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John Hollenhorst Reporting Just before the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a Utah church held a memorial celebration for hurricane evacuees and those who volunteered.
The memorial was held at Calvary Baptist Church, which has emerged as the help center for evacuees.
Crisis counselors at the church help evacuees find food, housing and jobs.
Ernest Timmons/ Evacuee & Crisis Counselor: "I'm a social worker by profession. So my first instinct was to reach out and help, to solve problems rather than think about what I would have to endure."
One year ago tonight, New Orleans was on the eve of catastrophe. In the week that followed, Hurricane Katrina forced hundreds of thousands of residents to find new homes in new places.
By one measure, the help effort has been a huge success: about half the evacuees overcame culture shock and decided to stay in Utah.
Many Americans will never forget the heartbreaking images. A city in ruins. Desperate people begging for rescue. An evacuation unlike any the nation had ever seen. Timmons abandoned his 9th Ward neighborhood forever.
Ernest Timmons, Evacuee: "It was destroyed, as everything else in New Orleans was."
He's part of a five member crisis team at Calvary Baptist. FEMA pays their salaries so they can help evacuees manage their new lives, whether it's finding transportation to new jobs, or finding a way to live with the emotional aftermath.
Rev. France Davis, Calvary Baptist Church: "Some of them have been constantly struggling to sleep at night. Some have problems with nightmares, and feeling like they've been left alone. and many of them are angry. Those were the challenges that they had. We think, for the most part, they are doing excellent."
Timmons says he adjusted quickly to the culture shock of living in Utah. He's enrolled in college and he's looking for permanent employment once his temporary counseling job is over.
Ernest Timmons: "I live here now. I want to make this my home and be one of the productive citizens."
Roughly 370 evacuees have stayed in Utah. A major hurdle is coming. In November, FEMA funding for housing runs out, so that will be a real test of their independence.
