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S IMONE B RUNI RECLAIMING OUR PAST
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A native New Orleanian , Simone Bruni has a long-held passion for our city and the abundant beauty of our culture , history and nature . In her hospitality career , she was a natural at showcasing these treasures . Following Hurricane Katrina , she looked around at the devastation in her Lakeview neighborhood and sought to be a part of rebuilding our city . in S
While the flood waters receded , Simone slept on a friend ’ s couch in Gonzales and volunteered at a nearby large temporary animal shelter nurturing abandoned pets . As soon as she could enter the city , she took bird seed and cat food to her old mud-covered neighborhood . She noticed an eerie , deafening silence . She observed packs of abandoned pets running around and feral cats on the roofs of flooded homes . These scared and hungry creatures touched a tender place in her heart . She knew she had to be part of the solution and immediately became involved with animal rescue crews . She witnessed the volunteerism of America blossom , and these small acts of kindness sparked a raging fire in her heart . While picking up the pieces of her own home and life , she found the faith , hope and resilience to help others literally pick up the pieces of their own lives . Her empathy for the needy creatures and their people evolved into creation of a business : Demo Diva Demolition .
With no construction experience and no family members in construction , Simone was compelled to help others who were as vulnerable as these abandoned animals . She began selling trust and hope . She approached people in her neighborhood with words they longed to hear : “ Trust me to help you . I live here . Don ’ t pay me until the job is done .” Seventeen years later , Demo Diva is now a highly successful multi-million-dollar business . The iconic hot pink dumpsters and excavators have become a part of the New Orleans landscape .
22 Life Unleashed