Calgarians determined to support victims of devastating storm
Houston got its first glimpse of the sun on Wednesday after relentless rain plagued the city for days.
Damaged homes, displaced people and floods remain after hurricane Harvey tore through the densely populated Texas city.
But while the storm has passed, recovery is a long way away.
Former Calgarian Jessica Laughren, who lives in Sugarland, just 32 kilometres southeast of Houston, is one of many aiding the victims of Harvey — those who have been left homeless and largely helpless.
“Everyone is working to try to pull their neighbourhoods together,” said Laughren, who visited Calgary just after the 2013 flood.
“The community spirit I saw in Calgary is the same thing here, it just has to be on a much larger scale.”
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced after water engulfed their homes, and many pop-up shelters and donation centres have surfaced in an effort to support those people.
Laughren, with her two children, has been volunteering over the past two days. She’s done everything from blowing up air mattresses and washing clothes, to setting up lunch and sorting though donations.
“The response has been unbelievable,” said Laughren.
Meanwhile, in Calgary, a humanitarian aid organization is gearing up to help Texans as well.
Samaritan’s Purse Canada has put the call out for volunteers across the nation to join them in travelling to the southern state to offer disaster relief.
“Just think of them down there in Texas — so many people are utterly without hope. They’ve seen everything they own wash away, their entire streets have water above their heads.
“I can’t imagine how much despair there must be amongst so many people there,” said Frank King, spokesman for the organization.
“So, for us to be able to go down there and say there is hope ... that’s why we exist.”
The Christian organization is preparing to deploy one if not all of its disaster relief units, which are tractor trailers outfitted with disaster recovery equipment such as generators, hand tools and safety gear for volunteers. The group has three trailers across the country, one of which is in Calgary.
King said they expect to work in Texas for about half a year helping prepare homes to be repaired at no cost to the homeowner.
All of their operations are funded by Canadian donations.
Samaritan’s Purse spent twoand-a-half months offering aid to victims of the 2013 southern Alberta floods.
The also helped victims of the Fort McMurray fire last year.
Although the Houston floods greatly exceed the severity of Calgary’s, King said the experience gained from local disasters has prepared their team to respond to the devastation of Harvey.
Across the border, many American organizations are providing generous donations, both money and items.
But in a state of devastation, it’s easy to forget certain products are necessary, including menstrual products, undergarments and even condoms.
That’s why a charity called The Unmentionables is expanding its efforts into Texas.
Their hope is to provide “dignity through hygiene,” and are looking to provide underwear, bras and disposable diapers for infants as well as the elderly.
Donations can be bought via a “needslist” on Amazon or online at theunmentionablesglobal.org.