ARABI, La. — In a matter of seconds, Jill Barthes life changed.
"Everybody keeps asking me what it sounded like," she said. "It sounded like screaming because I was screaming thinking that me and my family were going to be in some serious trouble."
Jill and her two daughters took shelter in their closet as an EF-3 tornado ripped through their neighborhood on March 22. The tornado shattered her windows and tore a hole in her roof, sending debris flying through her home.
Thankfully, none of her family was hurt.
That was five months ago
"I couldn’t wrap my head around it because there was stuff from my yard in my kitchen and there was stuff from my yard in my neighbors yard," she said.
Like many of her neighbors, she's still rebuilding. Her family may finally go home in another month or two. But to get to that point, they've needed help from family, friends and grant programs.
Many of those grant programs are still available, but they're set to expire at the end of September. That's why the St. Bernard Parish Government is hosting a meeting to tell residents what money is still available and how they can get it.
The meeting takes place on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at 6:30 p.m. inside the St. Bernard Parish City Council Chambers. Leaders will outline how residents can apply for:
- CSBG Funds
- Senator Bouie’s Allocation to St Bernard Tornado Relief
- St Bernard Tornado Relief Fund through GNOF
- Sankofa Grants
The ultimate goal is to help people get every dollar they can to rebuild their lives after the tornado and keep the Arabi community together.
"We're definitely coming back," Barthe said. "We're not leaving because we love the neighborhood. We love our neighbors and we like our community."
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