Little Woods Residents Mark Housing Rehabs

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. –

The Treme Brass Band led a second-line to the renovated home of Gloria Mouton (MOO-ton). More than 100 volunteers from Church World Service groups marked the ending of the project that's finishing up repairs of a dozen homes that flooded after Hurricane Katrina.

Organizers selected homeowners who had exhausted their resources and still couldn't move back home. Ms. Mouton gladly helped out at the ribbon-cutting event at her duplex, shedding a few tears as she walked from room to room. Church World Service selected Little Woods because it doesn't appear as often in the news as other neighborhoods. It decided to select homes throughout the neighborhood - instead of focusing on one block - to encourage more rebuilding. More than 500 volunteers have come to Little Woods over the past month, from 27 different states and Canada. For WWNO, I'm Eileen Fleming.