Hurricane evacuee gets fresh start at Braggs business

Many people will be heading back to New Orleans, but not Kurt Robert. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Steve Berg says Robert was one of the people who was evacuated to Camp Gruber in Oklahoma and he likes

Wednesday, September 14th 2005, 2:02 pm

By: News On 6

Many people will be heading back to New Orleans, but not Kurt Robert.

News on 6 reporter Steve Berg says Robert was one of the people who was evacuated to Camp Gruber in Oklahoma and he likes it here and he didn't have to go far to find work.

Just a short walk from Camp Gruber is the Braggs Grocery and Cafe. That's where you'll find Kurt Robert at his new job "Whatever needs to be done, just basically common sense, I cook, I stock shelves, I mop floors, I bag ice, whatever it takes to keep the store running, I'll help him out and I'll do it."

Owner Tim Cook says with all the evacuees coming in to the store, he needed some extra help, so he figured, why not hire an evacuee. He says there've been rumors of shoplifting, but he says there's been no such thing. "These people have just been great, well, you can see them, they're real nice, they're friendly, courteous."

Robert says the feeling is mutual. "I told them I'm staying here, because I like the courtesy you guys showed us and I'm going ot make this my home." Robert says his life is better after the hurricane. It's a different perspective. "The neighborhood that I grew up in is a very bad area, there's a lot of negativity."

He says he's not going back. "Y'know, because when you live up in such a situation for a long period of time, it tends to not only grow on you, but you start having negative thinking. I'm going to start a brand new beginning, with a smile on my face."

Robert says he was a carpenter in New Orleans and will eventually try to do the same here. Cook, the owner of the store, says he might hire a couple more evacuees in the near future.