Hurricane Katrina victims celebrate Thanksgiving
Published: November 25, 2005
Many of us have annual Thanksgiving traditions that include gathering in the place we call home and spending time with family and friends, but following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina many are forced to make new traditions this year in a new place. [The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays & Everydays]
A few who escaped Katrina and decided to move to Rochester are thankful despite the fact their lives have changed so much.
“I have cameras on every table so people can snap pictures, and I pulled out the camcorder so we can capture the moment.”
A Thanksgiving celebration Simone Jefferson and her family don’t want to forget. Separated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina then reunited after persistent searching. Jefferson, with the help of her cousin, drove her family from the gulf coast to Rochester, a place they now call home.
“There’s really nothing to go back to. My mother’s house was destroyed so all of my family is scattered abroad,” says Jefferson.
A whirlwind of change, but now she revels in peace.
“Most of all I’m thankful for Jesus, because through it all he’s really strengthened me and my family.” [Everyday Faith]
Though the gathering is large, it’s not quite complete.
To escape the storm, Simone’s mother, sister and nephews made their new home in Texas.
“I miss you guys, but there’s no reason to be sad, it’s a joyous occasion,” says Jefferson
Across town at the Laront’s home, the feeling is the same.
“I’m thankful that I’m somewhere new start off fresh and that I have a lot of people that love me.”
Wanda Weems and her two daughters were part of a van load that escaped the storm and a month ago she was reunited with her 10-year-old son.
“Her son has been reunited with her since she’s been here in Rochester, she’s also landed a job, and she’s looking to go to school,” says Beverly Laront
“I feel like I’m at home, but I’m in a different place,” says Weems.
A different place indeed. But these families remind us that it’s friends and family that matter most…and make up the place you call home.
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