All Hands and Hearts Monthly Update - Texas (March)

TEXAS HURRICANE HARVEY UPDATE HOUSTON & COASTAL BEND (MARCH 2019)

OUR IMPACT

4,009

PEOPLE IMPACTED

1,103

JOBS COMPLETED

3,630 VOLUNTEERS

30,476

VOLUNTEER DAYS

HOMEOWNER HIGHLIGHT

Lucy Simmons lives in Refugio County, where the immense discrepancy between resources and need has left many homeowners waiting far too long. Through partnership with the Refugio County VRC, our teams were connected with Lucy to bring her home to a finished product.

The team has gotten to know not only Lucy, but also the family members that she cares for, often including her 8-year-old granddaughter.

The love in the home is palpable, and Lucy is delighted with the progress and finishing details, stating, “I feel so uptown with a real door and walls that match.” The collaborative efforts of volunteer groups and case management agencies are instrumental in propelling homeowners like Lucy to the finish line.

Pictured is site supervisor Martha Rose (far left) and volunteer Sarah (center) spending time with Lucy (far right).

VOLUNTEER VOICES

“The work we were doing was amazing and

empowering to know we were impacting the lives of others in need”

“Through the fantastic bond of service I truly now understand the meaning of All Hands and Hearts.”

DISASTER PROFILE

Hurricane Harvey made landfall on August 25, 2017, near Rockport, TX as a category 4 Hurricane that produced a record 52" of rain and 130-mph winds. Forty-one counties in Southeast Texas were designated as federal disaster areas; and one third of Houston was completely flooded, with an estimated 136,000 homes affected in Harris County alone. The Coastal Bend region was also hit especially hard, with $4.5 billion in damage to an estimated 39,927 structures. Destruction in this region was magnified by high speed winds that took down trees and destroyed roofs, amplifying interior water damage far beyond that caused by the storm surge and flooding. Structures were afflicted with top-down water damage that led to long-term struggles in keeping homes dry, as well as debris and tree hazards littered throughout the region.

OUR RESPONSE

Thanks to critical support from donors, partners, and volunteers from around the world, All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response was able to complete an impactful 16-week response program in Coastal Bend and 18-week program in Houston. Our teams responded to devastation across these regions through muck and guts, mold sanitation, and debris removal. Between the two programs, we were able to mobilize 2,074 volunteers to complete 310 muck/gut jobs and 103 sanitation jobs, providing assistance to 1,374 people. In Coastal Bend, teams were also able to remove debris and trees from 183 sites.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES (RECOVERY PHASE)

Our teams are continuing to rebuild in Houston and Coastal Bend, filling the need for interior repair work in homes. We are proud to be hosting AmeriCorps CitySquare and NCCC teams on both programs, as corps members help push forward our impact. In the past month, our teams completed 5 homes, contributing to an overall 48 homes rebuilt so far in Texas. Both of our Texas programs are committed to the long-term recovery effort through August 2020.

TRAINING STAFF FOR THE FUTURE

Our Site Supervisor in Training program is celebrating its one-year anniversary! Through intensive training, we are empowering unskilled volunteers to become site supervisors fully-versed in interior work.

Pictured above, Site Supervisor Jeremy gives Trainee Brandon encouragement..

OUR MISSION

To effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. By listening to local people, and deploying a unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, we rebuild safe and resilient schools, homes, and other community infrastructure.

OUR TEXAS PARTNERS

5 YEARS IN A ROW!

Only 10% of charities have received at least 5 consecutive 4-star ratings. This means All Hands and Hearts - Smart Response outperforms most of the other 1.5 million charities in America in operational and financial efficiency.

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For additional information: info@allhandsandhearts.org www.allhandsandhearts.org