Volunteer Marcia Etu (left) embraces Brenda Wyatt (right) on June 30, 2023, outside of Wyatt’s home, which was being repaired after damage from Hurricane Ida in 2021. Project Restoration has already helped 20 homeowners fix their houses in the Philadelphia area, and some 40 more are planned. Photo by John Coleman,

Two years after Hurricane Ida flooded her home, Brenda Wyatt is finally on the last leg of efforts to repair it, helped by Eastern PA’s Project Restoration. Volunteers from Virginia spent a hot June day laying flooring in Wyatt’s basement. One volunteer said the work to fix the home was important, but not as important as giving people like Wyatt hope for the future. UM News reporter Jim Patterson  visited Wyatt and wrote this story. Read on.