Local volunteers support Salvation Army service in Houston one week after Hurricane Beryl

Local volunteers support Salvation Army service in Houston one week after Hurricane Beryl

Dallas, Texas (July 16, 2024) – One week after Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas, The Salvation Army continues to serve communities in and around Houston. Trained staff and volunteers spent the past week working long days in intense heat and humidity to deliver food, beverages, cleaning kits, and emotional and spiritual care to individuals and families affected by the storm.

Sixteen Salvation Army mobile kitchens and rapid response units have once again been deployed to communities still without power and in desperate need of food. Several teams have partnered with local volunteer groups to help coordinate lineups, traffic flow and meal delivery.

“Today was my first day of duty as an Emotional Spiritual Care (ESC) Officer with the Texas Disaster Emergency Services Team in Houston,” said Maj. Nakisha Carr of Ardmore, Oklahoma, who deployed Sunday to support Hurricane Beryl response efforts. “Our team arrived at a mall ready to serve this morning and was greeted by a line of cars. The military has been serving there for two days and the community was ready and waiting. Not only did we have people patiently waiting for food, but there was also a group of about 15 local volunteers of all ages ready to help serve. We delivered over 450 meals in just a few hours and we could not have done it without the hard work of these wonderful volunteers.”

Five ESC officers, including Major Carr, are working alongside the supply teams and are available to talk and pray with anyone receiving assistance. “It was great to meet and pray with the people today and one of the volunteers stayed with me to translate for the Spanish speakers which was very helpful. People were so happy and grateful for the hot meals and snacks from the Salvation Army,” Carr said. “The residents of this neighborhood have come to rely on and respect the Salvation Army even though they have had no power this week.”

As power is gradually restored throughout the region, community meal requests are constantly changing and being updated by the incident management team. Meals were delivered to five individual delivery points Monday, including senior centers, an assisted living facility and a church.

Tuesday’s refueling operations will take place at the following locations:

• City Hall – 6243 Brookside Rd., Pearland 77581 – 1 p.m.
• Lomax Arena – 1508 Lomax Rd. La Porte, TX 77571
• Forest Vista Mobile Home Park – 600 McCabe Rd., La Porte TX
• Haverstock Hill Apartment – 5619 Aldine Bender Road, Houston 77032
• Baker Ripley East Aldine Campus – 3000 Aldine Mail Route Rd. Houston, TX 77039
• Painted Tree Boutique – 1153 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood TX 77339
• Northwest Houston Corps – 12507 Windfern Rd, Houston, TX 77064)
• Town of Woodbranch Village – 58A Woodbranch Drive, New Caney TX 77357
• Concord Apartment Complex – 6 Burress Street, Houston, TX
• Serving Conroe County Shelters
• Houston Area Women’s Center – 2727 El Camino, Houston 77054.
• 7321 Harrisburg Blvd, Houston, TX 77011
• Bucee’s – 2304 West Mulberry St., Angleton, TX 77515
• Higher Expectation Church – 702 Atascocita Road, Humble, TX
• Pleasant Hill Village Retirement Center – 3814 Lyons Ave., Houston
• Julia C Hester House – 2020 Solo St, TX 77020
• Pleasantville Senior Center 1922 Pleasantville Dr, Houston, 77029
• Pine Trails 6003 Woodbend Drive, Houston 77049
• Roaming in Freeport and Jackson Lake

The Salvation Army has served 62,073 meals, 55,191 beverages, 9,386 snacks, 2,820 ice packs, 961 food boxes and made 9,368 emotional and spiritual care contacts since the service began Tuesday, July 9 in impacted communities in Houston and Southeast Texas.

For the latest information, visit www.disaster.salvationarmy.org and watch for regular updates on our social media pages at www.facebook.com/salvationarmytexas/ and www.twitter.com/salarmytxTo donate, visit www.helpsalvationarmy.org.