MARRERO, La. — There are still people in this area living with major home damage from Hurricane Ida three years ago.
After seeing the condition of a neighbor's home, a Marrero man turned to WWL Louisiana for help.
And it turns out each neighbor is only looking out for the other.
Justin Smart dedicates his life to helping others. As a little boy, he was disabled from having the red and German measles at the same time. Still, he is devoted to the care of his impaired, elderly mother.
“I will do anything. I will crawl on the floor right now," said Justin Smart, 63, through tears. "Sometimes, I be on my hands and knees to help my mother, because I will never forget what she has done for me,” he said.
She fought for him when he was bullied in school, to get an education, leading to a productive career. Still, with all his struggles, he called WWL Louisiana for help, but not for himself. He called for help for his neighbor.
“The Bible says, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’ And that guy, Ramon, he just he's a blessing,” said Smart.
“Castro taking the children, the new generation, and put you in the army. He do a lot of things bad, bad things,” said Ramon Perez, 75, about his native country.
Ramon Perez escaped communist Cuba. In the U.S., he became a crane operator. Now retired, he lives on 800 dollars a month. He can't afford insurance, so he's been living with massive holes everywhere in his roof. Still, Ramon helps Justin with everything from yard work, to putting out the garbage and bringing in the groceries.
When asked why he is so good to his neighbors, Perez replied, “I like a do it that way. I feel comfortable. I help the people, my whole neighbor over there, whole neighbor over here. Everybody.”
Jefferson Parish cited Perez for having so much disrepair. When they found out that he could not afford to repair it, they signed him up for a special grant program. He was approved. The parish estimates it's $22,000 worth of damage. Now he's waiting for the long process to go through.
After talking to Jefferson Parish Friday about Ramon’s situation, they are sending a crew out to cover the holes with tarps, to give him some protection as they await the environmental report, and bid process, then for construction to begin.
And if you would also like to help Ramon with repairs, click here.
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