Script for Hurricane Family Feature
Hurricane Family Starts New Life in Seattle
Kendrick/Feature/GA/EH
2-20-06
FOR TUESDAY FEB. 21 M.E. & A.T.C.
*Hosts: May want to play feature in cue before you air it. Music is added to the end that you may use as a bed to pitch to traffic or rejoin NPR. Fade it on your own.
Nearly six months after Hurricane Katrina, thousands of evacuees are still living in a state of uncertainty. The federal program that provided hotel vouchers ended earlier this month. The government plans to terminate all disaster housing assistance March first. Many hurricane victims don’t know what the next day—let alone the next week—will bring.
That’s not the case for one “family of 17” from New Orleans. They’ve been able to start a new life in Seattle—thanks to the generosity of strangers. KPLU’s Kirsten Kendrick has their story.
AV#: 0221KK1 “KPLU News” 4:43 + Music full for 3 minutes
(Anchor note: Cajun music continues up full after my out cue for three minutes. Use as much as you want for a music bed and fade on your own. The artist is Professor Longhair—a New Orleans musician.)
Script for Hurricane Family Feature:
(Kitchen nats—opening drawer) :03
Patricia Quinn searches through the kitchen cupboards of her new home in Seattle.
(Kitchen nats—raw sound) :02
Behind freshly-painted cabinet doors, are small reminders of her family’s old life in New Orleans.
(Kitchen nats—bag rustling)
She pulls out a prized possession—authentic Louisiana-style beans.
(Kitchen nats—beans and season salt mixed) :19
“And they don’t cook like them other beans. They cream. Glad to have those, huh? Yeah (laughs). This is a, uh, a season salt that you can put on chicken and fish. If you cook stew or something like that you can use a little bit of this.”
(Nats continue then fade under)
Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food.”
Cooking “true Cajun” is one way Patricia tries to heal the wounds from the hurricane.
(Nats—pointing out pictures) (Only underneath voice)
She moves to the living room, and sits on the couch. Her hair is wrapped in a colorful scarf. She’s cradling a large silver frame in her arms, pointing out photos of her 15 children and 9 grandchildren.
(Nats—pointing out pictures) :07
This is uh, Kiera, that’s Tyrell, little girl who’s down here” … fade under)
The Quinn’s new home in Seattle’s Central District is completely furnished—down to framed prints hanging on the walls. The house and all the things in it were made possible through donations.
Patricia is grateful her family is not in the same situation as thousands of other hurricane victims—depending solely on government assistance.
(Patricia—blessing) :11
“I think it’s a blessing … for the house. Some people don’t have a house right now, they’re putting them out in hotels and things. And I really think it’s a blessing just being here.”
To get here, she had to leave a city she loves—and the only home her family’s ever known. But Patricia knew things were going to change the day after the hurricane hit. Their home was damaged beyond repair, and she could hardly recognize her hometown.
(Patricia—leaving N.O.) :07
“It was like the third world. It was so sad and pitiful. They had people on the side of the road walkin’ their way out.”
The family was sent to a shelter near Houston. But there was no room for them.
(Patricia—no room in Hou. Shelter) :07
“And I sat down and just started cryin’, you know. I say ‘Lord where’s we goin’ from here? All of us.’”
They found an abandoned house. Spending several days sleeping on the floor and scrounging for food. Then, Patricia got a call on her cell phone from her oldest son, Quincy, in Seattle.
His congregation, the True Vine of Holiness Baptist Church, along with other churches, had raised enough money to fly the entire family to Seattle.
(Quincy—best cut) :10
“I’m thankful for all the support from all the churches. So that let me know that there are people that care. And it don’t matter what color you are.”
Even before the Quinns arrived in Seattle, there was a second wave of generosity. To find them a place to live.
(Nats—hammer and saw)
A vacant, run-down house was donated to the family. Church volunteers spent months renovating it.
(Willis—divine makeover) :03
“So we’re calling it a divine makover.”
(Nats—chainsaw + fade)
Ricky Willis is pastor at True Vine of Holiness. He and his wife spearheaded the effort to bring the Quinns here. It took a lot of work to get the house ready for such a big family.
(Willis—details work) :07
“Paintin’ these upstairs rooms. Redoing the floors. New electrical, carpet, (fade under) new windows, weatherproof windows and just a major, uh, makeover.”
To get it all done, Willis organized work parties of church volunteers. There was fellowship and, of course, food. Including spicy, gooey barbecue.
(Nats—sauce and blessing mixed) :15
“Pastor, what if I just poured it on top of the ribs? That’s fine, that’s great. Bless this food so it may be nourishment to our bodies as you are nourishment to our souls. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen, Amen.”
(Nats—people working and talking)
(Nats—saw #2—fade under)
(Nats—move-in day)
Two months later, Patricia is presented with the keys to her family’s home.
As she opens the front door, she inhales the scents of new carpet and fresh paint. When she gets to the kitchen, she stops. All the volunteers who helped make her house a home … are holding hands in a circle. Patricia stands in the center, fighting back tears.
(Patricia—thanks pastors) :05
“And I just want to thank ya’ll and I’m grateful for what you all did.”
(Fade under move-in nats)
Patricia’s husband, Lawrence, is still in New Orleans, finishing his last two months on a job before he can retire. Patricia says the family is adjusting well to Seattle. They like it here.
But she’s doing what she can to keep their old traditions alive. Especially the food. And that starts with finding the proper hot sausage for her Gumbo recipe.
(Patricia—sausage cuts mixed) :15
“The D&D smoked sausage—that’s the special made smoked sausage that they have down there. It’s the key to it. And you put whatever else you want in it, you know. You holding out hope that you might be able to get some of that sausage delivered up here or sent up here or something? Yeah.”
(Establish faint Cajun music)
“Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food.” (Pause) Kirsten Kendrick, KPLU News. (Fade up Cajun music full for two minutes)