Through the Eye of the Storm

A Book Dedicated to Rebuilding what Katrina Washed Away

Cholene Espinoza

A Fundraiser to Benefit Katrina Survivors

Cholene Espinoza—Air Force Academy graduate, former U-2 reconnaissance pilot, and embedded Iraq War journalist—rediscovers hope and purpose in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. With her partner, a close friend, and a U-Haul packed with supplies, Espinoza drives into the Deep South with misgivings and self-doubt. Once in DeLisle, Mississippi, she meets Rev. Rosemary Williams, pastor of the Mt. Zion Methodist Church. Williams is at the center of local relief efforts, and from her damaged church she gives survivors comfort—not just spiritual comfort, but food, shelter, clothing, and love. Espinoza finds her own struggles overwhelmed and transformed by the stories of Katrina’s survivors.

Through the Eye of the Storm is a rallying cry for working Americans and an indictment of the public and commercial sources of assistance that have failed them. Espinoza details the seemingly insurmountable red tape, systemic barriers, and inequities in disaster assistance for people who have no means to complain or demand better. Common stereotypes about race, religion, poverty, government assistance, single parenthood—even our notions of charity—are challenged when seen Through the Eye of the Storm. This is a story of loss and recovery, of the ravages of disaster and the healing power of community.

Pass Christian/DeLisle Community Center

Proceeds from Through the Eye of the Storm will build and support a community/education center that will serve the Katrina survivors of Harrison County on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. It will provide young adults with GED, computer, and other job training that will give them the skills to participate in the recovery of their community. During non-school hours, the center will serve the children of the community as the only after-school facility in the area. Eventually, routine healthcare education and services will also be provided at the center. Find out more about the community center.

About the Author

Captain Cholene Espinoza, currently a United Airlines pilot, graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1987. In 1992 she became the second woman selected to fly the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, and was awarded the Air Medal for combat missions over Iraq and the former Yugoslavia. She is a military correspondent for Talk Radio News Service and lives in New York City.

In her own words

"I believe that most of us have hidden something in our lives or had something gnawing away at our spirit that separated us from community and the human family. We have all felt, "less than," from time to time. For me, being gay had stopped me from serving two of my greatest loves in life, God and country. Through the eye of the storm, I came to the realization that each one of us has something to give and that gift is desperately needed in our world. This is the story of my life, the lives of truly heroic Americans, and the transformation of my spirit that took place rather unexpectedly in a small Mississippi community—a community Katrina nearly washed away."