Maricopa, a place to call “home”

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“I have a family. I have got to go!” Chef Green told the manager at Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina closed in on the city. The hurricane was little more than a day off shore, and the casino’s buffet style restaurant was still open for business. The manager wanted to stay open for a few more hours.

With only one guest left, Chef Russell Green decided it was time for him to leave. He encouraged other employees to do the same. “Look,” he said, “Bob Breck (a longtime TV weathercaster in the New Orleans market) is saying, ‘Leave or die.’ It’s time to go!”

Russell’s wife, Renetta, had already evacuated the city with two of their daughters and other family members. Even leaving the day before the storm, they were stuck in traffic for so long they were still in New Orleans when the rains started to hit.

She and her family stopped first in Alexandria, Louisiana, and then moved on to College Station, Texas. They finally ended up in Houston where Russell was able to meet up with them. The shelters were all so crowded there was barely room to sit, let alone sleep, so the family stayed with other relatives or in hotels along the way.

Having stayed behind for work, Russell was still in the family’s eastern New Orleans apartment, a three story building, when the storm hit. When the first levee broke and the water level in the city started to rise, Russell had to be evacuated by boat. “There were boats everywhere!” he says. “The water was at least 13 feet up. I’m a strong swimmer, but I couldn’t swim forever.”

According to a close friend who has been back to the area already, everything in their old neighborhood was destroyed, at least up through the first two floors. There was a small chance that some of the belongings in Russell and Renetta’s bedroom on the third floor might have survived the storm.

Clinging to the hope that they might be able to salvage things like birth certificates, social security cards, baby photos, and diplomas, the Greens recently made the pilgrimage back home to Louisiana. They wanted to return before the looters found any remaining valuables and before the apartment complex was demolished. What they found was complete devastation and some old family photos among the mud-caked debris.

They didn’t expect to return to Maricopa with Renetta’s heirloom curio or china cabinets, or the antique floor model television that was in their apartment. What they really hoped to bring back from their journey was a sense of peace and closure.

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Russell and Renetta Green.

Since the hurricane and all the devastation it brought with it, it has been difficult for the Green family to sleep at night. They needed to see the destruction for themselves and what is left. “We needed the closure in order to be at peace and move on,” says Russell.

The Greens still have not heard from any of the members on Russell’s side of the family since the hurricane. They hope and pray that it is due to the downed phone lines in New Orleans and the surrounding areas. They planned to check on his family during their trip. Their daughter Jasmine, 14, is still in South Carolina and plans to join the family here eventually. Renetta’s other family members are mostly accounted for now. They have reconnected with each other one by one over the last several weeks.

One of her brothers, who works for the New Orleans Police Department, has said that the family home where she grew up now stands two blocks back from where it was built. Some of Russell’s former co-workers have said they are waiting to be able to go back home, to live in New Orleans again. His advice to them is, “You need to look at the news; there is no more home.”

For the Green family, Russell, Renetta and their daughters Myreka, 18, and Reionna, 4, along with Renetta’s father, Joseph, Maricopa is now their home. Russell called Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino from Houston about a job and was told not to worry. Harrah’s management told him, “We’re going to take care of you. We have some good people here, Russell. You’re going to love it here.”

When the family arrived at the casino there was a large group of people waiting outside with balloons. “They’ve got to be waiting for us,” Russell told his family. Completely overwhelmed, he says he was shaking and nervous about even getting out of the car. The family could not believe the welcome they received.

A few days later, moving into their house in Rancho El Dorado, the outpouring of support from the community again humbled the family. The Will Dunn family from Stage Stop Ol’ Time Country Store, who originated the Maricopa effort to receive families displaced by the hurricane, was there to say ‘welcome home’.

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Russell Green holding daughter Reionna, wife Renetta, and daughter Myreka happily receive the keys to their new home from Community of Hope Church Pastor Rusty Akers . (photo courtesy of Nancy Smith)

Pastor Rusty Akers, his family, and several other members from the Community of Hope Church, which organized the complete furnishing and decorating of the home, were also on hand. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who were responsible for cleaning up the yard in preparation for the Greens’ arrival, were also there along with several other residents of Maricopa and the surrounding area.

As they arrived and were greeted by the large group, Renetta was in tears, and Russell fumbled trying to get the keys from his pocket, nervous and afraid to open the front door. It was an emotional experience they say they will never forget.

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The Green family arrives at their new home in Maricopa. (photo courtesy of Nancy Smith)

Until a few weeks ago, the Green family had never been to Arizona. They had never before seen actual mountains or a desert plant like cactus. The extreme heat is a new experience, too. On the day they arrived Russell recalls the temperature reached 115 degrees.

Relocating here has been “a great experience, at too high a price,” Green says. Settling in, they say that life here is drastically different from that in New Orleans. “Everywhere we go, people shake our hands and say, ‘Welcome to Maricopa. We’re glad you’re here!'”

Russell, who is a gourmet chef, is also studying criminal law investigation. He hopes to start his own transportation business some day. His new life here also includes plans to join the Sheriff’s Volunteer Posse, and one day he may run for an elected position like city council or even mayor! He has already taken the first step and become a registered voter in Pinal County.

Immersing themselves in their new community, meeting new people and making new friends daily, the Green family is finding out what many other Maricopa residents already know. Maricopa is not just a place to live. Maricopa is a place to call home.