Group formed by four Mandeville residents

By Elizabeth Ashby

St. Tammany News

Like many homes in the area, David and Laura Cressy of Mandeville have had to lift their home 16 feet and are looking to rebuild their hurricane-battered home, located only steps away from Lake Pontchartrain. In the process, they formed a reconstruction co-op with neighbors Jay and Catherine Weil to help others find contractors who are willing to give discounts on products and services. (Staff Photo by Elizabeth Ashby)

After Hurricane Katrina damaged and destroyed homes on the Gulf Coast, four Mandeville residents formed a co-operative to help others get deals on common rebuilding necessities such as house lifters, plumbers and electricians.

Headed up by David and Laura Cressy of 132 Coffee St. and Jay and Catherine Weil of 2623 Lakeshore Drive, the co-op will give people the chance to find help as they rebuild their homes.

"This co-op is for anyone who has a need, and it is also a way of sharing resources," Laura Cressy said. "The faster people can purchase supplies and rebuild, the quicker we'll all recover."

She and her husband lived in their home for over two decades when it was inundated with 5-foot waves in August 2005. Seeing how neighbors were rebuilding in similar fashions prompted them to establish the neighborhood co-op with the Weils to help others rebuild.

They have already lifted their home 16 feet above sea level and are now looking to renovate and reconstruct the 140-year-old former beach house that was almost ripped apart by Katrina. David Cressy said it looked as if a bomb went off inside.

As part of the co-op, people can receive discounts by going with contractors involved with the co-op.

"This came out of necessity," David Cressy said. "People came with different groups as a way to get better prices."

Laura Cressy said the group, which is open to anyone in the hurricane-ravaged areas in Louisiana and Mississippi, are meeting every couple of weeks to share resources and compile a list of contractors willing to give discounts or sell items at cost.

Meetings are convened based on what people are looking for, David Cressy added.

"People can pick and choose from the list of what contractors they need because not everyone needs the same thing," she said. "We are trying to get everyone together so they can finish or begin rebuilding."

David Cressy said the co-op is also an effort to reunite communities through a common bond of rebuilding and reconstruction.

"The biggest part of this experience is people coming together with a lot of commonality," he said. "The essential and primary thing to do right now is to get homes up and out of harms way."

Laura Cressy added that before any rebuilding can start, a homeowner must obtain a city-issued permit and have an engineer inspect the home to determine what renovations need to be made.

With homes in their neighborhood at various stages of reconstruction, the Cressys said the co-op will continue as long as it takes to rebuild the area. They are inviting contractors to get involved.

"I know there are a lot of people wanting to share in rebuilding the communities affected by the storm," Laura Cressy said.

She added that people can receive discounts on roofers, installation, elevators, electricians, plumbers and carpenters who have agreed to be involved with the co-op.

For more information on the co-op or to share information, call Laura Cressy at 630-5902.