Lawanda McGraw

Neighborhood: Broadmoor
Architecture Style: Shotgun

Ms. Lawanda McGraw, a single mother of two, purchased her home in the Broadmoor neighborhood in 1997. As an artist that has had her work featured at Xavier University and as a member of both the St. Rita and St. Mathias Churches, Ms. McGraw loves being active in her neighborhood and the city. Growing up in Broadmoor with a strong sense of community and New Orleans pride, she wanted to raise her children, Lovanda and Jalen in this historic neighborhood. Before Hurricane Katrina, Ms. McGraw worked as an evening receptionist at an elderly care facility in order to spend the day with her young son.

During the storm, they evacuated to Baton Rouge and lived in a hotel while Ms. Lawanda worked with FEMA to reunite families separated by the storm. Ten months later, the McGraws returned to New Orleans, but found their home had been flooded with seven feet of water. Like many New Orleanians, the damage to the McGraw home was so extensive that federal and insurance assistance was not enough to cover all of the necessary repairs.

Since returning to the city, the McGraws have lived in eight different houses as they wait for their home to be rebuilt. With RTNO working on their home, Ms. Lawanda is now looking forward to rebuilding her home and bringing stability back to her family.

The exterior work on Ms. Lawanda’s home has been completed, but interior repairs still need to be made. You can help bring the McGraw’s home by donating:

$6 – tile 3 square feet of the kitchen
$18 – purchase a gallon of interior paint
$85 – install a kitchen cabinet