The recent weather across Texas has been a significant disaster for most Texas cities, some within our NWTX Connection. Our NWTX Disaster Relief has already received requests for help, assistance, and response from individuals. Here are some things we have already begun doing.
So far, we have responded to several homes of the elderly needing immediate repair, conducted feeding, shipped hygiene kit materials to the Lubbock Salvation Army, and reached out to other conferences to coordinate and deliver aid.
Our NWTX Disaster Relief has people in every district to assist and coordinate resources and management. Please coordinate with them as needed. Ways churches can help are always changing, so contact Charlie Brown, the NWTX Disaster Relief Coordinator, to see how your church can assist those around your community and beyond. Charlie Brown 806-789-0791 or Charlie.m.brown@gmail.com.
For individuals and businesses in need, the State of Texas has established a link called the Texas Disaster Impacts Self-Reporting Tool to help those receive assistance. You can access that tool through the link below. That resource and several others can be found in a letter from Senator Charles Perry below. Lubbock County was recently added to the list of counties able to request assistance. There is also a link in this letter to report scams or price gouging. You can also call 211 to get connected with local assistance.
How to help today:
Check on members of your church, especially senior and home-bound members or those with special needs. If they need help, have them contact the church with their needs. If their needs exceed the church's ability to provide, support is available to anyone in Texas via disasterassistance.gov, calling 211, or contacting Charlie Brown.
We need care teams, cleanup teams, and possibly repair teams for plumbing, infrastructure, and repair to be ready to respond statewide, including where you live.
We still need East Texas teams and can accommodate any size group, including Youth Groups during Spring Break.
We plan to offer local training in groups of six to 12 max people for ERTs. One-day training for those able and willing to respond immediately, sometimes with as little as 24-hour notice. Please contact Charlie if you are interested in training as an ERT.
Links:
Texas Disaster Impacts Self-Reporting Tool
Letter from Senator Charles Perry
The Office of Senator Charles Perry, P.O. Box 12068, Austin, TX 78711
The Advance – For UMCOR Kit Material Resources
The Advance – For UMCOR US Disaster Response & Recovery
Financial donations may be sent to the NWTX Conference Office marked “2021 Winter Disaster Relief”