Hurricane-devastated school gets a facelift thanks to OBI
POSTED: January 24, 2007
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In helping rebuild St. Mary's, OBI created a "Senior Café" complete with a fountain, picnic tables and a new grassy area for the 65 senior girls who attend St. Mary's.
OBI helped reconstruct St. Mary's after Hurricane Katrina flooded the school in August 2005.
"This is more than we ever could have imagined," said Greta Jupiter, president of St. Mary's.
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By Staci Dennis
NEW ORLEANS - Darlene Hutchison had a simple wish.
"After everything these little ones have been through…I want to do whatever I can to help them," Hutchison said about her classroom full of students at St. Mary's Academy in New Orleans.
Thanks to Operation Blessing, Hutchison's wish to give her students toys and school supplies was granted. But the wish list for the teachers and staff of St. Mary's didn't end there.
The school was flooded with five feet of water when Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005, leaving the students without a place to learn. The school, which offers preschool through grade 12, was in danger of shutting down.
"When I came back and saw the devastation, I almost lost hope," said Greta Jupiter, president of St. Mary's. "No one knew where to start."
The Archdiocese of New Orleans responded to the school's need and gave them the former site of St. James Major High School, which was also in disrepair due to the hurricane and years of neglect. During a six-week period, OBI helped reconstruct the abandoned school and did extensive repairs.
OBI also built a puppet theater and unveiled a fully-furnished library with new shelving, desks and cabinets. Hundred of new books lined the shelves of the library thanks to a $75,000 grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries.
"Up until now, the teachers have been buying their own classroom supplies even though they are hurricane victims themselves," Jupiter said. "This is a welcomed surprise."
Wagonloads of televisions, computer equipment, dry erase boards, radios and filing cabinets were taken to each teacher to help fill their classrooms. As a special treat, OBI created a "Senior Café" complete with a fountain, picnic tables and a new grassy area for the 65 senior girls who attend St. Mary's.
"This is more than we ever could have imagined," said Greta Jupiter, president of St. Mary's. "It's a special day for all of us and the school."
How You Can Help
Hurricane Katrina survivors still need your help. Despite the progress, the needs remain for reconstruction and medical care. Operation Blessing is committed to staying until the need no longer exists. Be a part of OBI's ongoing disaster relief efforts by making an online donation to help those affected by the Gulf Coast hurricanes.
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