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Updated with Video: Miss America Visits RAI
November 18, 2009-
Miss America 2009 Katie Stam visited New Orleans on October 7 and stopped by Camp Restore for a special message to area students, then joined with volunteers from Camp Biloxi and Camp Restore for a painting project and a house blessing. All this after visiting Atonement Lutheran School and Lutheran High in Metairie in the morning—quite a day! To see Katie’s account of her visit at the Miss America website, click here and scroll to her October 14, 2009 entry.
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Arnie Fielkow, City Councilmember At Large for the City of New Orleans, welcomed Katie to the city and thanked her for visiting the area and supporting the continued Katrina recovery effort. Photos provided by Bill Mattheessen. 
Students from H.C. Schaumberg and Joseph A. Craig elementary schools listened as Katie spoke and had the chance to ask her questions.
Katie spoke about a wide range of topics, including what it’s like being Miss America, what school was like for her growing up, how she draws inspiration and hope from the people she gets to meet, and the opportunity each one of us has to make a positive impact on those around us.
After lunch and a quick change into paint-friendly clothes at Camp Restore, Katie traveled to join volunteers working to paint Chaquita Day’s house. Chaquita is a homeowner in New Orleans East who was finally able to return to New Orleans from Houston this past summer to live with relatives and hopes to be back in her home by January.
A potential future Miss America?
A volunteer hands off a paint roller—let the painting begin! Several of the volunteers working at Miss Day’s home happened to be from Katie’s home state of Indiana.
On to the window trim…
The whole crew gathers outside. Represented are four generations in Chaquita’s family - herself and her mother, daughter and granddaughter.
Next is the house blessing—Katie carries in a “welcome home pack”...
...and is greeted out front by 87-year-old Gladys Hays!
Gladys gave Katie a full tour of the house, showing off all the work that had been completed by volunteers from Camp Restore as well as several projects she is working on herself.
In the house blessing service, God was asked to grant His blessing on Gladys and on her restored home, and to bless all who live in it until they reach their heavenly home.
In addition to the welcome home pack, Gladys was presented with a painting from IArtists, an art organization assisting with the revitalization of New Orleans.
Gladys and Katie see how it looks on the wall.