Blog Post

Hurricane Harvey Response Updates

Shane Engel • Sep 07, 2017

HOPE worldwide Disaster Response: Hurricane Harvey

CLICK HERE FOR LATEST VOLUNTEER INFORMATION!

Hurricane Volunteer Information

Hurricanes have displaced families, devastated homes, and halted any ability to earn a living. In an instant, this disaster has made what most feared as a worst-case scenario, into a nightmare reality. Many families in Houston have lost everything, they need our help. HOPE worldwide is eager to provided necessary resources and manpower to help families rebuild their lives and communities.
Together we can bring hope and make a difference.


IN-KIND DONATIONS:
Please be aware that the greatest needs at the moment are financial resources, however, if you are arranging in-kind donations of NEW goods please contact Shane Engel (shane.engel@hopeww.org) . We are communicating with our local partners in the disaster area and will determine what items will be most helpful to victims. We will update this website as soon as we have more information.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND UPDATE:
Thank you so much for your heart to serve. We are going to begin volunteer operations in Texas starting September 15th and will be establishing future dates as opportunities present themselves. Here is what you'll need to know in volunteering for our Disaster Response.

HOPE worldwide USA is organizing two (2) volunteer opportunities
1. Beaumont, TX Friday, September 15th – 16th
2. Houston, TX Thursday, September 28th - October 2nd

Volunteers will help to clean out and gut flood-damaged homes and may assist in rebuilding efforts and other duties. Operation Blessing will provide no-cost housing and food for volunteers in Beaumont. HOPEww is assessing the situation in Florida and will communicate to our volunteers as the specifics of these opportunities are determined.

  • Those who wish to volunteer at the Texas locations should carefully review the details below and fill out the volunteer application below.
  • It is ok to arrive a day early if necessary.
  • Registration for volunteering in Beaumont will close on 9/14 at 4:00 pm EST or when capacity is reached; registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis until volunteer spots are full. Volunteers should arrange and pay for their own transportation to the Beaumont, TX area.
  • Volunteers who are flying or renting vehicles should not make non-refundable arrangements until they receive a confirmation email that their registration was accepted for that specific service event.
  • Beaumont Volunteers should plan to:
  • Arrive at Cathedral Church, 2350 Eastex Freeway - Beaumont, TX 77703 on Thursday, 9/14 before 9:30 pm or Friday morning 9/15 at 7:30 am
  • Leave on Saturday evening, 9/16 or Sunday morning, 9/17.
  • Volunteer housing is provided by Operation Blessing at no cost to the volunteer. Volunteers will be staying in a church fellowship hall - men sleep in one area, women in another.
  • Volunteers will be provided a cot but will need to provide their own bedding including a sleeping bag and pillow.
  • Shower trailers are provided. Volunteers should provide their own toiletries - towel, soap, etc.
  • All meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are provided.
  • Minor volunteers aged 15 years or older who are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian may volunteer at the site during the day. However, they must make alternate sleeping arrangements since minors are not permitted in Operation Blessing housing.
  • All volunteers must be 18 years or older to stay in volunteer housing. Operation Blessing and HOPE worldwide have a no alcohol and no tobacco policy.
  • Volunteers must have access to a vehicle throughout their stay. Those flying in may rent a car at their own expense from a local car rental agency. Due to the severity of this disaster, rental vehicles may be difficult to secure in the area, so please reserve your rental vehicle before making flight arrangements. Volunteers may share a vehicle.
  • Volunteers should be in good physical condition and able to work in a construction-type atmosphere in high temperatures.
  • We will provide all necessary equipment.
  • Volunteers should wear long pants and solid, rubber-soled shoes or work boots while serving.
  • Despite the organizers’ best efforts, conditions and work flow at disaster recovery sites can be very fluid. Volunteers should remain flexible and patient throughout their stay.
  • Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until you receive an email confirmation that your registration was accepted.
  • The Houston accommodations are being finalized and will be announced shortly.
Please click the volunteer application button below to sign up.

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION FORM

September 6, 2017

HOPE worldwide has been on the ground in Houston, Texas meeting needs and actively organizing volunteer efforts. The Dallas and San Antonio Chapters have sent groups of volunteers and supplies to help Houstonians recover. HOPE worldwide and the Greater Houston Church are currently working with countless displaced families and individuals who have lost their homes, their cars and their livelihood for the time being.

Austin Wright, a student at the University of Texas San Antonio, started his internship with HOPE ww by organizing 51 volunteers from San Antonio to help with the Harvey relief efforts! The volunteer group was a diverse mixture of college students, young professionals, singles and married couples. They helped six different families in northern and western Houston clear out the debris from their homes.

Teams of volunteers gutted houses and took ruined furniture to the curb as you can see in some of the photos. They ripped up flooring, removed base moldings and cut out damaged sheet rock.. Some houses had to have two to three feet of sheet rock cut out as that reflected how high the flood waters invaded their houses. In all the neighborhoods, people were working on Labor Day to gut their houses and begin the slow process of rebuilding their houses and their lives.




August 30, 2017

The devastation from Hurricane Harvey continues to be felt throughout Texas and Louisiana, as heavy rains and catastrophic flooding are expecting to continue for days. Although the full extent of the damage and death toll will not be clear for some time, we know that this storm is unprecedented. HOPE worldwide was able to deploy our HotNews team to Houston and they are gathering footage from the devastation as we speak.

HOPE worldwide is on the scene in Texas and Louisiana and already responding. In the few days since this storm made landfall, the HOPE worldwide disaster response team made an early needs assessment and started helping to supply food, water, and tools for many affected by the storm. HOPE worldwide is now actively preparing to mobilize our network of amazing volunteers to continue to deliver aid and implement more extensive clean-up and recovery efforts. These efforts are made possible by compassionate donors from around the world and in conjunction with our network of nonprofit partners.

Many of our HOPE worldwide community members in Houston have been affected and we are getting reports of total material loss from many families. There are an untold number of homes and people affected, and the additional flooding and rainfall is set to make the situation even worse. It is already apparent that recovering from this disaster will take years, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

HOPE worldwide has boots on the ground in Houston and we will be able to mobilize our volunteers to meet specific needs.

We will keep you posted!

The HOPE worldwide Team


August 29, 2017

"This disaster is going to be a landmark event." That's how the head of FEMA described the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. "This is a storm that the United States has not seen yet," he added.

I’ve lived in Houston for a total of nine years, and have witnessed many incredible storms, hurricanes, and even tornadoes, but nothing close to Hurricane Harvey. The destruction will be as nothing seen before in the U.S.

This morning, a local official called the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey "an 800-year event." The National Weather Service described the damage as "unprecedented" and "beyond anything experienced." According to the Insurance Information Institute, flood damage may equal that of Hurricane Katrina, the costliest natural disaster in United States history.

We ask and thank you all for your fervent prayers on our behalf! We could see as much as 50 inches of rain, and many of our members will have their homes flooded. The cleanup will be a massive undertaking, perhaps taking years. Your love and support means so much to us here in Houston.

We are grateful that as far as we know all of the disciples in our churches are safe and many are helping their neighbors. We mourn with the families who have lost loved ones.

We know that we serve an amazing omnipotent God who cares and who can! I have every confidence that the Greater Houston Church will come through this trial with faith and love as we live out Phillipians 2:14-16: " Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain."

We look forward to glorifying our God as we serve our community in the coming weeks, and know many of you will be joining us in doing so. Please keep us in your prayers and God bless.

Doug Wens
Lead Evangelist, Greater Houston Church


Friday August 25, 2017

To all of our brothers and sisters,

As many are aware there is a dangerous situation off and around the coast of Texas and Louisiana as Hurricane Harvey is gaining strength. What looked to be a tropical depression has strengthened into a full fledged Category 3 Hurricane.

HOPEww has been closely monitoring the situation and has been in contact with church leaders across the region. Richard Alawaye, Evangelist in Corpus Christi, reports that to his knowledge all 30 disciples of the Corpus Christie Church have evacuated and are safely in the homes of brothers and sisters in San Antonio, Houston, Austin and Dallas.

HOPEww together with church leaders in the area are initiating the first phase of it disaster response protocols. We ask first and foremost that you pray for the many people and communities that will be hard hit by this storm. As the situation develops we at HOPEww will do our best to keep you informed and let you know what scope of disaster response we will organize.


23 Feb, 2024
For the past two years, HOPE worldwide has been actively involved in providing aid and support to the people of Ukraine amidst the ongoing humanitarian disaster where thousands of our brothers and sisters faced an unprecedented crisis. The situation has demanded urgent action, and with the help of generous donors and dedicated volunteers, many lives have been saved and significant milestones have been achieved. Let's take a look back at the journey:
01 Feb, 2024
Inspiring Sunday Suppers hosted by our family of volunteers:
18 Dec, 2023
As the year draws to a close, HOPE worldwide would like to honor and acknowledge many years of leadership provided by Nadine Templer, Senior Director of International Volunteer Programs.
29 Nov, 2023
A Higher Calling: Dr. Marc Aguirre's Mission to Serve the Marginalized and Vulnerable
08 Nov, 2023
USAID Administrator Samantha Power Visits HOPE worldwide's Clinic in Papua New Guinea During Her First Official Visit
12 Sep, 2023
Maui Fires Disaster Response Update: September 12, 2023
31 Jul, 2023
Dear HOPE worldwide Community, First and foremost, let me express my heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome you have extended to me as the new CEO of HOPE worldwide . It is both an honor and a privilege to be entrusted with this leadership role, and I am excited to embark on this journey with each and every one of you. As I reflect on my life's journey, I am reminded of a pivotal moment that shaped the very essence of who I am today. Losing my mother tragically at the tender age of four taught me the harsh reality of impermanence, of how someone could be there one moment and gone the next. At such a young age, I did not fully understand the concept of death, but what I did understand was the importance of living. James 4:13-15 holds a profound truth that resonates deeply within me: “ Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.’” Our time on this earth is fleeting, and the realization of this truth was the spark that awakened a desire in me to truly live and embrace every moment with purpose and passion. I have found my purpose, my calling, in the mission of HOPE worldwide. The work we do here, touching lives and making an impact by loving our neighbors, allows me to live my passion.
24 Jul, 2023
The HOPE worldwide Board of Directors is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Ben Barnett to the role of CEO and President of HOPE worldwide
27 Jun, 2023
PRESS RELEASE June 27, 2023 HOPE worldwide , a leading non-profit organization dedicated to providing sustainable, high-impact, community-based services, including critical healthcare services, disaster relief, and education, to underserved communities globally, is proud to announce the recognition received by the Lawes Road Clinic in Papua New Guinea during a recent visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken . This visit highlighted the impactful work carried out by HOPE worldwide global network member, HOPE worldwide Papua New Guinea (PNG), in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. government’s largest effort to combat HIV. During his visit to Papua New Guinea, Secretary Blinken had the opportunity to tour HOPE worldwide PNG’s Lawes Road Clinic, which is led by HOPE worldwide PNG Country Director Priscilla Sine Mal, and witness firsthand the incredible efforts undertaken by the dedicated team. The clinic's commitment to improving the lives of the local community in various areas, including HIV prevention and treatment, and treatment for victims of violence against women deeply impressed Secretary Blinken. In his remarks, Secretary Blinken expressed his admiration for the clinic's work, stating, "This was a real privilege to be here at the Lawes Road clinic where quite literally our partners are saving lives, changing lives, every single day." The visit showcased the significant impact of HOPE worldwide Papua New Guinea’s clinic on the region, highlighting its vital role in providing essential healthcare services to those most in need and who often have the most difficult time getting treatment, in part due to the social stigma often associated with their conditions. The Lawes Road Clinic operates under the auspices of the Presidential Emergency Plan For HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), funded through USAID and implemented in collaboration with FHI 360 and HOPE worldwide . The clinic has been instrumental in providing critical care, support, and testing for HIV/AIDS patients in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the nationwide efforts to combat the disease. This year, PEPFAR celebrates its 20th anniversary, and its 17th year of implementation in Papua New Guinea. HOPE worldwide is honored by the recognition bestowed upon HOPE worldwide Papua New Guinea and the Lawes Road Clinic by Secretary Blinken and remains committed to its mission of transforming communities and improving lives through local, volunteer-based initiatives. With the continuous support of partners like USAID and the unwavering dedication of its teams on the ground, HOPE worldwide and its global network of members like HOPE worldwide PNG strive to create a healthier, more resilient future for all.
UKRAINE RELIEF
By HOPE worldwide 14 Mar, 2023
HOPE worldwide is actively assessing the situation to prepare aid and recovery assistance for the many families affected by the current crisis in Ukraine.
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