Lifted From Mary Ellen of Divine Democrat. Thanx, ME

via First Draft blog....
Fund Raising Drive to Bring Miracle and her family home to the Lower 9th Ward

Two weeks ago I posted about the Joseph family who lost their Lower 9th Ward home for the second time. Kellie Joseph and her 6 children lost their home to Katrina. The rebuilding of their home was nearly complete when it was tragically destroyed by a fire after someone abandoned a stolen car in their backyard and lit it aflame to destroy evidence. The flames engulfed the home.

A group of Tulane medical students who heard of this devastating news decided to help the family rebuild again and started a website called Hope in Grace for what is called Project: Bring Miracle. Recently the students contacted me. The online donation effort has reached a standstill after some initial local media attention. It is their hope to reach a wider audience through the Internet.

Here is where we can help. We as individuals and bloggers can not rebuild the great city of New Orleans but perhaps we can help to rebuild the home of one family that has now fallen through the cracks. The family had invested their Road Home grant of $138,000 to rebuild their home. That is now lost. Unfortunately the maximum they can receive from their insurance to rebuild their home a second time is $12,000. At this point, after donations and insurance, $132,000 is needed to rebuild the Joseph's family home. Donations can be made online to a rebuilding fund specifically restricted for use only in reconstruction.

Donations can be made here. Any amount will do, even as low as $5.00. Just think how fast that money can be raised if bloggers and other caring people from all over the internet donated just a small amount!

For those who are uncomfortable with the giving of funds online, and are not able to stop by a local Capital One branch, you can send a check directly to the Capital One Mail Teller at the following address:

Capital One
Attn: Mail Teller
PO Box 60150
New Orleans, LA 70160-1050
In the "Payable to" portion of the check, please write "The Kellie Joseph Rebuilding Fund"
and in the "Memo" portion please write "Account number 2045630008".

If you would like to make a direct donation of building materials, a ministorage unit provided generously by Mini's Portable Storage is available for such donations in the parking lot adjacent to Representative Charmaine Marchand's Office on weekdays between 10am and 2pm at:

4030 St. Claude Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70117
Google Maps


If you would like to reach a family member directly, both Kellie and Kellie's brother (Dennis Joseph) are available to receive your inquiries at kjoseph_miracle@yahoo.com and dnnsjoseph@yahoo.com respectively.

For those of you on my blog who can help, it's greatly appreciated. For those who can't afford to help, I understand, but there is a page where you can leave a message of hope and good wishes, here.