Update on Cathy's Story... 5/15/07 (view original post below)

July 2007 (update)

Below are the pictures of the land where we plan on building Cathy's house. We will start clearing the property 7/12/07

Cost for clearing: $350.00 - PAID


In order for Cathy to qualify for her FEMA Cottage we will need to install a Well and Septic System

Cost for Well: Waiting on quote
Cost for Septic: $3,959.


We ask anybody reading this to please help and make a donation, just write "Cathy" on your donation card.  Our goal is to have Cathy in her new home by Christmas.  Thank you!

May 2007

Well, Cathy and Greg finally got their FEMA trailer but after 20 months things have gone from bad to worse.  Cathy and Greg Batiste's house looks worse than it did the day Katrina knocked it off its foundation. Getting bilked by a "contractor", filing charges with the county's sheriff's office and waiting in legal limbo has not taken the spirit out of either Cathy or Greg.






Before and after of house

Greg had a series of heart attacks in January of 2007. This has stopped him from being able work on the house which has now rotted away.  Where he used to spend all daylight hours working on the yard and house, he now spends the majority of his time in his trailer trying to get healthy.  Greg is a warrior who seldom complains and brings comfort to Cathy in her time of need.

Cathy's House, 2005 Following Hurricane Katrina

Cathy's House, 2007 still waiting for 'Aid'

Cathy is still going to see doctors twice a week for treatment of the cancerous tumors.  She also is a warrior, seldom complains and masks the pain that she is suffering with off the cuff humor that puts anyone with her at ease.  She is determined and the hope in her eyes is contagious.

Aug. 2007
On our last visit this past May, Cathy and Greg were on there last leg and had pretty much given up.  We are happy to report since our last visit (May 2007) Cathy and Greg have not only acquired land close to their old property, with the help of Bob Putnam, but are in line for a new Fema cottage which will be furnished with the help of Robert Crammer, www.rcgreen.org .  We also hope to incorporate our "Project Green" into the construction and layout of her new home.  In order to qualify for their new home we must first clear the new property of debris and install a fresh water well and septic.

We will start clearing the property by mid August and with your help, hope to have Cathy and Greg in their new home by Thanksgiving 2007

Cathy's Story... (Original Posting)

Ms. Cathy Batiste resides with her husband Gregory at 10520 Old Lower Rd. in Bay St. Louis, MS. Ms. Cathy was brought to our attention when we met Lt. Jack Britton from the National Guard. Lt. Britton came down to Biloxi looking for someone working with FEMA to help Ms. Cathy obtain her trailer. He had been delivering ice and water to her for the past few weeks and noticed that everyone on her street had a trailer, some of them 2 trailers, and Ms. Cathy has still not received one.

Ms. Cathy initially applied for her trailer on Sept. 8th. For the next month she visited the FEMA site weekly to be updated on the status of her
trailer. Much to her dismay, every time she went to the office she found that she was not in the system. (We witnessed this several times.) The last time that she went to check on her status, she informed FEMA that she could not wait any longer. She told them that she was going to get in contact with every local News channels and CNN. The next day there was a crew setting up the necessary electrical pole and plumbing for the trailer.

Almost 8 weeks later there is still no trailer.

There are MANY cases like this but there is a more serious matter concerning Ms. Cathy's story. Ms. Cathy Batiste has pancreatic cancer and has been given till the end of the year to live. She is presently taking care of her disabled husband and mother. Her mother was displaced from the hurricane and has just recently been kicked out of a shelter that was closing down. Ms. Cathy's older brother who is blind and has rheumatoid arthritis has also been put into her care after the shelter he was in was closing down as well.

Ms. Cathy is an amazing woman who looks for no pity or special treatment. She is trying to sleep on a cot outside of her house, which has now been prohibited by the city to live in. Ms. Cathy is not being treated
for her cancer and the tumor that is the size of a football makes it quite uncomfortable for her to sleep in a tent. All Ms. Cathy would like is a little bit of comfort for her last few months...that is ALL she asks.

We are aggressively working on getting Ms. Cathy a trailer ASAP and will be meeting with the proper organizations to make this happen. We are also trying to raise money to send Ms. Cathy and her husband Greg on a week vacation to an Island Resort as well as rebuild her home. Anybody wanting to help with this project please contact us or specify on your donation resignation that you wish to contribute the Ms. Cathy
Fund.

If there are experienced carpenters that wish to offer their services please contact us ASAP.
(646) 228-7049

The conditions here have gone from bad to worse. There are NO shelters, the mold problem has worsened and there are NO options or efforts being made to rectify such a severe situation. Contrary to what you hear on the news, there are hundreds of thousands of survivors homeless across the Gulf and we are seeing the numbers rise everyday.

"God is trying to open people's eyes, different colors, different nations, different classes. He is trying to show everyone that we are all supposed to love each other. When Katrina came through he gave everybody a taste of it. If we are not paying attention we won't learn anything. Sadly some people are still acting the same and haven't learned anything, some have...Even if I die tomorrow I have been blessed by so many unexpected strangers that have recently been brought into my life..."

Ms. Cathy Batiste