Reminder of Katrina's effects hits home

The salmon-colored, 250-square-foot cottage might not appeal to someone in the market for a McMansion.

But it's an upgrade from the FEMA trailers still being used by Hurricane Katrina victims rebuilding their homes.

Dubbed the Compassion Cottage, it boasts all the comforts of home, save breathing room. It's got hardwood floors, a stove, refrigerator, table, futon, toilet and shower.

And it's about to go on a national tour to renew awareness and elicit support for those still reeling from the hurricane. Its ultimate destination is Pass Christian, Miss., which lost 2,200 of its 2,600 homes.

The cottage currently sits in the parking lot of St. Mark Lutheran Church, 200 S. Wille St. in Mount Prospect, where it likely will remain another week.

On Sunday, guests were treated to a lunchtime tour of the cottage.

"I can't imagine a family of six in here," said Mount Prospect resident Annette Woods.

"I can't imagine sharing this little space with my husband," said Jan Scott, of Mount Prospect, who called the effort to help the hurricane victims "phenomenal. I think it's what we all ought to be doing. This is what we as churches and as communities ought to be about. We shouldn't rely on government to take care of all our problems. This is what we need to do for our brothers and sisters down there."

Cindy Decker, youth and family coordinator for St. Mark, said, "It's so much better than the FEMA trailers that they had or still have down there."

Decker knows from experience. She was among those from the church who journeyed to Camp Victor in Ocean Springs, Miss., to distribute food to hurricane victims, as well as help them rebuild their homes.

Pictures on the walls of the cottage document the plight of people they helped. One man watched his car float down the street and later saved his pets by placing them on a mattress that was floating in his house. He lived in a FEMA trailer for about a year and a half before his house was deemed safe.

Another victim saw her waterfront home destroyed -- one picture showed she had written her address on a tree still standing on her property. She eventually wound up packing up all she had left after the hurricane -- items that had been donated by the Salvation Army -- and moved to California. "She was treating it (the donated goods) like gold," Decker said. A bulb from the woman's garden grows in the cottage.

According to a pamphlet distributed by the church, lack of adequate housing is the main problem for people in the hurricane region. While trades people work on commercial buildings, homeowners are left to carry on the work of rebuilding their homes, with the assistance of volunteers.

The cottage was built by a group led by Barrington resident Mike Bremeneour, who started a charity called Compassion Cottages.

It was officially unveiled last month in Barrington at a ceremony attended by Pass Christian Mayor Chipper McDermott, who received a key to the village from Barrington Village President Karen Darch.

The trailer, which cost $25,000 to build, was financed by private donations, as well as the sale of Compassion Cottage bracelets made by a Barrington girl. It was sold for $1 to an organization called Helping Americans Needing Disaster Support. The goal of HANDS is to build 200 homes in Pass Christian, each at least 1,200 square feet.

HANDS is looking for churches or groups of churches to build a home with a family. The cost to build a home is about $75,000.

Those interested in helping can call the St. Mark office at (847) 253-0631.