Joe and Gloria Robert were honeymooners when floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina swallowed their home in the Lakefront area of New Orleans. Almost eight years later, New Orleans Job Corps Electrical students, in partnership with the non-profit St. Paul’s Homecoming Center, are helping the couple take a giant step toward moving back into the house they lost as a result of the storm.

“My goal is to come out and help Mr. Joe (Robert) with the installation and wiring,” Electrical student Dannico Blair told WVUE FOX 8-TV reporter Shellie Brown. “Right now, we’re running  branch circuit wiring for lighting and burglar alarms.”

Dannico, who was featured on a FOX 8 News report last summer when he assisted in the cleanup of a New Orleans neighborhood following Hurricane Isaac, is one of five Electrical students helping in the repair of the Roberts’ home. It has taken the couple eight years to gather the necessary funds to repair the house.

Says New Orleans Job Corps Electrical instructor Preston Stephens “This is an excellent opportunity for students to get some hands-on training with the kinds of things they’ve been studying in the classroom and the kind of exercises they receive in the lab.”

Joe Robert told FOX 8 News that the dedication of the Job Corps students gives him a renewed sense of hope.

“You lose a lot of hope sometimes in people because you give and give and it’s like ‘am I going to get anything back?’ says Robert, who has helped others repair their storm-damaged homes. “One thing I remember in prayer (is that) you just keep giving and it’s going to come back to you and sure enough- this is my time.”