The evening of May 17, 2024, brought devastating straight line winds known as a derecho to the greater Houston area. This storm has caused 8 deaths so far and extensive damage to homes, businesses, churches, and city infrastructure. Days later, many areas of the city remain without power.

When disaster strikes, churches want to find ways to show and share Christ’s love in the way we serve our community. Below are links and resources of ways to serve shared from a recent call with Houston Responds. The information can also be found on their website, https://www.houstonresponds.org/activedisaster. 

If you have more resources or information to add, please email Thomasina Burns thomasina@houstonresponds.org or Deanna Poehlman deanna@houstonresponds.org.

1. Volunteer at Houston Food Bank.

The Houston Food Bank is urgently requesting volunteers for the Portwall location. Help is needed to assemble aid boxes for those affected by the recent storm.

Multiple shifts are available, and your support would make a significant impact. To sign up for a shift, please visit the Houston Food Bank volunteer page here: Ways to help - Volunteer with Houston Food Bank - Houston Food Bank

2. Request FEMA Help for Impacted Areas.

Ready Harris Resource Guide has a downloadable flyer in English and Spanish on FEMA assistance and information. https://tgcrvoad.org/setxflood/   

You can also request disaster assistance from FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362)

3. Adopt Specific Homes or Families in Need.

Crisis Cleanup needs volunteers and organizations to sign up to claim homes and families to assist. Of over 550 claims that have been entered, only 1/3 have been claimed and helped.

4. Volunteer for Crisis Cleanup’s Hotline.

Crisis Cleanup also needs volunteers, especially Spanish-speaking volunteers, to help on their hotline receiving claims. Click the button below for more information on how to register your organizations and volunteers with Crisis Cleanup. 

5. Refer for short-term assistance.

Please encourage families to register with Crisis Cleanup for short term assistance. Feel free to share Crisis Cleanup’s info at crisiscleanup.org or Call 832-509-2977. (“SE Texas Storms”). 

6. Connect with Serve Source.

Serve Source partners many local and national disaster response organizations to support communities in our area.

They have a list of Active Organizations along with a Map Resource to help navigate areas with the most need. Access the tool and share your volunteer event here.

Volunteer groups and individuals are encouraged to click the logo of the organizations listed, follow the steps provided, and serve with these trusted partners who are set up and ready for volunteers. 

For questions and more information on ServeSource, contact Derick Zwerneman 512-744-8402 - derick@servesource.org

7. Serve High-Quality Meals for Victims, Volunteers & First Responders

Mercy Chefs is a faith-based, non-profit disaster and humanitarian relief organization that provides professionally prepared, restaurant-quality meals to victims, volunteers, and first responders during emergencies. They also partner with existing like-minded organizations to further their mission by providing food service in underserved communities across the country and around the globe.

Note: MercyChef food distribution has been serving daily 20,000 meals to those impacted. Please, consider a time to volunteer and assist. www.mercychefs.org   

8. Get Information Through KSBJ

KSBJ media partner will be sharing resources available to volunteer and needs over the airways to the listeners on KSBJ and Spanish station partner Vida Unida. 

If your organization has resources to share or has a large call for volunteers, please send information to be shared to Deanna Poehlman, deanna@houstonresponds.org, and Kim McKee kmckee@hopemediagroup.com

Kim McKee is offering 2- 30 minute spots on the weekend show to share needs and resources.  If you are interested in participating, contact Kim.

9. Serve Your Local Schools

Loving Houston facilitates community transformation in Greater Houston by helping churches serve local schools. They recommend checking on students, families, and staff in your community schools.

Ask if there are ways your church can provide disaster relief. If your church can’t provide assistance directly, you can pass along information for some of the previously-mentioned organizations (Crisis Cleanup, Serve Source, Houston Food Bank) to your school’s contact person. This way, families can get the help they might need.

If your church wants to learn about how to build a long-term partnership with schools in your area, contact Loving Houston’s Brittani Davis by calling 281-787-8087 or emailing brittani@lovinghouston.net.

10. Distribute Supplies to Underserved Communities.

The leaders in Houston’s Responds’s Northeast Coalition made a request for help for partners across the city.  They have identified over 5 overlooked, underserved vulnerable communities still without power, hot food, and water. This list is still growing. 

They will be setting up direct distribution onsite of these locations. If you can assist in any way, please contact Sonya Waller, Community Works CDC, swaller@communityworkscdc.org

11. Get supplies for your volunteer team.

Lakewood Relief and Outreach Center has a few trucks coming in with sports drinks, food boxes, and Hygiene kits that volunteer teams can use and distribute.

If you need any of these resources, you can complete this form  https://forms.office.com/r/9ZjyQ4S89k

12. Connect to Need Requests at Volunteer Houston.

Volunteer Houston connects individuals, groups, and companies with nonprofit agencies to transform the Greater Houston community for good through volunteerism.

They offer a free web-based tool for nonprofits, schools, and government offices to post their need for volunteers.  You can access it here: the VH Portal

We hope these resources help you love and serve those around you well and access resources that are available to you. Through collaboration, we can advance the gospel in our community.