In September 2005, Oprah reported live from the Gulf Coast just days after Hurricane Katrina blew to shore. In New Orleans and Mississippi, she saw the devastation and desperate conditions facing those lucky enough to survive the storm. And right then, she made a promise.

Oprah pledged to never forget the displaced families of Hurricane Katrina, and during the The Oprah Winfrey Show's 20th season premiere, Oprah committed $10 million of her own money to build homes and help rebuild lives. She also launched the Oprah's Angel Network Katrina Homes Registry so viewers could help "make a house a home" with furniture, picture frames and other items that were lost in Katrina's wake.

To date, donations to the Oprah Angel Network Katrina registry total more than $11 million. Homes were built in four states—Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama—before the one year anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.