The purple shirts of AHAH volunteers are currently peppered throughout the communities of LaPlace and Reserve. Our dedicated team has been working alongside homeowners to return their homes to a habitable state. For many homes, the work is still focused on response activities such as mucking and gutting and mold sanitation. The primary focus of this program has now shifted to the long-term recovery phase of interior rebuilds. This work includes installing insulation, drywall, doors, flooring, trim, mudding and taping. Powered by volunteers, our work caters to the specific needs of each homeowner and the level of repair work depends on the extent of damage to each home.

In Louisiana, much like AHAH programs across the world, we see people helping people.

Meet Ms. Connor. She has been living in her home for 25 years in Louisiana and currently shares it with her daughter and three granddaughters who have been living with her since Hurricane Ian devastated their home.

In Reserve, Louisiana, volunteers have been supporting Ms. Connor with vital interior repairs to her home. A strong matriarchal figure, every day Ms. Connor prepares a home-cooked meal for the team working on her home. After a long morning of installing insulation, or mudding and taping, or priming the walls and ceilings, a hot lunch in the bellies of the volunteers brings a huge smile to their faces.  When asked by a team member what motivated her to prepare hot lunches for the volunteer team, she shared: “If y’all can do all that y’all do and that is all I have to offer, it is from the desire of my heart to do that. Y’all work long and hard”.