By Shannon Morley-Ragland | Director of Institutional Giving
Thank you for your generous support of BakerRipley’s efforts to help the Houston region recover from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. Today, families have restored hope for the future because you reached out to offer a helping hand.
On Thanksgiving morning, Monique Lampkin drafted a letter to BakerRipley’s disaster recovery team.
“Although I was impacted by Hurricane Harvey, I am so blessed,” she wrote. “I am so grateful for how you were a catalyst to help me in time of desperate need. I do not take your generosity for granted. Your care has given me so much hope for 2018.”
Monique lives in Richmond, not far from the banks of the Brazos River. When Hurricane Harvey hit, she wanted to wait out the storm, but had to evacuate to a shelter when the waters breached.
She returned home on Labor Day and, while her home didn’t sustain severe damage, the next couple of weeks threatened to pull her under. She had been working as a substitute teacher after being laid off from her job in the oil and gas industry in 2015, and she was struggling to make ends meet.
Unable to work during the week of the storm and the following days, Monique realized the gap in income could threaten to force her into foreclosure. She had already exhausted all of her personal assets, so she reached out for help.
“Harvey just pushed me over the edge. I can confidently say that without BakerRipley’s help, I would be homeless right now,” Monique said. “They went above and beyond making resources available and known to the community.”
Through our Disaster Case Management program, Monique was able to get extended assistance with her mortgage and to address water damage in her home.
“I count my blessings on a whole different level now. I wanted you to know my story and how much I appreciate it.”
Since the September closing of the shelter at NRG Center, where we welcomed more than 7,500 guests, BakerRipley has been working around the clock to help alleviate the suffering of folks affected by storm and helping them return to pre-disaster stability as quickly as possible.
As of February 21, we had served a total of 7,825 individuals through our disaster case management services. Through our distribution of basic needs across our community centers, we handed out over 13,000 items, serving 9,801 households. Our home restoration program is currently helping more than 200 families navigate the repair and rebuild of their homes. To date, we’ve completed six homes.
We recognize rebuilding Houston is a long-term proposition and are committed to leading the charge to help this community regain stability and to ensure all our neighbors have equal opportunities to earn, learn and belong—to create the well-being and lives they desire. We can only do that with your support. Again, thank you for the impact you are making in Houston!
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