Recovery organizations partner to rebuild homes

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Recovery from the hurricanes is far from over, which is why three recovery organizations have partnered up to help the most vulnerable get home faster.

A partnership between the St. Bernard Project, All Hands and Hearts, and the Fuller Center is allowing low-income homeowners to repair their homes.

The partnership was established within the past few months, and Hannah Roberts with SBP says they’re able to help those who qualify in the Lake Area.

“Our partnership with the Fuller Center and All Hands and Hearts is kind of a collaboration to get as many folks home as we can in a short amount of time,” Roberts said. “All three of us have resources that the other one doesn’t have.”

While all three organizations have different qualifications, once you qualify within one, they’ll reach out to the others to help with a project.

“We’ll do our own assessments, and we’ll realize this is a scope that SBP can really help us out with,” said Theo Eagle with All Hands and Hearts.

All Hands and Hearts and SBP collaborated to repair Hilda Duhon’s home. She’s now a few weeks from moving in.

“Laura messed my house up. I don’t have insurance to do my house, and that’s when I called the New Orleans number. FEMA kept on giving me the run around back. They didn’t do my ramp,” Duhon said.

Homeowners under the 80 percent AMI range can qualify for SBP’s assistance, while those elderly or disabled can qualify for All Hands and Hearts’ assistance.

“With SBP and the Fuller Center, and All Hands, we all have different ways we can prove homeownership a little different from like FEMA where they need a deed and a copy of the title and things like that,” Roberts said.

To contact All Hands and Hearts, call their intake number at (978) 399-5590.

For SBP’s assistance, email your information to laurahelp@sbpusa.org.

Copyright 2021 KPLC. All rights reserved.