 | The Methodist Church of Bay St Louis that had survived Hurricane Camille years back was flooded, and the steeple knocked off. The pre-School in the church was flooded and had to be gutted, leaving the children with no place to go and the kitchen unable to provide the hot meals required when serving children of low income populations. |
 | But now, January 2007, the church preschool is back in service providing hot meals in a clean, new child-friendly cafeteria. |
 | Port Townsend Noon Rotary club provided the funds necessary to outfit the preschool's new Health-Department approved kitchen, including a large commercial refrigerator unseen in this photo. |
 | Toddler Room at Methodist Pre-School in Bay St Louis |
 | 3-4 year olds' classroom at Methodist Pre-School in Bay St Louis, learning their shapes and colors here. |
 | Classroom for Kindergarten and 4 year olds at the Methodist Pre-School |
 | Over the Rainbow Pre-School was ready for our January 2007 visit with a big Thank You Poster |
 | Over the Rainbow Pre-School Story time for the 5 year olds as their friend, the cook, peeked in. |
 | Over the Rainbow Pre-School Vaccination Day - bummer! |
 | All were happy in the Infant Room, at Over the Rainbow Pre-school in Bay St Louis |
Over the Rainbow Preschool was a sodden shambles after Hurricane Katrina's flood and wind walloped Bay St Louis in late August, 2005. The old kitchen had not met standards required for serving low income families. Once the facility was gutted and rebuilt, Port Townsend Noon Rotary raised funds to outfit a new, Health Department approved kitchen. |
 | The cook for Over the Rainbow Pre-school in Bay St Louis is delighted with their clean, new kitchen. |
 | An Over the Rainbow Pre-school teacher shows off the new range, sink, worktop and dishwasher (behind her) purchased for the school by Port Townsend's Noon Rotary club. She's also happy to show her new baby who stays on site during work days here. |
 | Hot Lunch is ready to be served. We were told that we really needed to try cook's cornbread because it is the best! |
 | Over the Rainbow Pre-school's new playground was being installed as we visited in January of 2007 - here it is nearly finished. |
 | ALL city and county administration buildings were demolished by Katrina's 25-30 foot high storm-driven sea water surge that pounded across the low lying town of Bay St Louis and drove 10 miles inland in late August 2005. While county offices remain in FEMA trailers in
January of 2007, the county's Child Development Center (CDC) remains in its cleaned up old building awaiting a move to newly build quarters in March.
Port Townsend's Sister-City residents were key in gutting and rebuilding the old facility to help provide Bay St Louis children a clean, safe place to carry on with life as the adults tried to cope with surrounding destruction. All but one of the CDC staff lost their
homes; the one teacher whose home was spared took in the 30 others, housing a total of 38 people counting her own family |
 | A banner outside the old CDC facility displays a photo of the new one being funded by citizens from Pennsylvania. |
 | Awaiting lunch in the old, but clean, Hancock County CDC |
 | Lunch is served - old building, Hancock City CDC |
 | Some new kitchen equip purchased with funds from Port Townsend's Noon Rotary Club is already in use at the old building, Hancock City CDC,January 2007. It will travel to the new facility when it opens in March. |
 | NEW building, fresh rooms for Hancock City CDC, ready for March 2007 occupancy. |
 | Lora Mederos, Hancock City CDC director, shows off still-wrapped refrigerators (purchased with funds raised by Port Townsend's Noon Rotary Club) ready for the new building opening in March 2007. |
 | New oven for Hancock County CDC building was also purchased with funds raised by Port Townsend's Noon Rotary Club. |
 | Dishwasher is also here, also purchased by PT's Noon Rotary Club. |
