Johnette Mistretta

Neighborhood: Gentilly
Architecture Style: Bungalow

Born and raised in New Orleans, Johnette Mistretta had never set foot outside of the city until Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. She was extremely proud of the lovely home in Gentilly she’d made for herself, her three children (Jessica 17, Joneae 13, Moses 4) and her new granddaughter born August 9, 2005. On August 29, 2005 her whole world changed. As the storm bore down on the region, she faced the task of trying to evacuate her children on her own. She sent Jessica and her granddaughter to Texas with her parents, Joneae to her paternal grand parents in Mississippi while she and her young son stayed in Louisiana with friends on the Westbank. Ms. Mistretta never imagined it would be six months before she would see her home again.

Three days after the storm, Ms. Mistretta and her son made their way to Texas where she frantically spent several days trying to reunite her family. Once reunited, they finally settled in a small apartment in Houston, but were desperate to return home. Six long months later, they moved into a FEMA trailer in the front yard of their destroyed home. Nine feet of water had ruined their belongings and left the home in complete disrepair. To make matters worse, the mortgage company took all of the insurance money Ms. Mistretta received and left her with no funds to rebuild her home. Unfortunately, four years later, the family is still living in the cramped trailer.

Ms. Mistretta, a driving instructor, is temporarily on unemployment due to a back injury, but she is dreaming of the day when her family can enjoy their home again in the city they love so much. Rebuilding Together New Orleans will be completely rebuilding Ms. Mistretta’s home and finally make her dream a reality, but funding is still needed.

A small donation can make a big impact on the rehabilitation of Ms. Mistretta’s home.

$12 can tile 4 square feet of the kitchen counter
$36 can purchase 2 gallons of interior paint
$48 can build 6 feet of fencing