Ruth has been a resident of East Biloxi all her life. Hurricane Katrina brought 8 feet of water into her home and shifted it off its foundation. Returning after the hurricane, Ruth stayed in the flooded home until she received a trailer from the First Presbyterian Church.

Over two years later, her house was finally ready to build. Through the collaboration of volunteer organizations including Hope Force, Hands On Gulf Coast, and the East Biloxi Coordination Center, the house was blitz-built in approximately one week. The new house is handicap-accessible and features two bedrooms, an open living and dining room, a modest kitchen and a small back porch. I drew the plans based on a design by Jason (Cora’s house), with minor modifications.

The blitz took place during the first week of April, 2008. I didn’t participate, since I was busy doing other work at Patty’s, but I got plenty of photos from Hope Force. Here’s a selection:

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