Now Is Not The Time To Forget: ‘Day of Caring’
Photo courtesy of San Marcos Housing Authority’s Website: The CM Allen Homes 2014 Summer Youth Activities
Now Is Not The Time To Forget About Our Flood Effected Displaced Families
‘Day of Caring’
The Memorial Day Flood was the largest disaster Hays County has ever seen, and as time goes by, it is human nature to forget such devastating life events we witness.
Unfortunately now is not the time to forget, as this devastation will take a decade or more to clean-up, repair, rebuild, and replenish.
We have seen heroes born out of this disaster and three of those are the United Way of Hays County, St. Bernard Project, and San Marcos Housing Authority.
These three heroes and humanitarians are currently collaborating to help even more, and calling for a “Day of Caring.” They desperately need volunteers for an event scheduled for tomorrow, August 7, from 9:00am-5:00pm at CM Allen Homes KAD Store, 820 Sturgeon St. San Marcos.
During the Memorial Day Weekend Floods, 96 units of public housing located at CM Allen Homes were damaged, displacing 96 families.
If you would like to help here is what will be happening tomorrow, please, if you can find time in your schedule:
- The initial cleaning has been done; however, units still need to be prepped for mold inspection prior to units being repaired.
- Some Day of Caring volunteers will conduct a beta test on 7 or more units to determine the best method of preparing the units for mold testing.
- 25 or more volunteers will be assisting St. Bernard Project site supervisors.
- Once these homes have cleared for mold, another Day of Caring will be scheduled to clean the remaining homes and begin rebuilding.
United Way of Hays County established a Flood Disaster Recovery Fund to help the victims of the Memorial Day Weekend Floods in Hays and Caldwell counties. As a local non-profit governed by a local board of directors, we are uniquely positioned to work with local governments, businesses, non-profit organizations and other key stakeholders in the community. Because of these relationships, we are able to identify the greatest needs of those affected by the floods and the most effective ways to meet those needs.
In addition to supporting the long-term recovery of our community through the distribution of funds raised, United Way of Hays County has had boots on the ground during the immediate relief and recovery efforts. The day immediately following the flood event, UWHC organized along with the City of San Marcos two days of service, which mobilized over 700 volunteers to help clean up in the most affected areas of the city. In addition, United Way held a Day of Caring on Saturday, May 30, to mobilize over 400 volunteers in Caldwell County to help those residents begin picking up the pieces of their lives. United Way of Hays County continues to work with other non-profit organizations to help our communities rebuild their lives.
St Bernard Project’s mission is to ensure that disaster-impacted citizens and communities recover in a prompt, efficient, and predictable manner. Since its founding in 2006 – in St Bernard Parish, Louisiana – following Hurricane Katrina, SBP has rebuilt homes for more than 950 families with the help of 100,000 volunteers in New Orleans; Joplin, MO; Staten Island, NY; Rockaway, NY; and Monmouth County, NJ.
St. Bernard Project has had operations in San Marcos since the week following the Memorial Day Floods. Working with local organizations and volunteers, SBP has already completed work on one house and is in the process of finalizing the rebuild of five more.
