For some of us, Hurricane Harvey feels almost a distant memory, but for many Katy families, the flooding that took place a year ago is still wreaking havoc on their lives.
It was with this in mind that hundreds of volunteers from Mormon Helping Hands reached out to the residents of the Canyon Gate community and spent hours last Saturday helping to complete some of the outside work that many homeowners just haven’t been able to get to yet.
Much of the work was dirty, hot and exhausting. Fences were torn down and rebuilt, old trees were dug up, weeds were pulled and many tons of mulch were spread.
For Annice and Amos Reed, the team of volunteers that tore out and built a new fence in their back yard brought hope and help at the end of a very difficult year. Having moved back into their home just three weeks ago, the outside work felt overwhelming. With the past year spent getting the inside of their home in a livable condition, the Reeds needed help tackling the outside. Says Annice Reed, “Words can’t express how grateful we are for the help and support these volunteers gave us. Thank you for bringing us back!”
One of the volunteers working at the Reed’s home was Derek Brown, who worked with his wife and three daughters. “It was a wonderful opportunity to serve together as a family. My girls developed a sense of purpose and satisfaction for what they were doing. They put away their objections and exhaustion for 5 hours. I saw them work, sweat and serve out of love for Amos and Annice who were so gracious and kind. My heart was so incredibly touched by their gestures of concern and appreciation for us. We built a fence but she and her husband strengthened our souls.”
Around 700 people signed up to volunteer wherever they were needed. Those who were unable to work outside assembled 200 hygiene kits for use by Katy Christian Ministries, as well as packing rice and beans. Other volunteers went to Krause Children’s Center to paint, scrub grout and stain the deck. Some made cards to give to the residents of Grace Care Center. Even the littlest of children were able to serve by coloring lunch bags for Lunches of Love and place mats for Texas Children’s Hospital.
Mormon Helping Hands is a program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During Hurricane Harvey, on several weekends there were over 16,000 Mormon Helping Hands volunteers working in the Houston area. Dressed in yellow shirts, volunteers provided help to anyone who needed assistance, regardless of faith or background.
President Tim Morris, leader of around 3,000 Church members in Katy, commented: “Over the past year, our neighbors have been through great hardship as a result of Hurricane Harvey, and they are still recovering. We were blessed to be here to assist last year, and we wanted them to know we are still here and we still care. As followers of Christ, it is wonderful to be able to offer our time, energy, and love as Christ would do.”