Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity, located in Thibodaux LA

Hurricane Gustav Update

Update as of Tuesday, September 2 at 8:30 AM:   I, and the entire staff, are all currently still out of the area as no one is being allowed back into the area with Terrebonne Parish not allwoing residents back in until Friday at noon.  Power is out for up to a couple of weeks according to some reports and cell phone usage is in and out.  From the reports that I have recieved, none of the homes in the subdividision in Bayou Blue received any major damage, although there are many with shingles, siding and some awning damage.  As of now, unless I, or another staff member get word, about Bayou Area Habitat homes, there will likely not be another update until early next week as staff will have to also assess the damage to their and their families homes.  All in all, I think we have come through this with mostly bumps and bruises, but we will not know the full story until the entire staff is back.
Thanks for the prayers and best wishes,
Jeremy
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I have been receiving emails and phone calls for updates on Bayou Area Habitat and how we are coping with Hurricane Gustav.  As of Sunday afternoon, it is projected to be a category 4 storm with land fall in Terrebonne Parish and will cut through the Bayou Area Habitat region.  The entire staff has either evacuated or is planning to get to better and safer shelter.  I will try my best to post any information that I get, but I am in the Memphis area and will only have second hand information by trying my best to get in touch with my contacts who are staying.
If anyone tries to call the Bayou Area Habitat office, the phones will not be able to record voice messages as we cut the power to the building as a precaution.  If someone would like to email me, I can be reached at [ jbecker@bayouhabitat.org ] and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can.
Please pray for those who will likely be affected by this storm.

Jeremy T. Becker
Executive Director
Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity

Bayou Area Habitat Crowns Mr. Habitat 2008

Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity would like to thank everyone who participated and partnered in this year’s Mr. Habitat Contest. After an eventful evening of laughs and great food, Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity crowned Roosevelt Thomas Sr., Mr. Habitat 2008!

Thomas, a member of the Terrebonne Parish School Board, was an instant crowd favorite for his portrayal of writer/actor Tyler Perry’s popular movie and screenplay fictional character, Mable "Madea" Simmons. Characters for the evening’s event included Batman, Rocky Balboa, Steve Urkel, Shaft and Norman Bates among others.

Both Thomas and his eight competitors left the audience in stitches throughout the night as the contestants competed in Name That Famous T.V. Theme Song, Name That Famous T.V. Line and audience favorite Musical Chairs.

In addition to an entertaining show, the audience was able to bid on over 80 silent auction items, two live auction items which included VIP tickets to a taping of the Oprah Winfrey Show with Chicago hotel stay and a 100 steak dinner provided by Steven Boudreaux’s Outback Steak House of Houma. One lucky audience member also won a $500.00 gift certificate to the Southland Mall which was generously donated as a door prize.

Each contestant and all in attendance walked away a winner however, as with the help of the community and local businesses, Mr. Habitat 2008 raised over $20,000–with proceeds from the event going toward building more homes for families in need in Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes.