Flood Relief: At the Heart of Ground Zero

Torrential rains pounded Southern Louisiana and flooded one-third of the state recently with three times the amount of rainwater deposited by Hurricane Katrina. It’s estimated that approximately 100,000 homes were damaged; the majority owned by low- to middle-income people without flood insurance.  “I don’t think people really understand the devastation,” said ColorTyme Franchisee Louis Bacile, whose ColorTyme branded store is located in Ponchatula, LA.

Bacile woke up to his screaming wife, opened the door to his home in Springfield, La., to what had become a small island surrounded by the National Guard rescuing victims. Bacile found himself at the heart of ground zero for the Louisiana flood of 2016.  After 24 inches of rain in less than 24 hours, Bacile and his wife, Laura, felt eager to help his friends and neighbors. With no electricity or water the Baciles started with the basics. They used a tractor to pull a trailer through low water level roads to higher ground, and they delivered food and water.

They gutted their neighbor’s home, taking it down to the 2”x4” studs of the house. They carted all the debris and damage to the front of the house. Unsalvageable family albums, kid’s toys, tiled floor, carpet, furniture and everything that made up these families homes they heaped into piles like trash.

Then, an idea hit Louis Bacile. As a Franchise in the rent-to-own business, he could give expert estimates on neighbors’ losses, complete with photos to show FEMA or to show their insurance company.
But Bacile didn’t stop there. He offered his services online to those in the area.  “The strangest thing happened!” Bacile said. “Someone reached out to me through Facebook and said, ‘I appreciate what you are doing and I’d like to sponsor a family.’”

The generosity of this man floored Bacile.  So Bacile decided to sponsor his own family. As President of the Louisiana Rental Dealers’ Association, he could sponsor a family through the funds he normally allotted for a school scholarship.

“If my state association can sponsor a family, maybe other state associations could too,” Bacile said. He put the message out and 22 generous states donated to the relief program.  If you’d like to reach out to donate to the flood victims, please email Louis.bacile@aol.com or go to their Facebook page to find out how you can help.