Above: Harolyn Benjamin was forced to leave New Orleans after Katrina but has built a new life in Enterprise. (Linda Brannon/Alabama NewsCenter)

Harolyn Benjamin and her family barely escaped New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina roared toward the city. As the family made their way up the highway, state troopers were closing off the exits behind them.

The next day, in a restaurant in Enterprise, Benjamin broke down in tears as she watched the television reports and realized the life she had built was gone forever.

Little did she know at that dark moment, but Benjamin would stay in Enterprise and make a new life – one that has been incredibly rewarding, not only for her family, but for the community that embraced them.

Harolyn Benjamin, with Christian Mission Center, prepares for the center’s New Life Christian Recovery Program’s 16th anniversary and reunion with decorations inside the center. (Enterprise Ledger)

“Hurricane Katrina was probably the worst time of my life. It was heartbreaking,” Benjamin said. “But in the long-run, it turned out to be a good thing.”

Benjamin and her family had moved from Washington State to New Orleans in 1994. They joined extended family there, and over the next several years she built a business around her lifelong dream of helping women discover their purpose. It was called Women Who Care.

“Everyone has a purpose,” Benjamin stated. “Women Who Care was created to help others discover theirs. I start by telling people not to waste their time on anything that will stop them from moving forward.”

Benjamin established herself as a motivational speaker and columnist in the New Orleans area. She became an on-air regular alongside Sally-Ann Roberts, the popular morning anchor on WWL-TV. She wrote columns for both the Times-Picayune and the New Orleans Tribune.

By 2004, the opportunities had really opened up, according to Benjamin. “I was excited about the direction my career was taking. I was conducting workshops around the country and doors were continuing to open for me. But I’ve always said God has a great sense of humor.  I did not see Katrina coming.”

In the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in Louisiana, Benjamin and her family monitored news reports and warnings.  “We knew as early as Friday that New Orleans might be of particular concern, but still felt like we would be okay. But on Saturday, some parishes were ordering mandatory evacuations. Jefferson Parish where we lived did not. So we stayed,” Benjamin said.

All day though, Benjamin kept thinking: “If we don’t leave, we will die.” She spent hours following her husband Michael around the house, encouraging him to leave. “I guess I finally convinced him because several hours later we were among the last people who packed up and left. As we made our way out of town, we saw police closing the exits, blocking any chance of an escape for anyone who thought they would change their minds and leave.”

The Benjamins only took time to pack clothes for a few days for themselves and three children.  As they made their way to Geneva in Southeast Alabama, where three of Benjamin’s uncles lived, it struck her that she may not have a home to go back to.

The next day as Katrina made landfall and the reports were coming in of the severe flooding in most areas of New Orleans, Benjamin realized she may have lost all that was familiar to her. She and her husband were sitting in a restaurant in Enterprise, watching the first news reports, when the tears came. Other patrons weren’t sure what to make of Benjamin’s reaction, but the restaurant owner understood immediately. “He came over to our table and asked my husband if we were from New Orleans,” she said. “My husband said yes and the restaurant owner gave us all our money back. This was not the only act of kindness we would receive in the days and weeks to come.”

Girl Scout Troop 9241 leader Becky Benson (left) and Harolyn Benjamin of Christian Mission Women’s Center are recognized by Mayor Kenneth Boswell. (Enterprise Ledger)

The family was directed to the Christian Mission in Enterprise. The mission helped the family with furniture. “For more than half my career, I had helped others, and it was hard to accept that I was now the one in need,” Benjamin said. “One day in the Walmart parking lot, a woman approached me and wanted to give me money. She had seen the tag on my car and said she badly wanted to help Katrina victims. She wanted to know that she was doing something. She persuaded me to accept her kindness, but it was hard. I was just not used to being on the receiving end.

“Anyone who has been through this type of life-changing event will tell you that you feel loss, shock, and anger. Hundreds of thousands of lives were permanently altered that day and you can’t help but wonder why such a terrible thing has happened to you and yours. We found ourselves in a strange city having to start all over. I had all those emotions and more,” Benjamin stated.

The family decided to stay in Enterprise. It soon became clear there was nothing to go back to in New Orleans. “We fell in love with Enterprise,” said Benjamin. “People here were so friendly and helpful. We had never experienced that before.”

Ten years later, she and her family have made a place for themselves in Enterprise and put down roots. She is now the program director at Christian Mission, the same organization that first helped the Benjamins rebuild their lives.

Elizabeth Riley and Harolyn Benjamin of Christian Mission Center visit with John L. Mitchell, vice president of Mitchell Automotive Inc., as they look at some of the items donated to the food pantry at the Mitchell Nissan dealership. (Enterprise Ledger)

Her family has grown over the decade, and Benjamin is now a grandmother.

Just last year, Benjamin was named Enterprise Woman of the Year for the time she devotes helping juveniles in need and working to help make residents self-sufficient.  She is also committee chair for the Coffee County Juvenile Conference Committee.  In addition, she works with children by teaching classes on self-worth, discipline, respect for themselves and others, and life skills.

Being positive is a way of life for Benjamin, and that’s how she feels about her adopted community.

“My family and I found a home in Enterprise,” she said. “Now, I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

As we approach the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s devastating landfall from the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama NewsCenter is sharing stories of those who came to Alabama to put down new roots and build new lives and businesses.