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Meet ‘Angels of the Night’ Stella, her daughter Sophia Marie and, husband Richard!
Soon after Katrina hit, we got a call from Stella's daughter, Sophia Marie, saying "We've listened to Delilah for years. Please, just look at our site. NO one will listen to us". What we saw was 4 empty pages and BIG dreams for the victims of Katrina. Stella and Sophia Marie wanted to find any kind-hearted Americans with empty houses, rooms, apartments, and list them, and then find newly-homeless evacuees to place in these spaces. The first house listed, complete with furnishings, food in the freezer, all expenses paid, including travel to the house...was Stella's. She and her husband Richard moved in with Sophia Marie. They had no other houses to offer and no way to contact evacuees. No one wanted their help. They called Delilah...
Sophia says, “As a former resident of Jefferson Parish and a current resident in yet another Hurricane prone location, how could I not respond to the needs of my neighbors?!....” “…My parents reared me to develop a social conscious and I hope that my effort to ease the suffering of Katrina’s victims reflects this. Mom and I started our little project in hopes of being able to help a few. Delilah's exposure snowballed the project into a true service organization and I'm proud of what we've accomplished thus far, proving that all Americans are extensions of God's loving hand.”
And now…
Stella and gang have houses, apartments and spare rooms all over the United States. Disaster Relief Housing (or "DRH" as they call themselves) have grown so quickly, that they have State and Regional Family Team Coordinators, Transportation Liaisons, Employment Liaisons, and the Red Cross is sending them evacuees (where Stella/Sophia Marie were earlier ignored). They have made arrangements to pick up victims, if necessary, as well as having a resource for employment. She is also using her network to search down pockets of unfound people and trucking in supplies or evacuating them to family or her own network of housing.
Stella’s response to how things are progressing now, “What I have witnessed these past few weeks is the domino effect set in motion by Delilah: compassion and hope tempered by reality.”
Please visit Stella and the gang’s website Katrina Disaster Relief Housing.
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