WGNO

Nonprofits and volunteers step up to help Arabi residents

Arabi, La. (WGNO) —In spite of Linda Conley’s hardship from the tornado, she’s grateful for the outpouring of help she’s getting.

Conley stated,”I have windows that blew in, my porch is all gone and then the two cars are destroyed. It’s amazing how people have come together to help everybody.”

Those people include organizations that have come from afar.

Brad Swanson from Service and Learning Together said, “My group is called SALT. It’s a non-profit out of Chicago, Illinois.”

That group teamed with the local nonprofit Youth Rebuilding New Orleans to distribute supplies and lend a hand where needed.

According to Prince Holmes, “After any natural disaster, we like to come out and help the community in any way possible.”

Lending a bit of muscle on the ground is the Los Angeles based group CORE, they also have an office in Metairie.

“We’re out here today assessing homes, doing some debris cleanup. We’re working with homeowners specifically for vulnerable communities and people who can’t afford the work or don’t have people to do it themselves,” stated Mason Page.

Some of the help is coming from next-door neighbors.

Kenya Waterhouse of the CTC Steppers SAP added, “We just put our money together and just came to help because we’re from the Lower part of the 9th Ward, and we went through this through Katrina, so these are our people too.”

While none of the help being provided will make anyone whole again, the goal is to help families affected hold on.

Mike Ricter, of Operation BBQ Relief said, “That one hot meal that matters. Try to make ’em forget about it for a little bit and help where we can.”