Rash of Weather Events Depletes Local Resources

 (Houston, TX….April 19, 2016–)The Texas Gulf Coast has been hammered by storms and flooding since Memorial Day 2015, leaving countless residents in need of food, shelter and comfort many times over. American Red Cross volunteers have sacrificed their time to offer just that by staffing shelters, distributing food and water, clean-up supplies and more.  Just last month, hundreds of volunteers made their way to Beaumont, Texas, to aid with Southeast Deep East Texas flood relief.

 “Our volunteers are the best thing about the Red Cross,” said Steve Vetrano, American Red Cross Regional CEO, Texas Gulf Coast. “Because of them we can do what we do. But when there are less volunteers based on schedules, timing or possibly, in this case—fatigue due to the many weather events of the past year—it hits our operations hard.”

The American Red Cross has opened 12 shelters in the Austin, Harris, Waller and Montgomery counties since storms ripped through the Greater Houston area on Sunday and Monday, leaving hundreds of families without homes. These shelters require volunteers to staff them. Many more volunteers are needed to distribute food, water, clean-up supplies, hygiene kits and other items necessary for flood response and recovery.

“Due to the number of shelters and those who have been displaced by the floods, we are in critical need of help,” said Vetrano. “Training is done right on site and we’ll take as much time as people can offer. It’s an incredibly rewarding experience—I hope people will give it some thought.” 

Anyone interested in volunteering with the Red Cross to aid flood victims in the Greater Houston areas is encouraged to go to redcross.org/volunteer or call 713.313.5491.