Helping after Harvey

— Update 12/2/17 —

BBC Kids rocking some leaf clean up!

On December 2nd we had 6 members from BBC join teams from both Shine Bible Fellowship and Grace Bible Church Houston as we passed out flyers, put up drywall, moved furniture and cleaned up some over grown yards. The homeowners were blown away to see kids serving. What a great opportunity to share our reason why; because we are to have the same mindset of Jesus Christ!

— Update 11/4/17 —

Great time serving on November 4!

We had a great time helping a super grateful elderly lady get her backyard back in order. Among other things we got to:

Clear out the shed (it hadn’t been touched since Harvey!)
Reorganize the shed with items that hadn’t been damaged by the flooding
Clean up debris around the back yard
Trim the trees and bushes
Remove dead plants
Share the hope we have in Christ and take time to pray with her

All in all, we had a great time!

— Update 10/22/17 —

BBC has partnered with Shine Bible Fellowship, an EFCA church, in Cypress to help families in their community who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Over the next several months we will be sending small teams down from BBC on the first Saturday of each month to help Shine Bible Fellowship pass out flyers, remove debris, test for moisture levels, and offer the hope we have in Christ to their neighbors.

Projects will vary from week to week and month to month, but there are opportunities for school age kids and parents to serve together.

General items to bring include work gloves, masks, hammers, crowbars, heavy duty trash bags, and wheel barrows. To join in on the next serve day contact Pastor Jon at the church.

— Update 9/7/17 —

BBC will be partnering with several other EFCA Churches in sending teams into Houston to assist in cleaning out and rebuilding in the months ahead. We are anticipating that teams will be organized on Saturdays based in an ongoing effort to serve their neighbors who were hit hardest by Harvey.

Saturday (9/9/17) we will have small groups from BBC meet members and staff from Redemption at 8:30am Saturday mornings at 8915 Timberside Dr. Houston, TX 77025. Contact Pastor Jon if you would like to go with the BBC group.

To keep up with the updates and work that is currently being done visit them at https://www.facebook.com/RedemptionHou/

— Update 9/6/17 —

When: Friday, September 8^th, 2017

7:45AM – 5:00PM (Individuals could come back earlier if needed)

Where: Meet in Parking Lot of 1^st Baptist Chappell Hill at 7:45AM

Who: A team from Brenham Bible and 1st Baptist Chappell Hill will combine. Please RSVP to one of the following people:

BBC – Keith Ridgway 979-530-8331, Sharon Ridgway 281-374-0721
1BCH – Kyle Sparks 618-704-8734

What: Help people with flooded homes in Bear Creek area. Help could involve:

Cutting sheet rock, ripping out sheet rock, moving sheet rock, insulation to curb
Ripping out cabinets and moving to curb
Cutting and moving carpet and padding to curb
Packing small stuff into boxes so that furniture can be moved (dressers, china cabinet, etc.)
Disassemble furniture and carry outside to dry, or to the curb
Moving furniture and appliances
Spraying disinfectant on walls and floor

Team will provide:

Water
Hearing protection
Industrial rubber gloves
Mask

Individuals Should Bring:

Personal protective clothing:

o Gloves, boots (hiking boots probably ok, maybe bring rubber boots, close-toed shoes at a minimum), long sleeve shirt, long pants, safety glasses/googles and hearing protection if you have them

Tools (if you have one, if not, don’t worry)

o Dollies

o Claw hammers, pry bars, crow bars, box cutter, tin snips

o Roto Zip, extension cord, chalk line, Saws-all

Lunch, and snacks, Gatorade (you may burn a lot of energy)
Packing boxes (packed flat), packing paper, tape, Sharpie marker: (if you have them)

— Update 9/2/17 —

The Cannery Kitchen will be preparing daily meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for the National Guard at the Tom Green Street location. Volunteer sign-ups will help prepare meals, package meals, and clean-up at The Cannery. Volunteers for these time spots need to 16 years of age or older. If 16 or 17 years old, they need to be accompanied by a parent. Please do not bring young children with you – there are safety concerns in the kitchen, and sensitive assistance being provided in the service center. Thank you for your understanding. Each volunteer opportunity will be asked to help with other duties, as needed. The number of service people may fluctuate when they are deployed to their working locations; however, we have planned for the maximum number of volunteers. In addition, The Cannery Kitchen will be open for breakfast and lunch each day to serve 1st responders and people displaced by Hurricane Harvey. Breakfast will be served from 8-9am, and lunch from noon – 1pm. Thank you for your help!!

— Update 9/1/17 —

The Ridgways have been in contact with friends in Houston. The flood waters are receding in NW Houston and they will be joining volunteers at Metropolitan Baptist church tomorrow, Saturday 9/2, to help pull furniture, carpet, etc. from the church. If you would like to join them contact Sharon Ridgway at (281) 374-0721.

— Update 8/30/17 —

Pastor Jon will be meeting with the EFCA National Crisis Response Team and pastors from other EFCA churches at Grace Bible Church in Houston on Tuesday Sept 5th to determine the opportunities for BBC to send teams down to assist both in various EFCA church and community recovery efforts. Details on these opportunities will be posted here and reminders sent out via church email.

— ORIGINAL POST 8/29/17 BELOW —

Sunday evening I was in touch with the EFCA Crisis Response team as they were making their way down to Houston. They were forced to stay in Bryan on Sunday evening before they made it down to Corpus Christi on Monday. Today, Cliff Wilson and I met with numerous leaders in the city and in other churches to determine how best we can serve in our community in light of what the next several weeks will bring.

It is difficult to examine the widespread damage and destruction that a storm like Harvey brings to communities, but as the church we recognize that even in the midst of tragedy, we have an opportunity to represent Christ to our neighbors. Knowing how to help can be confusing, so here are a few tangible ways you can serve others in the coming days.

First, reach out to your neighbor. This is the easiest step any of us can take. This morning our family began to contact our neighbors to see what needs existed in our neighborhood. One neighbor had minor flooding in a basement, others just had fallen branches and tree limbs. Assess what needs there are right next to you and see where you can lend a hand. For our family, it was not just an opportunity to serve our neighbors, but also teach our kids a great lesson in serving as unto the Lord. When I arrived at church there was a lovely 83 yr old lady named Darlene who had a large tree limb that had fallen across her driveway and she was waiting for the city to come remove it. I introduced myself and asked if she would like for me to move it into her yard so she wouldn’t have her car blocked in. She was so grateful for my help and it was a great opportunity to introduce our church to her since she is within walking distance.

Second, partner with area churches and ministries in Washington County. Numerous churches and ministries in Washington County are partnering together with Faith Mission in a coordinated initiative to both guide and help displaced Texans that make their way through Brenham to cities that are designated for housing and shelter. Greg Abbott has listed Brenham as a pass-through city. We don’t have the infrastructure to shelter the tens of thousands of Texans that will be commuting through our town in the coming days. However our community will be providing assistance in numerous ways.

To volunteer for any of the local needs in our community please register and check the box that says, “I would be interested in assisting as an Emergency Standby Volunteer for Hurricane Relief, etc.”

Volunteer Registration

INFO CENTER AT WALMART. There will be an information tent in the Walmart parking lot for the next several weeks. We need volunteers to serve in 2 hour shifts 24/7 for the thousands of people who will be driving through Brenham. There will be information flyers you can give to people and water for those who need it. We will be directing them to Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas where there are shelters set up for them. (UPDATE: Due to low than anticipated traffic the info tent at Walmart has closed)
DISPLACED FAMILIES WITH MEDICAL EMERGENCIES. Families with an individual who is medically fragile and in need of immediate medical care are the only exception in place for shelter. Scott & White will care for individuals and if needed St Peter’s Episcopal Church will provide temporary shelter for family members until the sick family member is released. Pets for these families will be temporarily placed in the Brenham Animal Shelter. St. Peter’s Lutheran church is in need of cots and other basics to ensure the families that end up there are cared for.
SERVICE CENTER AT THE CANNERY KITCHEN. The Cannery Kitchen will serve as a distribution hub for counseling, and other basic needs that families may have before they continue their trip to on of the shelter cities. I spoke with J.D. Young and daily consumables such as eggs and bacon would be a welcome donation to their site. They will also need volunteers to provide basic service and care.
HIGGINS SOUTH MARKET. Higgins will be collecting clothes, baby formula, food, water, etc. and will be distributing those items out both to other communities via tractor trailer and to the Washington County Community. They need volunteers to help process all of the foods and goods that are brought in. In addition, if you would like to bring items they would be glad to receive it.
LOCAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT. Accounts are set up at local banks to help fund as much as possible where there are shortfalls in what Faith Mission and other ministries are able to provide. You can give directly to the Harvey Relief Fund at Bank of Brenham, Brenham National, or Citizens here in town to help with various expenses that need to be covered.

Third, support the EFCA Crisis Response Team. We can pray for the safety of the EFCA Crisis Response Team and those who have been impacted by Harvey. We can pray for the EFCA churches that were impacted by the storm and are now determining what needs they need to meet both within their church body and in the community. We can also give online or send a check to EFCA 901 East 78th St. Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300 and designate the check: Hurricane Response -39694.

For additional details visit https://go.efca.org/hurricane-harvey-response. Money given through the EFCA will be used for resources in the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Harvey.

If you are a church member and have needs that we should be aware of following Hurricane Harvey, please reach out to us and we’ll be sure to get a team together to come lend you a hand.

… but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13b-14)