Harvey Recovery: 'Houston Still Needs You' Launches

HOUSTON, TX — This weekend marks the 6-month mark of Hurricane Harvey slamming the Texas coast and flooding everything from Houston to the Golden Triangle. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner held a press conference Friday to give updates regarding recovery, rebuilding and funding. He also announced the launch of the HOUSTON STILL NEEDS YOU project that kicks off Saturday.

Turner and the city Department of Neighborhoods launched an unprecedented volunteer project to help Houstonians struggling to rebuild their lives and homes because of the Hurricane Harvey floods. Turner said a renewed volunteer effort is needed following the outpouring of assistance that residents provided to each other immediately after disaster.

Volunteers can join the project at www.houstotx.gov/volunteer.

Activities kick off Saturday, February 24, 2018, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., with house repairs at the locations listed below in partnership with Rebuilding Houston Together, Chapelwood United Methodist Church and Dejon Homes, which is providing skilled construction workers. They will be joined by volunteers with the Mayor’s Youth Council, Houston Youth Green Corps and Houston Responds.

For activities on future dates, "We are asking individuals who want to volunteer, as well as organized groups such as corporate teams, faith based groups, student organizations, professional trade organizations and skilled or licensed professionals in a variety of disciplines," Turner said.

The city is working with FEMA to apply volunteers’ hours in the new project as credits for some of the money the city would normally pay as part of its share of disaster relief funding. The credits are a novel concept for volunteer services provided several months after a disaster.

For the next year, the city is aiming for 2 million documented volunteer hours.

Locations for volunteer activities Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:

• 7431 Deep Forest Drive 77088 – Myers Family (Inwood Forest)
• 8611 Valley Flag Drive 77078 – Sirls Family (Northeast Houston)
• 8921 Kellett Street 77078 – Guevara Family (Northeast Houston)
• 5106 Kashmere Street 77026 – Dorothy Rainey (Kashmere Gardens)
• 5104 Kashmere, Houston, TX 77026 – Joyce Follie (Kashmere Gardens)

Mayor's Press Conference:"Six-months after Hurricane Harvey" https://t.co/Ian84IIddg