Maya Rodriguez / Eyewitness News
As the East Coast deals with Hurricane Irene, people in New Orleans are preparing to mark the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Monday.
For some people, getting back into their homes has been a long process. Wilfred Alexander knows all to well that the road home can be rocky.
"It's been rough," he said. "It's been rough."
Six years ago, his home in the 7th Ward suffered roof and water damage. When Alexander became a victim of contractor fraud in the months that followed, the process of getting back into his house came to a standstill.
"I got ripped for $25,000," he said.
About 80 percent of the people that lived in Alexander's neighborhood before Katrina returned home. Yet, deep problems remain: one in four of the houses there are still in need of major repairs.
That's where the 7th Ward Community Center is stepping in. A year ago, the center started a program called "One Home at a Time," which fixes up storm damaged homes. This weekend, volunteers worked on three homes, including Alexander's.
"I know we're six years out and the spotlight has moved on, to other projects and other places-- but there are still a large number of residents in this community and in New Orleans that are in need," said community center director Samuel Cook, III.
So far this year, "One Home at a Time," helped fix 10 homes in the 7th ward.
"What we see here is a community feeling the way to properly pay homage and remembrance of Katrina is to work," said City Council Member Kristen Gisleson Palmer, "and to really continue the rebuilding efforts that are always going on."
That effort is ongoing on for Wilfred Alexander. The disabled Vietnam veteran hopes his road home eventually brings him where he needs to be.
"My heart is full," he said, as he stopped to watch the volunteers working on his home. "Yeah, I'm getting there. I'm getting there."
The 7th Ward Community Center relies on corporate and individual donations for their "One Home at a Time" program. Next year, they hope to work on 15 more homes.
