Soulful lyrics and rhythms fill the tiny
one-bedroom apartment where James Webber now stays in St. Louis. He’s
listening to Sam Cooke with The Soul Stirrers. It’s music he finds
inspirational, something that keeps him in good spirits and puts him at
peace.
Webber,
47, is one of more than 5,500 evacuees the Federal Emergency Management
Agency estimates came to Missouri after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf
Coast in August. More than 100 individuals who evacuated to St. Louis
have sought the
assistance of Lutheran Disaster Response through
St. Louis-based Lutheran Family and Children's Services. A
collaborative ministry of the ELCA and Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod,
LDR receives an average of three new referrals each day from other
organizations, such as the Salvation Army and United Way.
Despite
these uncertain days of recovery that Webber is living after Katrina’s
devastation washed onto his New Orleans doorstep, he responds to “How
are you doing?” with an unexpected “I can’t complain.” Webber’s faith
and upbeat attitude—and the compassion of agencies like LDR—are focused
on rebuilding his future.
Webber arrived in St. Louis with two
pairs of pants, two shirts and a pair of shoes. He also has a small
photo album, which he pulls from his closet to flip through memories of
his New Orleans house decorated at Christmastime and during Mardi Gras.
He also has a snapshot of his car, a Pontiac Grand Am, that “went
under,” as he says.
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