“I believe in miracles… and everything that has happened to me since I came to St. Louis is like a miracle to me.”

Roland Bob Harris will never forget Katrina. He’s not your typical homeless story, just like Katrina was not your typical hurricane. Roland Bob was born in St. Louis to an alcoholic mother, but his acting talents led to a movie and commercial career in California. When Roland Bob retired, he moved to New Orleans, where he lived for 10 years before Katrina came ashore. “It was the most horrible feeling… all of those people had no place to go, and I still don’t know what happened to some of my friends.”

Roland Bob was among the flowing traffic that left New Orleans the day before the disaster. After arriving in St. Louis, he came to St. Patrick Center, where our Disaster Recovery Team (DRT) helped him get settled, including providing gas money to return to New Orleans once he was allowed back to retrieve his belongings.

Roland Bob would like to return to New Orleans permanently, but for now he is enjoying senior apartment living in St. Louis. And he is still performing – you may hear Roland Bob singing outside the Muny before a Summer 2007 performance!

1. JOAN TORDO FROM THE WINDSOR SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY

   May 31, 2011 at 9:48 pm

   DEAR OLD FRIEND: I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND YOU SINCE KATRINA & DID GET AS FAR AS THIS PLACE BUT NEVER HEARD ANYTHING BACK–I AM THRILLED TO SEE THAT I CAN NOW WRITE YOU AND SAY HOW I HAVE PRAYED FOR YOU FOR EVER SO LONG. I HOPE YOU WILL REMEMBER ME. I WAS THE FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST AT THE WINDSOR FOR 10+ YEARS. I MOVED IN MAY OF 2009 TO COME & LIVE WITH ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS WHO HAS HEALTH PROBS & A DISABLED SON (35 YEARS OLD–HAD ACCIDENT AT AGE 3). ALL GOES WELL IN SPITE OF A FEW HEALTH ISSUES. I AM CONNECTED WITH A VERY WONDERFUL CHURCH & DO VOLUNTEER WORK SINCE I CANNOT DO A REAL 9-5 JOB BUT GOD HAS BEEN SO VERY GOOD TO ME & I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO MORE VOLUNTEER THINGS. I GUESS AFTER HAVING WORKED FOR 64 YEARS SOMETIMES 2-3 JOBS IT IS HARD TO CHANGE BUT CHANGE I HAVE & PTL FOR IT. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
2. Donny Wood

   July 27, 2011 at 5:20 am

   Bob,
   Man I hope you get this. I have been trying to find you for years. I just put you in Facebook and it led me to this.
   Why did you just fall off the earth and not let me know where you have been ? I thought that you were a casualty of Katrina.
   Please call me or email me. My email : donwood2005@aol.com
   My cell 714-475-8285

   IF ANTONE ELSE READS THIS AND IT IS NOT GETTING TO BOB, CAN YOU PLEASE PASS THIS ONTO HIM.
   THANK YOU, DONNY WOOD