As believers, we are mindful of the words that proceed out of our mouths. As such, there are some re-alities of life in Louisiana that our gut encourages us to speak of one way, but our awareness of the pow-er in our tongue will cause us to be mindful of how we say things.
We can agree that there are events which arise in our lives that can only be described as Storms. One thing about storms in Louisiana, they ‘arise’ in our lives so regularly that we have an entire season of the
year that we call Hurricane Season.
The storms were powerful, destructive and life-threatening. They packed winds, rain, hail, lightening, thunder, and then calm. It was in the calm that followed the storm that the H2O Experience, Inc., 805Solutions Program got to work.
805Solutions was developed to provide a venue for those of us who hold licenses as Christian Counselors to have a way to service our community’s mental health needs.
The H2O Experience, Inc. was conceived and birthed in the time immediately preceding the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Everywhere we looked there was panic, frustration, stress, etc. and people were suffering mentally, physically and spiritually from an event unlike any they’d ever seen.
Even for Louisianians who have a whole season dedicated to stormy times, Covid-19 was burdensome.
The H2O Experience, Inc. became a community partner with The Red Cross and with the Louisiana National Guard in their efforts to disseminate Covid testing materials and assist with issuing covid shots.
Then, in the 2021 Hurricane season, Hurricane Ida hit south Louisiana. Right in the midst of the masking and the distancing and services being truncated, now folks were homeless, flooded out, suffering with no electricity.
Now folks had to huddle together in order to move forward. For 12 or 13 months prior to Hurricane Ida we all had to distance from one another, then Ida hits and now we have to huddle with one another to survive. What a wonderful life, Praise God!!!
With all the activity afoot, The H2O Experience, Inc. partnered with State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle to feed people and provide at home testing.
We traveled 50 miles south with our local partner 411ForWomen, Inc. and Dr. Feleshia Borskey Young and partnered with Pastor Devin Mason of Philippian Baptist Church and New Rescue Mission B.C to provide food and clothing and sundries. We partnered with FEMA and put on a roadshow to help storm affected families in Thibodaux, La., Bayou Cane, La., Houma, La.
We helped them activate their recovery program needs to help them get back home. We partnered with KMC Homes and with Perfect Squares Flooring and tarped the roofs of nearly 75 families in the Thibodaux and Houma, Louisiana area.
In the end, 805Solutions serviced nearly 621 individuals, delivered nearly 7 tons of food and sundries, provided nearly 62,500 square feet of blue tarp and will do it all again!