GREENSBURG — August’s torrential rains and flooding devastated a large section of Southeast Louisiana, including the sometimes-overlooked St. Helena Parish.

Located north of Livingston Parish up against the Louisiana-Mississippi state line, St. Helena Parish suffered multiple deaths, as well as widespread devastation.

LaPlace resident Kelli Joseph saw all the damage from a front row seat as St. Helena Parish School District superintendent.

She said at least 11 District employees and dozens of students lost everything due to the storm. Fortunately, the district’s three schools suffered little damage and the high school was utilized as an emergency evacuation shelter during the crisis.

“We knew that we needed to get some type of normalcy for our students,” Joseph said as floodwaters started receding. “If it was safe, we were going to start school as early as possible.”

St. Helena school leaders hosted a clothing and school supply giveaway Aug. 19 to help families who lost essentials in the flood and opened the doors back to their schools Aug. 22, the first of any parish initially declared a disaster location by FEMA.

Joseph credits much of the resiliency to a dedicated staff committed to students. She also has St. John the Baptist Parish to thank.

“St. John specifically helped St. Helena because they understood that this community is, a lot of times, overlooked because it is a small rural area,” Joseph said. “St. John wanted to make sure our kids and their families were provided the same type of resources that other systems were receiving.”

Joseph, a former teacher and principal in St. John Parish, also has the advantage of a large network of professional and personal relationships.

The response has been so large that Joseph had trouble singling out every person and group who has helped in the past few weeks.

St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District employees and members of the Rotary Club recently donated $4,605 to St. Helena public schools.

Joseph said school donations from John L. Ory, Emily C. Watkins and the Child Development Center have also helped, as well as support from St. John Councilwoman Jaclyn Hotard and Our Lady of Grace Church.

She said a truckload of clothes, furniture, food and supplies delivered last week courtesy of St. John Public Schools and Ascension of Our Lord Knights of Columbus members tripled the amount of supplies on hand.

“I was not expecting that at all,” Joseph said.

“There is a way to feel overly blessed. There are so many people and so many groups helping. We have received so much support that it is overwhelming. I truly appreciate it, and the citizens of St. Helena truly appreciate it, as well.”

St. John Superintendent Kevin George presented Joseph with a donation check last week that is being used to purchase uniforms, backpacks and other school supplies.

“St. Helena is a rural area,” he said. “We knew the spotlight wouldn’t be on them. We wanted to make sure they had what they needed to recover from this.”

Joseph said the support from outside the parish has empowered St. Helena staff members to work through their own struggles in serving students.

“The hard work tells me of the fortitude of our employees and the care and concern they have for our students,” she said. “It tells me the strength they have to want to get back to some sense of normalcy in their lives. I think they feel we are a family, and we are supporting them in the struggles they have.”

Those who would like to donate to the St. Helena Parish School District recovery effort can call 225-222-4349 for more information.