New Orleans trip aids needy residents

Sisters residents Ron and Kim Barry and their two children flew to New Orleans the week before Christmas, following a vision they had for helping the people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Their “Blessings to New Orleans” gift drive resulted in eighteen large boxes of toys and gifts donated by people from around the Central Oregon region.

While the gifts were traveling south via UPS, the Barry family made final preparation to fly to the area. When the family arrived in New Orleans after a “red-eye” flight, they “hit the ground running,” as Kim put it.

A small church in the area, Hosanna Church, where the family stayed, was the gathering point for an event called “Imagine Christmas.” Under the protection of big tents, 11,000 people displaced or otherwise affected by the hurricane were treated to games, gifts, shows and pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

It was almost carnival-like,” said Kim Barry. “The place was filled with joy.”

During the remainder of the week the Barrys helped in a variety of ways, including serving 750 Christmas dinners.

“The devastation to some neighborhoods is unbelievable,” said Kim Barry. “One woman offered to show me pictures of when her residential area was under nine feet of water.”

The Barrys hope to return to Louisiana in the future as part of a rebuilding effort. Ron is a contractor and the kids, Angela 14, and Trevor 10, want to help in any way they can.

“Trevor wants to help people clean their houses out,” Kim said. “People told us that they were afraid that after all the initial attention the hurricane had stirred up, that the people had now been forgotten and many asked us to please continue praying and told us to thank the people of Central Oregon for helping.”

While no firm plans are yet in place the Barrys do hope to be part of a local team to help with rebuilding.