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Homeowner Bio
 One of the mottos that Darrell Betha, Chalmette resident, lives by is: “If you are kind, people will be kind to you.” When Hurricane Katrina hit the Parish in 2005, Betha was amazed to find his motto stood true in the wake of the devastation.
Darrell was a resident of St. Bernard Parish for more than 22 years. Several years prior to Katrina, Darrell and his fiancée, Rose, moved into their Chalmette home with their daughter. Darrell worked as a crew leader for Matos Energy, dealing with heavy construction work. Unfortunately, he injured his back while on the job and was forced to go on disability. With the free time he now had, Darrell became more active in his church. He participated in the senior citizen program, helping elders by cleaning their homes, shopping for their groceries, and simply talking to them.
When Darrell heard about the possible threat of Hurricane Katrina, he chose to move his family to Atlanta, where his oldest son lived. They ended up living in Atlanta for four months before moving into their own apartment nearby. In January 2007, Darrell and his family moved to a rented house in Shreveport, La., where they lived until July 2008.
His family then decided to return to St. Bernard Parish to assess the damage of their home. They were shocked about what they found when they returned home. “It was horrible to see,” Darrell said. “Everything we worked for was gone. We couldn’t even recognize our own furniture.” Not only did the couple lose their home, but they also lost loved ones in Katrina. Rose lost two of her uncles.
Darrell and his family decided to rent a house in Violet. With Darrell’s disability and Rose being laid off from her job as a school bus driver, the couple did not have sufficient funds to rebuild their Chalmette home. However, volunteers from St. Bernard Project, who Darrell calls, “miracle people”, gave him hope. Volunteers from the Project were working on a home next door to his in Violet, and he allowed the volunteers to use his bathroom. After talking to these volunteers, Darrell found out about the Project’s rebuilding program, and the volunteers urged Darrell to apply. He was soon accepted.
Darrell is grateful for all the help he has received from St. Bernard Project. “I was always helping people, but I never thought that I would need the same kind of help one day,” he said. Darrell is specifically grateful for the teenagers who use their school vacation time to come down to St. Bernard Parish and help rebuild homes. “I think it is so wonderful what these kids are doing,” Darrell said. “I just have to give them applause for that.”
While Darrell and his family’s home is being rebuilt, Darrell continues to practice kindness and generosity by continuing to help senior citizens at his church, as well as family members, with their basic needs.
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Under Construction
Some of our homes currently under Construction
Barbara Williams, New Orleans, LA
Brenda Dupre-Williams, Lower 9th
Chana King, Violet, LA
Clarence and Diane Victorian, New Orleans East, LA
Cologero Caillouet, Chalmette, LA
Darren Anderson, Violet, LA
Darryn Carreras, Chalmette, LA
Darrell Betha, Mereaux, LA
David Lagrange, Arabi, LA
David Melerine, St Bernard, LA
Deborah Vita, Violet, LA
Debra Brown, Gentilly, LA
Delia Doty, Chalmette, LA
Donald & Tonya Topey, Violet, LA
Donnell Barthelemy, Violet, LA
Donnie Panarello, Chalmette, LA
Evelyn Solis, Chalmette, LA
Gerry Bierria, New Orleans, LA
Glenda Ceaser, Violet, LA
Jennifer Lanier, Violet, LA
Joycelyn and Lawrence Stokes, St. Bernard, LA
Joyce Guient, New Orleans, LA
Juan Toledo, Arabi, LA
Keith Florane, Chalmette, LA
Kenneth Burrell, Arabi, LA
Kenneth Dorsey, Lower 9th
Kwame & Dominique Adansi-Bona, Gentilly, LA
Mathilda & August Miller, Chalmette, LA
Mona Lisa Payne, New Orleans, LA
Ralph Dipadova, Chalmette, LA
Rebecca Holmes, St. Bernard, LA
Regina Beal, Violet, LA
Rhonda Krantz, St. Bernard, LA
Ricky Diecidue, Meraux, LA
Robert & Amy Barlow, Meraux, LA
Roosevelt Houston, Lower 9th
Sabrina Pacaccio, Violet, LA
Shane & Tina Meshell, Meraux, LA
Sharen Williams, Arabi, LA
Theresa McLuckey, Chalmette, LA
Vanessa Havers, St. Bernard, LA
Velma Lewis, New Orleans, LA
Willie Major, Violet, LA
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