SLIDELL, La. — Governor Jeff Landry has signed an emergency declaration for last week's severe storms and tornadoes, that will allow affected parishes the use of state resources to assist with the recovery process.
In the meantime, people across St. Tammany are depending on the kindness of strangers, from more than a thousand miles away.
After the tornado hit Slidell, Antoinette Scott's front yard was a mess. Trees were down everywhere. Two crashed into her car. Insurance wasn't going to pay for clean up. Her best estimate was $2,500.
When asked if she has an extra $2,500, Slidell resident Antoinette Scott replied, “No, I sure don't. No. It's too close to the end of the month. I don't have it. Yeah, once you pay bills, that's it,”
And then there was a knock on her door. And her yard went from full of debris to clean.
“Oh, they made a big difference. Yeah, I guess like they say, ‘Waiting on the Lord.” Yeah, they got it done,” Scott said.
She is talking about the helping hands, and hearts of Operation Blessing.
“When we knock on their door, you see hope restored. It's like their demeanor completely changes. You go from this hopelessness to this hope,” said Hayley Henson, Operation Blessing National Media Liaison on Domestic Disaster Response.
Operation Blessing International does the heavy lifting in disaster, and hunger relief, free. They are based out of Virginia Beach and work almost entirely on donations. Its deployment manager, a father of seven, says his joy comes from time spent with those in need, and his grandchildren.
“This is the best job I've ever had. I'm working with the absolute best people I've ever worked with before. It's really a family,” said Bob Burke the Deployment Manager with Operation Blessing.
He says he loves this job even though he has to spend time away from home.
“Away from home, but helping people out at the time they need us the most,” he explains.
And often the ones who need them most are seniors, and those without the means to hire clean-up crews.
“This region has been hit by many major storms. So you're seeing a lot of people that have endured PTSD, and they're like, ‘What? Again?’ said Henson.
Operation Blessing says they need two things. They're looking for people who need help. They're also looking for volunteers to help. All you need to do is go to Celebration Church on Old Spanish Trail every morning at 8:30 a.m. or every afternoon at 12:30 p.m., except Sunday, and they also, of course, could use donations.
For more on the resources available to those affected by last week's storms just head to wwltv.com.