutching a new, clean toy. “Miss Leslie” Cosner had spearheaded the toy drive where she works.

All of this and much more was shared with Bill and Roberta Harlowe when they traveled from a conference in New Orleans over to Lacombe on February 15, 2009. As you can see from the pictures, Miss Patricia is very, very happy to be back in the home that was built by her father. They send their greetings and many thanks to all of the BDBC members, especially “Mr. Adam”, “Mr. Robbie”, “Mr. Tom”, “Mr. Ralph” and “Miss Leslie”.