Houston Needs Our Help

image borrowed from ladolcevitablog

As we are nearing a week since the first of this catastrophic storm named Hurricane Harvey first reached our Texas shores, I reflect on a week as so many of us are doing filled with so many emotions. I have heard from so many friends and family both here and away, thank you so much for that.  The support was a great comfort to my family. I have dipped into  Social Media before today but have been reluctant to post as the stress of living through this storm was so overwhelming that focus for me had to stay in one direction and that was the safety of my family. I am happy to say that we are so grateful that we have survived rather unscathed with only a few power-less hours for my daughter and having her babies here with me has given me great comfort these last few days.  I am, however, deeply saddened by the many stories of some of my extended family and friends that have not been so lucky…….I lived a few years of my life in a continuously flooding home and know first-hand how devastating that can be!

After watching local coverage last evening of aerial views of flooded areas and trying to comprehend the vast amount of space in this region that is under water, I am bewildered and grateful that these people are safe and that although they have lost many beloved possessions at least their families are intact…..for them, I PRAY!

I am inspired by the first responders, the rescue volunteers and shelter volunteers and the trained personnel that have guided these efforts. You have done an amazing job of pulling together. I have found it heart warming to watch neighbor helping neighbor….Houston, you make me proud to be a Houstonian!  For all of you that have saved lives and are helping put lives back together, for you to have the energy to continue, I PRAY!

So many that I have spoken with this week all have a similar feeling…..that is the helplessness that so many of us feel…..we have made several donations from our homes, made runs to buy essentials for these survivors and plan to volunteer in any way that is necessary in coming days.  However, for the most part we all ask ourselves what more can we do?  I obviously believe very strongly in the power of prayer, no matter what your faith, beliefs or God that you pray to……all of these people struggling right now need as much of that as we can give, so please do PRAY!

However, if you are also looking for ways to help through donations of money, time or other resources you have to offer, below is a list to guide you….and please remember there is no donation too small!

For Donations….

1.  American Red Cross….text Harvey to 90999 and make your pledge for $10 or more

2.  The United Way…text UWFlood to 4144 (United Way Relief Fund)

3.   Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, established by Mayor Turner and Administered by Greater Houston Community Foundation.

4.   The Houston Humane Society – please don’t forget our animal friends also devastated by this event.

5.  Salvation Army.…helpsalvationarmy.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY

6.   Houston Relief Fund…fund-raising page set up by JJ Watt.…over $8.5million as of Thursday evening, aiming for $10 million; will exceed that!

7.   The Diaper Foundation.…provides diapers to families in need; diapers are much in demand; are not provided by Government; Hope Ewing’s goal is $100,000! Help her please!

8.   Interfaith Ministries….priority now is Meal on Wheels for Seniors; call 713-533-4900; text Interfaithhelp to 243725 for homebound seniors; also Animeals on Wheels for their pets.

9.   Houston Children’s Charity….working with Houston’s Astros Player, Carlos Correa on A Better Night’s Sleep distributes beds, sheets, frames, pillows, box springs and blankets to children; Goal: to ensure that every child is put back in a bed once they are able to return to their homes raising $500,000 to distribute 5,000 beds.

To Volunteer

1.  American Red Cross should be your first call and they will schedule you.

2.  BakerRipley has just opened a new relief center at NRG Center that Judge Emmett announced Wednesday evening he wanted to become the regional relief center for outlying counties as well….fully equipped with food, medical care and cots/blankets to accommodate up to 10,000 people. To register to volunteer, contact volunteer@bakerripley.org

Some good things to know

1.  Looking for road accessibility….visit Houston Transit Traffic Manager….http://www.HoustonTranStar.org

2.  Checking for high water on roadways…http://drivetexas.org; Texas Dept. of Transportation, Drive Texas site

3.  Info on FEMA, shelters, housing, insurance, legal, health, home repairs click on http://harrisrecovery.org

4.  Hurricane Harvey Day Camp…..Temple Emanu El; will be running through at least Monday, Sept. 4; serving kids 3 meals/day; adults 2 meals/day; do not have to be Jewish to attend; designed to help families that have flooded.

5.  Taking item donations to shelters….here is what they really need; however you may want to double-check daily on specifics as Houstonians generosity has been bringing in so many supplies.

Bedding, (sheets, blankets, pillows, etc.) also Towels

Clothing (socks, underwear, sweat shirts, sweat pants….comfort not fancy and demand for large sizes….XL, XXL, and more!)

Non-perishable food

Personal hygiene items (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc)

Baby Supplies (diapers, diapers and more diapers; wipes, formula, bottles )

Pet Supplies (food, carriers/crates, leashes, bowls, etc.)

**Please note that many locals are taking in supplies for the shelters and will distribute for you.  A few that I know as of today:  Cotton Club Collection, Abejas Boutique, Coppa Osteria Rice Village, Banou in River Oaks District, A Bientot to name just a few; more have added on daily. Also other retailers as they are re-opening their doors  (re-opening today is Tootsies, Cotton Club Collection, Joan Pillow) as well as Elaine Turner are giving back in various ways. Neiman Marcus, due to A/C problems only re-opened at noon on Friday.  Grocery stores are all re-opening, some on a limited hours basis, but if you check today’s Culture Map, Eric Sandler, has done a comprehensive list of those openings.

I hope that this list will help you to reach into your hearts and into your pockets to help the many Houston area residents, as well as any friends and/or family in surrounding areas that have fallen victim of this storm. Houston and it’s people are a strong, caring breed that have just been taken back by the severity of this event…..we have already proven that we will reach out and help each other and survive to be stronger than before….with just a little help from our friends!

With gratitude,

Roz