JC Ministries

Recent city photos

2005-12-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

Many of you expressed interest in seeing photos of the city. These are some recent pictures we took as we drove through the Lakeview section. Remember, this is a full three months after the hurricane. These shots are only a block or two from the breach in the 17th Street canal. Flood waters moved not only cars, but also brick houses. The home above is smashed against the neighbor's home.

This is the house directly across the street from the breach. You can see how the waters tore off a corner of the home. Note the water line left behind from two weeks of standing water.
Here is a car left hanging on a wooden fence.

Below is what would be a street. It is covered in mud. An older, wooden home lies fully across the street, having been floated from off of its foundations.

Here's an interesting shot of a small shrimp boat. I have no idea how it got here, since a low bridge blocks the lake, where it must have been docked, from the canal. A car can be seen in the middle of a lawn. Many folks returned to their homes to find vehicles that aren't theirs sitting on their properties, or in their bedrooms.

This sailboat ended up in a small reflecting pond in West End Park.

Boats lie on top of boats out at the marina.

Here's what is left of our historic old light house. Still operational, I loved hearing the horn blasting out on those foggy nights.

New Traditions

2005-12-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

Let's see -- isn't it "Necessity is the mother of all inventions?" Well, in this pre-K (post Katrina) era that we survive in, we have come up with a new tradition: birthday celebrations. If you scroll down far enough, you'll see how Alene celebrated her birthday this year by dragging wet stuff out of my home. Well, here is Vicky's birthday celebration. After a long day of plaster smashing and wagon dragging, we surprised her with a birthday tune and candles to blow out. Since you have to travel at least 10 miles to find the nearest cake,

we left off the best part, I know.

Cedarville - Visit 2

2005-12-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

I recently had the privilege of having a second work visit from Cedarville University in Cedarville, OH. They jumped right into helping residents of Edgewood Park clear out their homes and pull out moldy sheetrock. Here are some scenes from the neighborhood.

They cleaned out 7 houses in 2 days!

Do you remember those old movies from the '70's, the Mad Max series? We kind of morph together debris carriers like that to clear out houses. Wagons, shopping carts, and crates are in big demand and become prized jewels when found during a clean out.

Each home that was cleared out means that the city is rebuilt that much more. House by house.

This time in my house, the group tackled pulling up still wet wooden floors, and retacking the subfloors.

Rob Hunt, seen here taking a much needed break, found the original wood floors under the old plywood floor that they removed. It is still drying out!
This group is the most cheerful and willing I have ever met! They worked until past dusk - remember, we still do not have electricity!

This home, owned by the Bemiss family, is over 100 years old. Here, Cedarville students work to pull old sheetrock from the walls. We found beadboard underneath.

Here is Mr. Bemiss, working alongside of us. (Yes, he should have a mask on his face). Although he has an axe, he's not really dangerous. You can see the advance of mold up the walls. Some seniors in the neighborhood are living in houses like these. I would like to have help to help them clean out their houses.

White for Harvest

2005-11-29T03:14:00.000-08:00

As I look out over my city, I see surreal images within my own neighborhood. Where children once rode bikes and played, I now see Haz-Mat teams clad in biohazard suits, inspecting miles of debris piles.
It is an unsettling scene, even now, three months after the disaster. Gentilly is a ghost town.
However, I have been discovering some pockets of life that refuse to die. I have seen determination through hopeless despair. I live in an older part of town, a gentrified part. Many of the homes were handed down from one generation to another over the past hundred years. Many are now occupied by seniors on fixed income. They had no flood insurance, and no way to repair their houses. Some have returned and are living in moldy, wet homes with no electricity and no ability to remove the rotten debris. I have heard of several that are suicidal.

I hung a banner off of the front of my home offering free clean-up of houses for my neighborhood, and within a week, had 17 residents requesting help. I have found that the best way to change a person's life in Christ is to offer to clean out sewer scum deposited by Katrina - for free.

Please consider coming to New Orleans to help us. The harvest is, indeed, plentiful right now. And, thank you to those who have responded. We are bringing hope back to the hopeless, one home at a time.

The Tiniest Angel

2005-11-28T15:39:00.000-08:00

Under normal circumstances, this tiny glass ornament would not mean very much. But there is a story to this little visitor.
When I finally was able to return to my home for the first time, it was a month after what I thought would be a three day evacuation. The devastation that I drove through and that I found was almost unbearable. This scene above was the one I saw as I approached my home. I entered my home through my side door, and walked through the downstairs, then the upstairs. I went down the front stairwell to the front door, unlatched the bolt, and walked outside. From the porch I saw tangles of oak tree branches, intermingled with home debris and patio furniture from around the neighborhood. My eyes lowered as I silently surveyed the disastrous scene before me. I was surprised to see that my front landing was swept clean of all branches - surprising since it was flood waters that last invaded my neighborhood, not wind. There, at my feet I did a double look.
I saw the tiniest angel made of glass, standing perfectly still with a trumpet to his lips. He faced my front door, fragile, yet with great boldness. As I turned, I wondered who had placed him there - and realized that I was the first one back in my neighborhood. This tiny messenger reassured me that I would not be alone through the upcoming months of this disaster.

Mmmmm....GOOD NEWS!

2005-11-10T15:12:00.000-08:00

Do you past visitors recognize where I am? Yep! Cafe' du Monde reopened about 8 weeks after the flood waters receded. The beignets & cafe' au lait were WONDERFUL!!!! (even though this meant that they finally had to change their deep fryer oil!).

Repairers of the Breach

2005-11-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

Above is the breach in the now famous 17th Street Canal. It separates New Orleans from Metairie. The wall collapsed and sent Lake Pontchartrain pouring into the lakefront part of the city near the marina.
Below is a collapsed section of the London Avenue Canal, near UNO campus. This levee breach flooded a lakefront section of houses close to Gentilly . The object pictures are clear to me: levees were meant to protect the city. They failed. They were man-made. But the protection of the Lord over those who are His own is forever. New Orleans is a broken city now. Home owners are in dismay and are overwhelmed with the vastness of the task at hand. Weariness is setting in. This is a prime time to change the direction and reputation of our city. I am encouraged by several Scriptures:

And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell. - Isaiah 58:12

Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations, and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. - Isaiah 61:4

Violence will not be heard again in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. - Isaiah 60:18

That New Orleans would be surrounded with walls of salvation instead of levees and gates of praise instead of flood gates! Please keep our city raised before the Lord as our leaders guide this recovery process.

Restoration begins

2005-11-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show you some inside images of the home after it was cleared out. The wooden floors had begun to buckle before we ever began to clear out the furniture.
Here is Vicky, taking a whack at wet walls. High humidity + wet sheetrock = MOLD!

We are taking a photo op break. I actually tried to mop the floors. They were covered in sewer scum. We have probably bleached the home at least 15 times now.

Recovery

2005-11-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

We are coming along with our renovations, and yet it may be many more months before the house is habitable. We're still waiting on the insurance companies to decide what to do. Friends have donated their weekends to help clear out the house and smash plaster and clean up toxic debris outside. These are more photos of Cedarville University students hard at work.

If I had a Hammer....

2005-10-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some mug shots of Cedarville students hard at work - or are they? Cedarville U is in Cedarville, OH. I was impressed that I could see their smiles coming through their face masks!

In the background, you can see the torn out plaster wall in a downstairs room.

Oh! They were finally able to get that workout unit outside!

A trench had to be dug for a new electric connection to the shed, replacing the former antiquated wires strung across the yard. Cedarville students prepared the home to be rewired. Most of the wiring was original and had to be replaced in order for the city inspector to approve turning the electricity back on. Here is Dr. Carl with a student taking a pose break. Note that the rattan chairs have made their way into the back yard!

Then there was the problem with the gate being stuck shut... forntunately, we found the right key!

Cedarville to the Rescue!!!!

2005-10-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

I was very blessed this past weekend when Dr. Carl Ruby arrived in the city with a dozen students from Cedarville University. Dr. Ruby, shown here demonstrating a new use for snow shovels, guided a group of about 250 students into our devastated city. Most of them tackled the enormous job of cleaning out Benjamin Franklin High School, on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain on the UNO campus. This was also the site of one of the levee breaks on the London Avenue Canal. The dozen or so students ripped out remaining carpet and moved furniture into the back two rooms upstairs and the garage, which have become temporary storage units. Then they began the exhausting task of pounding away at 80 year old plaster walls and shoveling the debris out of open windows.
I took some things to my crowded storage unit in Denham Springs. It's hard to find storage units anywhere within 150 miles of the area now. Here goes a mattress out of my front door.
The students were totally adaptable. Some of them jumped from being visqueen/furniture wrappers to furniture movers. Note the permanent smiles on their faces! Someone recently remarked: It has to be Jesus to make you want to come here! How true. But, perhaps one day things will be different.

Starting Over Again

2005-10-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

Wonderful friends from Baton Rouge have volunteered to help us remove moldy cabinets, sheetrock and linoleum. Masks are necessary due to the toxins left behind from the flood waters. We still have a lot more work to do. The bottom 4' of the plaster walls need to be removed throughout the downstairs to help it air out. We will rewire while we have the chance. We could use the help the help of electricians and plumbers, since these are in short supply. First, the electrical panels need to be replaced, then Entergy will turn on the power. I am wearing the purple shirt - the stove made a great worktable!

Brenda removes old wood paneling and sheetrock underneath in the kitchen. Our friend, Alene, drove with us to New Orleans from Baton Rouge on her birthday to help us!!!! The flood waters donated two rattan chairs to our front yard, so we used them to celebrate her birthday during our break with Gatoraide and homemade banana cake. They should have their face masks on!!!!

2005-10-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

Toxic flood waters inundated the downstairs. Fortunately, most of the walls are the original heavy plaster and do not seem to have to be replaced. We have spent several days tearing out kitchen cabinets and molding sheetrock where we find it. These are shots of the transitional home.

The flood waters came to just under the light switchplate. Some of the wood floors buckled, but seem to be shrinking in a few places. You can see the amount of debris that had to be cleared out of downstairs in order to start to dry out.

Crazy Images

2005-10-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is Poydras Street, at the corner of Baronne, I think. No matter which corner, it still doesn't look right to have a boat on top of a car in a parking lot, or one of those huge metal billboards bent in half. As of October 10, there still was standing water at the Franklin Avenue train underpass. You have to go to Elysian Fields to get to the river.

The flood waters pushed this car not only upside down, but also against traffic by the same train overpass. I found several cars that were dented by being smashed against highway cement columns. Some innovative New Orleanian opened yet another restaurant! Handmade signs are all over town, letting us know what is open for business.

Scenes from the Neighborhood

2005-10-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

The first photo is on Franklin Avenue - huge trees were twisted and strewn around. The next picture is on Clematis Street, post flood.

Look at the telephone poles down. All of these cars were submerged in flood waters. The last photo is of Ms. Laura's house, at the other end of the block from me. Animal and human rescue groups visited several times in our area. They left rather large calling cards!

City Scenes

2005-10-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Because of Hurricane Rita, my Gentilly neighborhood never did officially open for inspection. It wasn't until many weeks after Katrina that I managed to find a way in. These are some of the city scenes that I passed along the way. Boats were tied up to light posts and non-functioning gas pumps. Although these images were taken around October 10, many boats can still be seen throughout the city.

Look at this gaping hole torn into the upstairs side of this old Ante Bellum mansion. It is on Esplanade Avenue. That red blob is a crashed helicopter. A friend of mine observed how catastrophic it is when a helicopter crashes in the middle of a city and is just left there, without any caution tape around it, or security. The wrecked chopper remained on the ground for at least 3 weeks. This is along Bayou St. John, near Jeff Davis Pkwy.

Katrina damage

2005-09-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

Photos of damage caused to JC Ministries Transitional Home in Gentilly from Hurricane Katrina. Sandwiched in between the ill-fated London Avenue and Industrial Canals, we received over 5' of water throughout the neighborhood of Edgewood Park.

Mold growing on furniture.

Strange looking toxic film formed over all of the flooded surfaces after the water receded.

There must have been three search and rescue teams that passed through the area, based on graffitti markings found in three separate spots on the house. One team smashed through one of the 80 year old wooden windows. It will require a search and rescue to find the replacement frame! I had just painted the front door about a month ago. You can see the water line on the door, which is raised about 3' from the ground.

2005-09-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Katrina left toxic conditions behind in our Gentilly neighborhood. The air has a heavy chemical odor, and surfaces covered with residue actually burn your skin! The city was just starting to open up neighborhoods according to zip codes (and water residing) when Hurricane Rita forced yet another evacuation. It has been over 30 days since we fled our Transitional home the day before Katrina hit.

Mission Statement

2005-09-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

"I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick..." - Ezekiel 34:16

JC Ministries Inc

2005-09-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

J.C. Ministries, Inc.
J.C. Ministries began as a response to the cry of the homeless and addicted women of New Orleans. The founder, Dianne Weber, has over 15 years experience in working with this population. What originally began as a volunteer opportunity to drag wet carpet out of a warehouse–turned-homeless shelter eventually turned into a full time position as women’s director. What started off with an eight bed emergency shelter based out of a former brothel eventually led to the renovation of a former crack house, turning it into a faith based recovery program for the female street addicts of downtown New Orleans.

As women began to graduate, Ms. Weber saw the need to continue an ongoing discipleship relationship with them. This led to the formation of JC Ministries. The ministry name has a double meaning, the most obvious being Jesus Christ Ministries. The other is that it is named for two women, Jane and Christine, both not only survivors of much devastation, but overcomers of the plan that the enemy had for their souls.

Until now, JC Ministries has been housed in Ms. Weber’s own residence in Gentilly, a neighborhood in old New Orleans. Taking in up to three women at a time, the need to expand the facility became apparent. Phone calls come weekly for women looking for help in overcoming life addicting behaviors. Some women need referrals to a drug recovery program. Others are just completing one. Few of the women had a father figure growing up. The ones who did need to be protected from them. None of them have any semblance of a support family. This is what JC Ministries provides: a loving, caring, supportive environment. It is the offer of a faith community to those who are hopeless and alone. Just as we began our recent search for a larger home, Hurricane Katrina blasted through the area. The current residence, sandwiched in between two of the failed canals in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, has been devastated by the flood waters.

How can I help?
JC Ministries is an IRS recognized non-profit. All donations are tax deductible. Our immediate needs now are for a new home and furnishings. We would like to relocate once again in New Orleans, pending the reestablishment of the infrastructure of the city.

JC Ministries Current Needs:
Due to the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, JC Ministries’ transitional home for women has been devastated by flood waters. Financial donations are urgently needed to rebuild, or to repair and refurnish, pending the adjuster’s findings. The items listed in our previous publication are what were considered normal needs.

Success!
Women who come to JC Ministries arrive “weary and heavy ladened”. As we help shoulder their loads, their insurmountable problems quickly shrink in size. Just having a friend to walk beside them encourages them to press on to success. Over the years, women have been set free from prostitution, drugs, lesbianism, alcoholism, and crime to become productive citizens living joyful lives.

Thank you for your interest in helping the least of these.

Donations can be sent to our temporary address:
JC Ministries, Inc.
927 Montgomery Drive
Denham Springs, LA 70726