After Winter Storm Uri A Coalition of Volunteers Bring Hope to Houston
Volunteers from Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church pose for a photo-op while serving supplies and resources in aftermath of winter storm Uri. Photo Credit: @HoustonOutlet
A Fight For Houston
With times as unprecedented as these, it is appropriate to have an unprecedented amount of compassion for your neighbors. This is exactly what a coalition of non-profits have done in Houston in the wake of winter storm Uri which left millions of Texans without electricity, food, and water.
This week in Houston there has been a multi-agency recovery effort, part of a multi-regional effort to distribute food and water. Agencies and organizations from New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, as well as from Washington D.C convened at Center for Hope. We spoke with the mission director of Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Mark Slone who tells us about Center for Hope’s role in feeding Houston. Their weekly food drive, which started back in 2019, has seen an uptick in families visiting since the COVID pandemic began. Demand has grown more since winter storm Uri. “We basically went from serving about 40 people a week to almost 300 families per week” Slone told us. Their mission, to provide healthy food choices to Houston’s under served areas has expanded to include clean water in the wake of Uri.
Large shipments of water have come from organizations locally and from outside of the state. Black Lives Matter Greater New York has been on scene this week supplying water and food supplies. We caught up with Hawk Newsome and Chivona Newsome who saw the need in Houston and did not hesitate to act. We spoke about the importance of community especially in times of disaster. Nidir “Status” Muhammad of BLM Greater New York expressed that it pains him to see the city hurting but he loves to see a community effort. He stressed how important it is for communities to do for themselves. This rings so true in a time where millions of Americans await a coronavirus relief plan, and in Houston, people are not waiting but acting.
Water Is Life
Altruistic Endeavors NGO (AENGO), Love Like Water, and National Clean Water Collective have partnered to provide 5 truckloads of boxed water to Texas residents; the first shipment to be distributed to the city of Houston. AENGO founder, Catherine Flowers, is familiar with navigating disasters as she previously evacuated from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and served more than 150,000 people after Hurricane Harvey as the CEO of Bread of Life. She says the water boxes help address two critical needs in Houston right now.
“While water is an immediate need in the Houston area because of the recent winter storm, food insecurity is also one of the top three issues in Houston. By upcycling the boxes, we are preventing them from going into a dump, causing more waste, and families can use the boxes to create their own gardens, thereby helping to eliminate hunger,” Flowers said.
Stacey Epps, Esq., founder of Love Like Water, is committed to water service projects and exploring the intersection between the healing power of water and art.
“When I learned of the devastation in Texas and the water crisis, I knew in my heart I had to do something. It clicked that I can help send water to Texas. I connected with an amazing team of women to make this happen, and I am so excited for this to be our inaugural service project,” Epps said.
Syrah Scott, founder of the National Clean Water Collective, whose organization supports cities like Flint, Michigan and Newark, NJ, says everyone from across the country should consider pitching in to help Texans in need.
“How can you see what’s happening in Texas and not pitch in? We must use our resources and platform to help make a difference for people in need. Water is life and necessary for survival. Our team is committed to providing relief for people across the nation experiencing a water crisis, and right now Texans are in dire need of clean water. Keep your head up Texas, we got your back!” Scott said.
Efforts are ongoing and will continue throughout the weeks and months. As people band together to help their neighbors in need, many opportunities exist now for you to make a difference. Volunteer opportunities are also available. You can tap into any of the organizations mentioned here or any of your choice. It is amazing how quickly what you donate can get into the hands of your neighbor to be utilized, and how far a little kindness can go.
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