NOLA to NYC: Katrina survivors encourage Sandy survivors - Tucson News Now

NOLA to NYC: Katrina survivors encourage Sandy survivors

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Calvin, from Uptown New Orleans, encourages Sandy victims. (Source: Andy Kopsa) Calvin, from Uptown New Orleans, encourages Sandy victims. (Source: Andy Kopsa)

(RNN) - After Superstorm Sandy devastated the East Coast and brought the largest city in the United States to its knees, the main focus has been recovery.

Many wonder what's next for those who lost their homes and loved ones; how are they coping - mentally and physically - with what they are going through and what is it going to take for life to be normal again?

To clearly understand what they are going through, someone would have to gone through something like this before. And who better understands what New York City is going through than those who lived through the nightmare of Katrina seven years ago.

That's why Andy Kopsa created the project NOLA to New York.

Kopsa is a freelance journalist from New York who became stranded in New Orleans in wake of Sandy.

While worried about family and friends, Kopsa figured current or former residents of New Orleans could encourage Sandy victims better than any other.

Kopsa wants current and former residents of New Orleans who lived through the nightmare of Katrina to participate in NOLA to New York by writing on a piece of paper what they would say to the people of New York, and uploading a photo of them holding it to the website.

Photos and words of encouragement have been pouring in.

"Be resilient. Ya'll will make it through this because ya'll been through hell before," wrote John, whose home never lost power during Katrina, but neighbors a block away did.

"It's not about the material things. It's about each other," wrote a man named Calvin, who lived in Uptown New Orleans before Katrina.

Kopsa also asked those who want to post on Twitter to use #NOLAtoNYC.

Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.

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