Connie Bocage told me that she tried to go home. Her mother still lives in Laplace, Louisiana. But she says, "there is nothing to go home to."
The clean-up and recovery effort along the Gulf Coast remains mired in government bureaucracy. For Connie and her three daughters, there is no place to rent, no place to go.
In fact, the girls, ages 12, 9, and 7, are beginning to settle into their new home.
After some initial misgivings they feel welcomed at their new schools in Jefferson County. And they have found another anchor in Louisville.
The three girls have been matched by the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program. Three little sisters, now look forward to weekend meetings with three Big Sisters. who have volunteered as mentors.
Connie Bocage says her girls spend the entire week planning the outings with their Big Sisters. The Big Sisters are mentors, friends and tour guides to introduce the girls to a new city.
While most of us have forgotten about the plight of the Katrina evacuees, there is still much that can be done. In this case, three young Louisville women are looking disaster in the face, and creating smiles for children who lost their homes.
It's still not certain if the Bocage family will stay here or eventually go home. But if they do return to Louisiana, they will return with a positive experience from our community.
Three Big Sisters helped them through a crisis and were special friends in a time of uncertainty and need.