NEW ORLEANS —

He may have been too young to remember the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, but at 20 years old, Willie Giles has seen firsthand the recovery work of his 9th Ward community.

"A lot of people are still more shocked on why we're still here," said Giles. "But I try to let them know, 'Hey, this is our home, and this is what we do.' You know, we're going to keep going, and God is always in control." Advertisement

Giles was 1 week old when the floodwaters of Katrina inundated his neighborhood.

His mother, who was postpartum and recovering from a cesarean section, planned to stay.

"It is a pretty common thing around his area to stay put during storms. Not a lot of people have the expenses and the opportunity to evacuate," said Giles. "So, she had a plan on staying here."

And

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