By Jim Mahar, Professor Columnist
On Aug. 25, Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston, Texas and much of the Eastern Texas Coast. The nation has moved on. The newscyles have passed us at warp speed. In that time, we have lived through hurricanes Irma and Maria. We have been exposed to too many political and business scandals to count. The nation has experienced deadly shootings, fires and even mudslides. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day have come and gone. On campus, we had a whole semester and a half and have been fortunate enough to be part of a magical Basketball season. Many of us have lost loved ones or fallen in love or suffered breakups. Even in Houston, time did not stop. The city won a World Series and is now in first place in its NBA division.
In that time, over 183 days, many in Texas have remained out of their homes or, at minimum, out of the first floors of their homes.
They have stayed in hotels. They have moved in with family and friends. They have even lived in cars. And, yet, they have waited and worked.
It is tough recovering from a disaster. In many cases, citizens were already working hard just to maintain their lifestyles. While America is a land of prosperity, it is also a land where many are poor. Living paycheck to paycheck is a reality for many. In some cases, Harvey cost people their jobs. In most cases, repairs were expensive, often too expensive to do. So they waited.
Over spring break, over 50 BonaResponds volunteers will do everything possible to end the waiting and get people back into their homes. We won’t be doing it alone. Any recovery depends on the work of the entire community.
In the weeks and months following the storm, many Houston area volunteers (and others, including a small band of BonaResponds volunteers over fall break) mucked and gutted out homes, hauled debris and handed out food and supplies. But it is now our turn. It is our time to step up and push the recovery a little further along.
I don’t know for sure what we will be doing. There is not an official “schedule.” Our only goal is to help and return home safely. I can tell you that we will be taking down damaged walls, putting up new drywall and putting down new floors. We will be hanging insulation. We will be building wheelchair ramps. All of these are important, but to me, the most important thing we will be doing is lifting the spirits of those who feel forgotten. We will be giving them hope to continue their journey.
While it is too late to sign up for this trip, I encourage all of you to follow us in our journey on social media. As you see the pictures, or listen to the podcasts, I ask you to imagine being the person affected by the storm. Imagine the anxiety of waiting to get back in your home. Imagine the despair and worry being pushed aside by a feeling of hope and accomplishment. And as you imagine that, remember that you can be that hope. You can be that change. Come with us on our next trip. Even better, help us locally. We work almost every week and you can be the difference to someone who needs a helping hand.
BonaResponds notes:
* Praebibo (a beer-tasting event and our major fundraiser) is scheduled for March 16 from 5 to 7 p.m in the Doyle Dining Hall. Please attend.
* Scheduled local work weeks include processing approximately 100 used iPads for schools in Haiti, working on a local aquaponics project, several roof jobs and a handful of wheelchair ramps. Get involved after break.
* “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
– Desmond Tutu
This is the fifth in a series of articles by BonaResponds leader Jim Mahar, Ph.D.
