News & Current Events

Disclosure :: this post is sponsored by Children's Hospital of New Orleans. Helping Children Cope After the Flood As the waters begin to recede and the great cleanup begins, the hard emotional work is also beginning for parents and children of south Louisiana. It can be understandably difficult for parents to maintain a sense of normalcy when life is now so different. How a child reacts depends on the level of stress they’ve experienced (having their home flood vs. hearing about the flood), and they will take their cues from adults as to how to cope. Parents should understand that feelings of sadness, difficulty sleeping, physical aggression, emotional outbursts, regression to “babyish” behaviors and increased distractibility can all be signs of...

We have all heard the statistics and numbers by now. We are aware that there are +20,000 displaced from their homes, mass devastation, and so very many losses. As the cleanup starts and folks start to begin the process of putting their lives back together, there are many practical issues that crop up. For example, how does an individual or family handle the large financial burden of living elsewhere while restoring their home? We are honored to have Tracy West, a wholesale mortgage broker with over 18 years of experience, share her top tips for flood victims who are seeking some relief from their mortgage during this time of rebuilding. Tips for Handling Your Mortgage in a Flood or Disaster During National Disasters,...

When Floods Happen to Good People My first taste of a natural disaster on a personal level was this week. Monday night our home took in 1.5 feet of water. It happened so incredibly fast. We evacuated “just to be safe” on Monday morning. I just knew that we were overreacting and that we would be back home the next day. All day Monday I kept up with social media from people in the area so I could track the water levels. Family members that live close to us would send me photos of our home so I could get hourly updates on where things stood. Monday seemed to go on forever. By 7:00 pm I was at the point...

10 Things You CAN DO for Flood Victims “Actions speak louder than words” is a saying that most everyone has heard throughout their life. Most of us understand the concept behind it, but for the Louisiana flood victims this saying is taking on a whole new meaning in their life that was turned upside down. I previously wrote a blog stating the 10 things you should not say to flood victims. Comforting words may seem appropriate, but sometimes words are not enough. In times like these, a listening ear, comforting arms, helping hands, and a shoulder to cry on is what they need most. They physically need you. In addition to telling your friend whose house flooded how sorry you are...

We Are The Helpers When disaster strikes, we see the true humanity of the people around us. It is our natural desire to want to help those in need. And all of us play different roles and help in different ways. All of those roles are important and necessary on the long road to recovery. Many of us identify with several or even all of these, but nearly all of us fall into at least one. The Rescuers: These people are heroes! They are the ones who run into the danger instead of away from it. We saw our law enforcement officers, firefighters, and National Guard jumping into action as soon as the flooding began. But, we also saw something amazing. Thousands...