The New York Times Job Market Sunday, September 25, 2005 LIFE’S WORK/Lisa Belki After the Storm, Salvaging a Life Johnson sat athome in Manhattan, watching the devastation on TV. Like the restof us, she felt helpless and horrified, Like so many of us, she wrote a checkto a charity. Like very ew of us,she got on a plane, flew to Houston, and vowed to person- ally mend some tattered lives. IMs. Johnson is the founder and chiet exec- tive of Women for Hire, which runs job fairs throughout the United States. “Em= ployment is what lliveand breathe,” she Said. Watching the news, she said, "I knew that these people couldn't start t pick up the pieces without a job.” Family friends agreed to sponsor her trip, andon Labor Day she foundherself stand- ing in the Astrodome and the adjacent Rel- aniee Center, holding a hand-lettered sign that asked, “Are you looking for a job?” “Hundreds of evacuees approached her. Nezrly all of themhad been working for hourly wages — as janitors, cashiers, walt ‘ere, drivers, housekeopers, prep cooks and dishwashers — until the storm washed their livelihoods away. At first Ms. Johnson pro- ‘vided mostly information: that Harrah's had an 800 number for enaployees to check in; that Walgreens would transfer New Or- leans jobs to other locations Doris Banks saton an Army-issue cot and watchedothers approach Ms. Joanson, hest- ‘ant, at first, to speak up herself. Until a few days eariier, Ms. Banks hadbeen working at ‘Taco Bell at the corner of Tulane and Broad ‘Streets In New Orleans and living in public. ‘housing, where she'd been all 20 years of her life, Her aparzmert was on the second floor, ‘and she huddled there the day the levees broke, with her 4-year-old son, Michael, and her boyfriend, Michael Mabon. As the water rose twofeet, three feet, four fee, they put little Michael in a big plastic tub and floated himalong, while Ms. Banks, whocannot ‘swim, rode on big Michael’sback ‘They made their way to ahighway over- pass, where they found young Michael's pa- ternal grandmother, who told them rela- tives were waitingto drive Fer to Alabama, andshe wanted totake the boy. Me. Banks sent her son off for a day or two while she ‘waited itout on the highway ‘But the water did not go down, and she and Mr. Mabon eventually slogged to the Convention Center, where they spent wo harrowing nights. Eventually buses arrived I: the daysafter Hurricane Katrina, Tory ‘This column about the intersection of jobs ‘and personat ivesappears every other week. E-mail: Belkin@nytimes.com, An employment expert finds that lining up a job ‘was just the beginning. _and the couple got aboard, Only after hours ‘on the road did they learn they were heading {or Houston. During her first day at the Astrodome, >Ms. Banks managed to get a call through io ‘Alabama and find out that her son was sate. ‘And she walked toa nearby Taco Bell to asle for work but was told that they had no jobs. ‘She approached Nfs. Johnson hesitantly, and leamedthat Taco Bell would guarantee her ajobat any company-owned location Ast happened, the place Ms. Banks had visited on her own the day before was afranchise. ‘That night Ms. Johnson printed outa list of dozane of Taco Bell locations in Hoaston and cross-referenced their ZIP codes with ‘those of public housing vacancies. She 2e- +oed inon a ene-bedroom unit within three blocks of a company-owned Tacy Bell, but ‘when the two women arrived the next morn- ngthey learned that the apartment was a condo that did not accept public housing funds. Ms, Johnson persuaded the landiora tolet Ms. Banks rent it for the $541 a month she recoived from the government, and to speed up the paperwork so Ms. Banks could sign the lease that morning. ‘Then Ms. Johnson said, "Let's go shop- ping," and (ook her stunned new friend 10 the Wal-Mart across the street from the apartment They spent $4,000 buying clothing, furm:- ture, olletries, Kitchen utensilsanda DVD player. Later they bought a bed and a cel- phone with a iberal calling plan — the bills, will come toMs. Johnson. When they fin- ‘shed they stopped at Starbucks, and Ms. Banks had her first Mocha Frappucsino, Ms. Banks slept well n her new apart- ‘ment that night, secure in Ms. Johnson's promise totelp find Mr. Mabon a construc- tion job andto help bring her son tohis new home. Bur early ast week,her nightmare began againas Hurricane Ritaheaded toward Houston and Ms. Banks was strand ‘ed without arideout of town. She called Ms. ‘Johnson, who bought her aplane telct 0 ‘New York, sent ataxito the apartment, and hhad her driven tothe airport. "Y’m thinking sbout all the other people I met atthe Astrodome, wondering where they allare and bow they're handling this,” ‘Ms. Johnson fretied in the hours befere the storm struck, "How much ean people be ex pected ioendure?™