How to help communities affected by Tuesday’s storms
Disaster relief organizations and governments have begun taking action in the wake of Tuesday’s tornado, and citizens can contribute to efforts to get their neighbors back on their feet.
Deer Park city officials said they have received many requests from people looking for ways to help.
Those wishing to help are encouraged to reach out to groups working on the ground on relief efforts such as: Examples include the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Texas Baptist Men Feeding Organization, Adventist Community Services, and Second Harvest Food Banks. Regarding donations, city officials recommended cash as the best form of donation to meet the specific needs of victims.
City officials asked people not to send unsolicited donations to the disaster area because they may not reach the right destinations.
DEALERS OFFER SUPPORT: Businesses offer help to those affected by tornadoes.
salvation army
The Salvation Army is one of the organizations helping with the reconstruction.
The Salvation Army was in Pasadena Tuesday night providing more than 300 hot meals to those in need.
“The food service was probably the top priority last night,” said Salvation Army disaster relief coordinator Jimmy Stanford.
The Salvation Army will be providing dining services in Pasadena and Deer Park on the corner of Burke and Yellowstone in Pasadena and at Central Baptist Church on Center Street and Oak in Deer Park over the next few days, Stanford said.
“Food service may actually still be the priority for the next day or two when power comes back and it takes a few days before people can get back into the cycle of cooking,” he said.
Stanford said the cleanup effort will likely be the next priority after providing food.
The Salvation Army also plans to distribute relief supplies such as tarpaulins for people who may have lost a roof, gift certificates and hygiene items in the coming days.
Anyone wishing to donate their time or financially to this effort is asked to call the Salvation Army Greater Houston at 832-201-8000 or visit their website at www.salvationarmyhouston.org
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Help your four-legged friends
The Pasadena Animal Shelter was hit by the tornado on Tuesday, completely ripping off the roof while over 200 animals were inside.
Volunteers say many of the animals at the facility will need foster homes while it rebuilds. Teams have started moving the animals to shelters, but help is still needed.
Monetary donations to the shelter can be made through the City of Pasadena website at www.pasadenatx.gov/donations. The shelter will also accept donations of dog food and supplies from Asbury United Methodist Church at 5354 Space Center Blvd, Pasadena.
Baptist men from Texas
Texas Baptist Men sent six teams of chainsaws to Deer Park as a free service to cut and remove fallen trees and branches from properties and homes, paving a path for people to recover from the storms.
Organizations and individuals can donate to support the effort or volunteer at https://www.tbmtx.org/tornado.
Houston Food Bank
The Houston Food Bank helps people stock their pantries with non-perishable goods, water and cleaning supplies.
To serve the communities affected by the storm, the panel is asking for donations of water, cleaning supplies, non-perishable food, and toiletries. People can also make cash donations to the Houston Food Bank.
The Bible Way Fellowship and Houston Food Bank support the Pasadena Independent School District and are accepting donations at 9022 Frey Road from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.
People can stop by at the Tafel’s partner locations, but for now they encourage donations to Bible Way as it is a hub.
For those interested in volunteering with the Houston Food Bank, individuals and groups can register online at https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/volunteer.
The Red Cross
The American Red Cross operates the Emergency Shelter on the Baker Ripley Pasadena campus at 720 Fairmont Parkway. The shelter was home to 17 people, including families with children, as of Tuesday night, according to Red Cross’s Vanessa Valdez.
“When people come into the shelter, we talk to them, we ask what their harm was, how we can help,” Valdez said.
At the shelter, people are provided with cots, blankets, snacks, water and meals. It is open to all people affected by the tornado and will remain open as long as there is a need.
She said the next steps for the Red Cross in the tornado recovery process are to go into the community to assess needs.
“As of yesterday, the Red Cross has been in the community in Pasadena, Deer Park and other locations where this tornado landed, speaking to people in the community to see who has been affected and trying to help them with whatever.” we can help, whether it’s distributing water or cleaning up kits,” said Valdez.
The emergency shelter at the Baker Ripley campus in Pasadena was full Wednesday, Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner said during a news conference Wednesday. He said crews are working to open a second location with an address yet to be determined.
Valdez said the best way to help is by donating money, which can be done at https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/.
