Relief to survivors of Hurricane Harvey in Houston and surrounding areas
AMURT and AMURTEL responded soon after the devastating hurricane pounded the Texas coast by mobilizing volunteers from across the US. Since then, the volunteers have been engaged in cleaning houses, distributing supplies and supporting survivors in Houston, Galveston and West Columbia.
Harvey brought a different reality to people’s lives, with many losing everything in their flooded homes. AMURT and AMURTEL volunteers joined hands with the survivors to go house-to-house removing sheetrock, insulation and wet furniture and piling it beside the road for removal by FEMA trucks. Then the volunteers sprayed the houses with bleach or vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to prevent the spread of black mold. Families living in one-story buildings had to move into shelters or hotels. Now that the shelters are closing, they are returning to face the grim reality.
One month after the disaster, AMURT & AMURTEL volunteers are still organizing transportation for families to pick up supplies from various distribution centers. It is heartbreaking, but
people have no choice but to throw away everything in their homes so they can create a new, healthy living environment.
Tisha, one of AMURT’s beneficiaries, is a single mother of two. Soon after the disaster hit, Tisha had to go to work every day after dropping off her kids at school. AMURT took care of cleaning her home and even provided a gift card so she could get essential supplies. It is a good feeling to build a bond of solidarity with people to give them the strength to keep going despite tremendous adversity.
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Published September 1, 2017. Updated April 6, 2019. Figures and conditions reflect the original reporting period. View the original AMURT report.
