MONTEGUT, La. — A Montegut woman is helping families impacted by Hurricane Ida to stay warm with a new grassroots initiative called "Blankets for the Bayous."
Janice Hamilton started out by making blankets for the homeless, and now she is doing the same for families in the bayou parishes that are still reeling from the August hurricane.
While some families are still living in their cars as they wait for FEMA campers, Hamilton was lucky enough to return to her home after the storm. She said she wanted to help community members who didn't have the same luck and started "Blankets for the Bayous." Now 400 blankets later, she is still going.
"The whole Lafourche Parish, Terrebonne Parish, was devastated and is still devastated," Hamilton said.
"I have plenty of blankets at home and we sit there warm watching our TV, and I sit there thinking about people that can't do that," she added.
Hamilton says she has been buying and delivering the blankets and pillowcases herself, but she has created a Facebook Page and is taking requests and donations to help the effort. She said she is trying to reach people wherever, through families, friends, or neighbors.
"When you drive down the road, you see mattresses. It's not just mattresses, it's sheets and pillowcases. And now with cold weather coming, these people are going to be cold," Hamilton said.
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