Houstonians are dealing with some issues post-Harvey that might not first come to your mind... Mosquitoes are annoying, all-year long in Houston. Going indoors is usually how to get away from the bothersome bugs. But with their homes opened up to dry out, there's no longer any escape. And in northeast Houston, many communities are also struggling without clean running water. Less frequent handwashing could lead to an increased spread of germs and bacteria. Getting laid up with a cold, the flu or worse is the last thing people want while they're still dealing with the aftermath of Harvey. So, on Day 285 we decided to do something simple to help community members in northeast Houston protect themselves. Yesterday, we noticed that there wasn't hand sanitizer or mosquito repellent available at the EHCC distribution center. So, we purchased both and they were quickly added to the distribution kits. Then those kits were taken to a vaccination clinic - anyone who came in for a … [Read more...] about Fighting the bugs

So many people lost everything in Hurricane Harvey – homes, cars, jobs, personal belongings, memories, collectibles, and even family members and pets. The Northeast area of the city – a historically underserved and marginalized area – was hit particularly hard. In the aftermath, individuals and families are trying to piece their lives back together little by little. With limited to no resources and a lengthy recovery process ahead, the need for temporary relief is greater than ever. That is the gap the East Houston Civic Center (EHCC) has stepped into. James Phelan and Jeanne Dupre Weido, two passionate and dedicated community leaders, run the operations of the EHCC with support from a network of over 120 volunteers. They are a resource for people who need a little bit of help post-Harvey - their store room is filled with food, water, hygiene items, clothing and home cleaning kits. "The items they receive at the distribution center impacts their lives because it allows them to … [Read more...] about Distributing the Essentials

Yesterday, we were able to get Tajuana and her kids up off the floor of the apartment where they're staying. The family lost their home and everything in it to Hurricane Harvey. With help from Mattress Mack, we got them each a new mattress. But it takes more than a mattress to make a bed. In their small apartment, their beds are really the only space they can have to themselves. So, on Day 283, we brought Tajuana and her family the bedding - sheets, pillow and blanket - to make their beds a space all their own. Black for Tajuana, blue for Brodrick, pink floral for Mykala and red for Todrick. The kids were away at school when we arrived, so we asked Tajuana to sit and relax while we made up the beds. She was really excited to surprise the kids with their brand-new comfy beds. "They're gonna say, 'Mama, where did these come from." Hopefully a good night's sleep will help Tajuana and the kids get the energy they need to keep moving forward. … [Read more...] about Beds Made

Tajuana is a single mom of three - Brodrick (5), Mykala (8), and Todrick (10). When Harvey hit Houston the waters rose 4.5 feet at their house in Trinity/Houston Gardens. Tajuana and her family headed for safety at the Convention Center where they stayed for 5 days. Now, they've signed a short-term lease for a one-bedroom apartment where they'll stay until their home is rebuilt. Tajuana is an UBER driver and her car was wrecked in Harvey. She's waiting for insurance to replace her vehicle, but in the meantime it means that she hasn't been able to work. Without money coming in, Tajuana hasn't been able to replace any of the creature comforts of home. In particular, the family needs mattresses. "Every night Tajuana lays out all the clothes they have on the floor to give the kids somewhere softer to sleep," said Maddie McElhenny, ARC team member in Houston. "So, we headed to Mattress Mack's to remedy the situation." Mattress Mack is a Houston celebrity. In the days following … [Read more...] about A Soft Sleep

We met Bobbi in NE Houston, in a neighborhood underserved since Hurricane Harvey. Bobbi lives alone in the house she grew up in, but it was terribly flooded in Hurricane Harvey and she was forced to move out. In addition to the trauma of the storm, Bobbi is struggling with health issues and is on her second round of chemotherapy. Her sister Dolores takes care of her and makes sure she gets what she needs. When we met Bobbi, her house had been mucked, gutted and sanitized. But it was still far from livable. Every day Bobbi would come back to the house and hope she could move some of her things back in. On Day 281, we wanted to do something to keep things moving for Bobbi. So, we went with her and her sister Dolores to Home Depot to purchase two brand-new doors of her choosing. With secure doors, Bobbi will be able to start rebuilding the interior of her home without having to worry. And eventually, she'll be able to move her things back in. "I'm going to paint the front door … [Read more...] about Starting with a Door

Mary was maybe the most positive person our team met in Houston. And we met a lot of positive people. When the flood came, she and her family had to walk a long way to dry land. But Mary uses a walker - "I didn't think I was going to make it." She had nightmares for days afterward and wasn't sure they would ever stop. She prayed to God that the trauma would go away. Mary has kept an amazing attitude through it all, and she's even viewing Harvey as a sort of blessing. “Harvey could be a good thing – health wise for me. I had to push myself. I'm active and moving around more. I’m doing things I didn’t think I could do.” We were inspired by Mary's attitude, and we wanted to meet her positivity with more positivity. Mary's house in northeast Houston is actually further along in the rebuilding process than most. It's been mucked and gutted, sanitized and is currently being rebuilt by a small team of volunteers who came down from Tennessee to help. Talking about her house, she said, … [Read more...] about Meeting Positivity with Positivity

Yesterday, we treated the All Hands volunteers in Corpus Christi to some fun at a local Trampoline Park. Today, on Day 279, we wanted to do something special for the 80+ All Hands volunteers working to muck, gut and sanitize homes in Houston. And what better way to show we appreciate their hard work mucking and gutting homes - their taking time away from work and family - their sleeping on cots and floors in a church basement - their commitment and positive attitudes - than a pizza party Appreciation Dinner. So we rented George Park just down the street from the church where these amazing volunteers are staying. We brought loads of pizza, cookies, and refreshments. We even filled a little monkey pinata with candy and strung it up for a little extra party-time fun! While everyone ate and enjoyed each other, we got to know some of these volunteers. They told us about what they'd been doing, the people they'd met and how they'd ended up there. Tony works at Medtronic in … [Read more...] about A Slice of Thanks

Some of the hardest working folks we met in Texas were the teams from All Hands. They're helping families with the first, absolutely critical step in rebuilding their lives - emptying homes of the drywall and other materials that are harboring mold and rot. They call it mucking and gutting. It's a very hard day's work, and a lot of the All Hands volunteers have been at it for weeks now. They rise early, drive out to their work sites and go hard all day long. When they get back to their housing, they get a quick bite to eat and then many of them are to sleep by 8pm. The next day they do it all again. We wanted to help the All Hands crew in Corpus Christi change things up a bit AND do something to show how much we all appreciate their work. When we asked them what that might be, the answer was swift and decisive: trampoline park. So, on Day 278, we sent the All Hands team for an evening of play at the Get Air trampoline park. For a couple of hours they got to let loose, have fun … [Read more...] about Get Some Air

Valerie's sense of purpose was nearly swept away with Harvey's floodwaters. She lost the animals who were near and dear to her - 3 dogs and 2 cats (she also lost her truck and her home is unlivable). Thanks to quick thinking and the help of a courageous neighbor, Valerie was able to survive the flood. But she was devastated by grief. What has gotten her through the days and weeks since the flood is the neighborhood dogs who survived Harvey. Many of her neighbors are now unable to properly care for their animals, so Valerie has become their defacto caretaker. Reflecting back on the days and weeks following the flood, she spoke of the impact the neighborhood dogs had on her, saying, “If it wasn’t for these dogs I would have lost it.” For someone that has stepped up in her community to fill the void of animal caretaker, we wanted to help Valerie, even in a small way. First, we got what we knew she'd love - dog treats for her dogs. While the dogs gnawed away on their treats, we … [Read more...] about Creating Connection

Two people our team has met in northeast Houston are Sonia and Elisabeth. Both women got caught in the flooding and both of their homes were devastated. And, thankfully, both women have been able to move out of the dangerous conditions in their own homes to live with family in other parts of Houston. Sonia is a single mom, and she and her son moved in with her adult daughter. Elisabeth also moved in with her grown daughter. It's been weeks since Hurricane Harvey, and both women told us they just want to get back to life as normal. "I'm excited to get back into my own house," Sonia told us. They want to start fresh with new mattresses and appliances. And on Day 276, that's exactly what we wanted to help them with. But, there was a problem. The process of mucking and gutting these women's homes, and then sanitizing them so that mold won't return, will take at least 3 weeks. And we can't bring anything new into the homes until the environment is safe and we can be sure those … [Read more...] about When She’s Ready