On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina decimated the Gulf Coast as the most costly — and one of the most deadly — hurricanes in our nation's history.  Over 1,836 people are known to have lost their lives and countless others were left homeless. 

On the other side of the country, news of the disaster had hardly reached the ears of Jim Palmer, president of the Orange County Rescue Mission, before he began to assemble OperationOC, a collaborative partnership designed to meet the needs of hurricane evacuees.  OperationOC would turn out to be an answer to prayer for hundreds of families, not the least of which were Jeremy, Anne and Paige Templeton.*

Jeremy and Anne saw the writing on the wall.  Two days before the hurricane hit, they (along with their daughter, Paige) packed up their van with all it could hold and left New Orleans to ride out the storm with Jeremy's sister in Houston.  When the dust settled, Anne had lost five family members and their home was destroyed.  New Orleans had always been home to the Templetons, but they were now forced to consider other options.  The help that FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) offered was contingent upon their willingness to live in a trailer and cope with what would turn out to be a very long rebuilding effort.  After much deliberation and prayer, they decided to make a go of it in California.

Because of Anne's certification as a registered nurse, her affiliation with a nationwide placement agency, and her California contacts, this seemed the best option.  Jeremy left behind a successful construction design business, but being Christians, the Templetons trusted that God would lead them and take care of them.  They arrived in California on September 2, and by October, Anne was able to secure a temporary position at a hospital in Long Beach. Meanwhile, the family took up residence in an extended-stay motel.

How Jeremy and Anne eventually connected with the Orange County Rescue Mission and OperationOC can only be attributed to providence.  Anne was worried, knowing that her assignment at the Long Beach hospital would soon be ending, and that they would then have no means of support.  “God’s gonna provide, don’t worry about it.  It’ll be okay,” Jeremy told her.  One morning at 3:00 a.m., completely ignorant of which hospital was which, Anne applied online for a position at an Orange County hospital.  The very next day, a lady from that hospital called and told her that she had been praying that God would send someone to help, and was interested in setting up an interview for her.  Anne was immediately hired into a much sought-after position in a department of her own choosing.

This was extraordinary enough, but the same lady, knowing of their predicament as a result of Hurricane Katrina, referred the Templetons to the Orange County Rescue Mission where OperationOC was ready and able to help. In December of 2005, a case manager was assigned to assist the Templeton famliy, and not long after they were moved into their own apartment.  OCRM, through OperationOC, provided them with move-in fees, furniture, a refrigerator, food — even reliable transportation!  This assistance, in turn, allowed Jeremy to attend Cal State Long Beach full time where he later obtained concurrent employment.

As for the future, the Templeton’s are undecided whether or not they will return to New Orleans.  Jeremy will graduate in the Spring with a degree in chemical engineering.  Meanwhile, he enjoys his role at the college as head of the National Society of Black Engineers, University Outreach speaker and a mentor of young students.  Anne longs for what she affectionately calls “home,” but she is open to what the Lord has for their future.  Their daughter, Paige, is thriving in her new environment, something she could not have done in New Orleans.

When asked what they would like our readers to get out of this testimony, Anne responded, “It [trying to get back on their feet] was a never-ending cycle, but it stopped at the Rescue Mission...What they need to know about the Rescue Mission is that they're actually assisting people with their needs.”

As an organization committed to helping people get back on the road to self-sufficiency, families like the Templetons give us a profound sense of satisfaction.  We’re thankful to God for his faithfulness to provide, and to our many supporters who partner with us to assist the Least, the Last and the Lost.

*The names were changed to protect the privacy of our clients.