TEXAS: HOUSTON & COASTAL BEND HURRICANE RECOVERY UPDATE (June 2019)
CURRENT ACTIVITIES (RECOVERY PHASE) ● ●
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In the past month, our teams completed 7 homes; and our programs thus far have welcomed 84 families back into fully-finished interior spaces. Our Coastal Bend team gratefully received more than $50,000 in material donations from Hands of Hope. Through partnerships with key local organizations like Hands of Hope, we are able to support the efficient distribution of these resources to homeowners across Coastal Bend. We are committed to the long-term recovery effort in Texas through August 2020; and we continue to provide recovery assistance to homeowners in Northeast Harris County and Aransas, San Patricio, and Refugio Counties, filling the immediate and unmet needs of homeowners still struggling to recover.
CELEBRATING WITH CRAWFISH Both programs took time this month to celebrate our homeowners and volunteers in true Texas style - with a crawfish boil! Tables were covered in plastic and buckets readied as dozens of pounds of crawfish from local vendors were boiled up and served. We are glad to celebrate these communities that have so kindly welcomed our volunteers. PICTURED LEFT: Project Coordinator James Bradley shares a laugh with homeowner Kay. PICTURED RIGHT: Volunteer Relations Coordinator Jen Gomez enjoys the Houston crawfish boil.
FOCUSING ON RESILIENCE We are working to take the small steps needed to make resilience a possibility for existing home structures. In tandem with West Street Recovery and other organizations across Houston, our program team is taking a focused approach on enhancing interior resiliency to storms. The approach takes a set of strategies - including painting studs with Kilz, use of foam insulation, and building muckable walls - to prevent future mold growth and reduce overall costs of material replacement if a home floods again in the future. PICTURED RIGHT: Site Supervisor in Training Rachel puts the finishing touches on the drywall for a muckable wall. PICTURED BELOW LEFT: The finished painted studs and installation of foam insulation has left this wall more resilient to mold for homeowner Ella. PICTURED BELOW RIGHT: Site Supervisor in Training Kyle works with a volunteer to cut foam insulation.
OUR IMPACT
4,081
PEOPLE IMPACTED
1,157
JOBS COMPLETED
3,865 VOLUNTEERS
33,675
VOLUNTEER DAYS
DISASTER PROFILE Hurricane Harvey made landfall on August 25, 2017, near Rockport, TX as a Category 4 Hurricane that produced a record 52" of rain and 130-mph winds. One third of Houston was completely flooded, with an estimated 136,000 homes affected in Harris County alone. The Coastal Bend region was hit especially hard, and experienced $4.5 billion in damage to an estimated 39,927 structures. Destruction in this region was magnified by high speed winds that took down trees and destroyed roofs, amplifying interior water damage far beyond that caused by the storm surge and flooding. Structures were afflicted with top-down water damage that led to long-term struggles in keeping homes dry, as well as debris and tree hazards littered throughout the region. OUR WORK Thanks to critical support from donors, partners, and volunteers from around the world, All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response has been in Houston and Coastal Bend since the immediate days after Hurricane Harvey. During the response phase, our teams were able to complete an impactful 16-week response program in Coastal Bend and an 18-week program in Houston. Since February 2018, our commitment to the recovery effort has concentrated site supervisors and volunteers on constructing high quality interior repair. We are driven by the continued recognition of the immense scale of need that still exists in Texas; and the compassion of volunteers to keep coming back.
OUR MISSION To effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. By listening to local people, and deploying a unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, we rebuild safe and resilient schools, homes, and other community infrastructure.
OUR TEXAS PARTNERS
5 YEARS IN A ROW! Only 10% of charities have received at least 5 consecutive 4-star ratings. This means All Hands and Hearts outperforms most of the other 1.5 million charities in America in operational and financial efficiency.
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