Yvonne T

Yvonne T; Tim; Abbey

Email: yvonnemtillman@yahoo.com

Location: Bay St Louis, MS

Number in Household: 3 Yvonne, Tim and our dog Abbey

Situation: Timmy is/was a shrimper, so we decided to go upriver on the boat to ride the storm out. Little did we know it changed course and we were right in the middle of it. Our house is on a bayou that has never taken on water before. The house had water up to the roofline - and it's already elevated!
It took over 6 months to get someone to assist with the gutting and rebuilding, but we are ever so slowly getting there. I am disabled with back troubles and now hereditary knee troubles, so can't work or help with the house.
Timmy is working in a ship yard now as fuel costs are too high, no ice companies are available and no packers around anymore to make shrimping anything more than a hobby. The gov't hasn't come through for non-immigrant shrimpers, so we have no recovery money there.


Current Living Arrangements: FEMA Trailer

Help: Very little from FEMA, a whole lot from Lagniappe Presbyterian Church!

Needs:
Wheel Chair Lift - it is getting increasingly difficult to get up the stairs to the living area of the house. I use a wheel chair more as time goes on (until surgery is a must), and would like to have the lift for when I can't make it up the stairs anymore.
Tools: Tim lost all of his tools, and would like to have new ones to keep working on the house as well as to be more useful at work.
Furniture: - We lost it all and will have nothing to move into the house with once the house is complete because all our money has been going to building supplies - and that's a slow go due to prices down here! 12/9 The address of Rooms To Go is 429 Pass Rd. Gulfport, Ms. 39507. Phone # (228)864-2462 (if you want to help furnish the house)
Cabinet Hardware - We got new cabinets, but they didn't come with the hardware and WOW that stuff is expensive! Just normal pulls and hinges. Nothing fancy.

Sweater for Abbey - We're getting frosts now and it's just too cold for such a little girl.

Stores you shop at: Walmart is about the only thing in town.

3/25 We finally moved into the house and it looks great! Still alot of work to do, but it can be done living in it. I'm going to get the pictures developed next week and will try to download them so you all can enjoy the fruits of your hard labor. We just can't thank all of you for your work you helped us with and invite everyone one of you to come visit whenever you can or want.
Again, thank you, Love, Tim, Yvonne and Abbey Tillman

2/13
The hard work finally paid off, and 2 days ago we moved back in. There's still odds and ends to do and fix, but at least I'M HOME. It's been such a long haul, and without the volunteers, God only knows how far we'd be. I'm trying to find the disc to download pictures from my camera, and when I do, I'll send them on to you. We're going to get a TV and bedroom set tomorrow, everything is still in a turmoil but I'll be able to organize as soon as I get some dressers, closet poles, etc. Can 't wait to send out the pictures to everyone who has helped and been there emotionally .

1/17
Sooooooo sorry that I haven't been in contact for awhile, but we've been really busy with the house. All the siding is up except for the roof of the deck. The flooring is all in except for the carpet in the 2 bedrooms. I have all the appliances except for a washer/dryer and microwave. I don't have any furniture, except for a table and chairs and box spring and mattress. Most of the doors are up in the house, except for 1 closet door which is an odd size and needed to be ordered. Lagniappe stepped up to the plate with labor to help us get this far. I ran into Pastor Bonnie a couple weeks ago and she said if I needed furniture to call her, so I did and left 3 messages and went up there 2 times, but never got a response. Hope she hasn't had a relapse. I'm waiting for the counter-tops to come in, which should have been in last Mon. but now says it will be today or tomorrow. Hope so, because then Tim can hook up the sinks, shower, and tub.