The Helpers

10/05/22 • 31 min

In the wake of three historic storms, many residents of Lake Charles, Louisiana, were struggling. Roishetta Sibley Ozane felt she had to do something to keep her community together. She started feeding people, clothing people, even paying to house them in hotels. All while she struggled to find a permanent home for her six children. In this episode, we follow Roishetta as she becomes the safety net for a city that the federal government neglected.

More: Transcript of this episode

More: Transcript of this episode

Previous Episode

Somewhere to Sleep

In a span of nine months, Lake Charles, Louisiana, endured two hurricanes, an ice storm, and a flood. The federal government promised to help the city rebuild. But as time wore on, Lake Charles remained a sea of blue tarps and debris. People like Alexis Sheridan were struggling. Alexis, who was seven months pregnant, resorted to sleeping in a tent. In this episode, we spend time with Alexis and her fiancé as they search for somewhere to live before their baby is born.

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Next Episode

The Cavalry

People in Lake Charles expected the federal government to help them rebuild their battered city. That’s what they had been promised. That’s what had happened after previous storms. But this time was different. In this episode, we report on why the federal government kept thousands of storm victims waiting. And why similar neglect could happen anywhere in the nation.

More: Transcript of this episode