Southern hospitality…
comes in different ways like serving your company a hearty meal and a big glass of iced tea, making chicken soup to take to a friend who is under the weather, or baking a cake or cookies to give to a neighbor. This week, however, southern hospitality is taking on another meaning. It’s helping Southeast Texans who are devastated by Hurricane Harvey and have lost their homes, cars, food, or everything they own. It’s the kind of hospitality that means bringing a boat to rescue people.
I grew up in the Gulf Coast city of Port Arthur, Texas and have lived in Houston, Texas and have many family members and friends in both cities. The floods have caused havoc and are horrifying. Click on the two videos below to see how Southeast Texans have been helping by boat evacuations:
https://www.facebook.com/matt.tuttle.10/videos/10213684258325295/
This is the church where my dad, B. H. McCoy (“Benny McCoy” in the book Phantom Seven) was the pastor and where my brother, Darrell McCoy, now is the pastor:
https://www.facebook.com/drew.lynch.96/videos/1599115966779483/
How You Can Help the People of
Southeast Texas in the Cities Affected by
Hurricane Harvey
Listed below are only a few places and/or websites where you can donate to help victims of Hurrican Harvey:
- http://disaster.salvationarmyusa.org/give/
- https://ghcf.org/hurricane-relief/
- http://www.life.cc/ – Stephen Boyken: “Tomorrow (August 31, 2017) at noon we open our doors to offer relief to a hurting community! I don’t know where this is taking us, or how long we will be at it! But we are going to do everything we can to help Houston!” Life Church, 9901 Windmill Lakes Blvd., Houston, TX 77075
- Cristen Velasquez, my daughter, works with an organization called Apartment Life, a 501c3. Cristen: “If you are looking for a way to help with Hurricane Harvey, we have staff and CARES Teams who are displaced and some who have likely lost most of their possessions. Some are also first responders (or their spouses are) and have been working around the clock on rescues. You can donate through our organization (Apartment Life, which is a 501c3) and the funds will go directly to these folks. Please consider praying, giving, and/or sharing: https://secure.paperlesstrans.com/ApartmentLife
- https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/28/hurricane-harvey-relief-efforts-how-help/
I will be posting daily on Kitchen Southern Hospitality Facebook page as I receive more information on how to donate to Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey relief funds for the Golden Triangle, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas and Houston metropolitan areas.
Vidor, Texas Donation Drop-Off Location for Supplies
If you are in the Vidor, Texas area of the Golden Triangle and want to donate supplies, the Eastgate Church is set up as a Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey relief fund for those in need. Donate by giving an amount to help with supplies or by dropping off supplies at Eastgate Church in Vidor:
Text: 409-200-2319 (Hurricane Harvey relief fund)
100% will go to hundreds in need no admin fee.
(Text the amount you want to give, and follow the link.)
If you are in the Vidor area, supplies can be dropped off at Eastgate United Pentecostal Church, 18905 I-10, Vidor, Texas.
Supplies needed:
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Soap
Hand sanitizer
Shampoo
Dish detergent
Laundry detergent
Blankets
Cots
Pillows
Bottled water
Diapers (all sizes)
Toilet paper
Towels
New underwear
New socks
Large trash bags
Gallon Zip Lock bags
Any clothes
Dehumidifier
Add Clorox wipes
Sanitary wipes
Dry shampoo