Donnell Barthelemy PDF Print E-mail
alt

Like many people in St. Bernard Parish, both of Donnell Barthelemy's children and all eight of her grandchildren lived within walking distance of her home in Violet, LA before the storm.

Katrina separated their tight-knit family and Donnell is still struggling to restore the life she had before the storm.

Donnell has lived in St. Bernard her whole life and had never experienced flooding that occurred when the levees broke after Katrina. Still, she heeded evacuation warnings and found safety in Talon, Texas. But Donnell's home, which she purchased just six months before the storm, didn't fair as well. The floodwaters settled above the roof.

Donnell's children returned home before she did and sent her pictures of what remained of her home so that she would be prepared to see it.

Still, it was heartbreaking, she says. "You can't imagine what it's like to lose everything."

Even the structure couldn't be saved -- the home had to be demolished. Donnell's son had to do major repairs on his home and her daughter lost the apartment she had been renting.

But despite the destruction, Donnell says she wouldn't think of leaving St. Bernard. When asked why, she said, "I've been here all of my life. Where else would I go?"

When she got back to Violet, Donnell lived in a FEMA trailer park while waiting to rebuild. Eventually, she needed to have surgery and the trailer was not a healthy place to recover. Since then, she has been renting a small apartment.

Donnell received money from insurance and the Road Home grant program and set about rebuilding her home. She hired a contractor and he completed some of the work and then took off without finishing what he agreed to do. Donnell had paid him almost everything she had.

Donnell is still paying her mortgage in addition to her rent so she is relieved that volunteers will be working on her home. More importantly, her son her rebuilt his home and her daughter is renting another apartment on the next street, so soon Donnell will be within walking distance of her family again.

March 30, 2010

January 11, 2010

January 6, 2010
 

Welcome Home!

SBP recently welcomed home:
Amelia Elzey, Gentilly, LA
Lisa Heberling, Arabi, LA
Royce & Veron Treaudo, New Orleans, LA
Shelita Harrell, New Orleans East, LA
Read more about our other completed homes.

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
The St Bernard Project is a registered 501(c)(3); all donations are tax deductible.
OpenMoves