David Ashton, left, helps serve lunch to residents at the St. Bernard feeding site.

Justin and Debra of St. Bernard chat with Pastor Randy Millet (center) during lunch at OBI's mobile kitchen.

CHALMETTE, La. - While driving down Judge Perez Drive in St. Bernard Parish, the entire community resembles a war zone - cars dangle from tree tops, boats capsized, and businesses and homes look as though they were bombed. Katrina hit Chalmette with one of her hardest blows – causing a levee to breach and flooding the community with an estimated 15 to 20 feet of water in a matter of minutes.

And seven months later, progress is slow. Businesses are still closed, including grocery stores and restaurants. But thanks to Operation Blessing's feeding site, many returning residents receive daily hot meals as they try to salvage what is left of their homes.

The kitchen, housed under a huge yellow tent in the parking lot of Super Wal-Mart, provides hot breakfast and lunch to roughly 400 to 500 St. Bernard residents daily, according to David Ashton, who oversees the food operations with wife Tammy of Virginia. "Most people aren't prepared for this. It's almost like a third world country," Tammy added.

And as residents share meals in the make-shift kitchen, they are also able to bond and share stories about their lives post-Katrina.

"St. Bernard Parish is the only parish that has been 100 percent destroyed in United States history," said Pastor Randy Millet of Adullam Christian Fellowship. "At this mobile kitchen site, it had 12 to 14 feet of water from the storm."

Pastor Millet is in charge of the disaster relief center which houses OBI's kitchen, provides food and clothing for victims, and helps with the gutting and repairing of homes. Millet also helps consul many of the displaced residents as they stop by the community kitchen. Justin and Debra of St. Bernard who have been living in Mississippi the past seven months, just received their FEMA trailer.

As the couple was eating lunch, Debra shared that she now has electricity and was told she could shower with the water as long as she didn't open her mouth. And her sister, who died March 3, was finally laid to rest last week because the funeral home had received damage.

"More than anything, it blessed me seeing the hearts of people wanting to give," Debra said referring to the kitchen.

Pastor Millet knows first hand the traumatic affects of Katrina after three of his family members died in the storm. He found the bodies of his wife's aunt and uncle in their home 16 days after the hurricane. And his wife's stepmother was missing for several months until it was confirmed she died at a nursing home in St. Bernard Parish.

Pastor Millet said the majority of people coming for meals are either living in trailers or are residents who live within a 100 mile radius and are coming to work on their homes.

"I'd like to thank God for Operation Blessing. Their support has not only been a source of hope for the people, but they have helped to stabilize this particular area. The people know they can count on us day in and day out. We constantly get comments from the people how much they appreciate what we're doing," Millet said.

Pastor Millet said he was told about 10 percent of the population had returned two months ago and believes many residents will return at the end of May after their children complete the school year in the areas where they evacuated.

He estimates the kitchen will be needed for at least eight months to a year. "It will change as different stores and businesses begin to come up. At this stage in the game, we know we will have a big flux of people in June. And after September, we will begin to stabilize and hopefully after businesses come up it will decline," he said.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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