Liberty County Long Term Recovery Committee Completes 3 Projects in County

LIBERY, July 8, 2008 - The Liberty County Long Term Recovery Committee has completed three construction projects to benefit victims of Hurricane Rita in the past fortnight. The projects were located in Hardin, Hull and Liberty and involved three different groups of volunteers all working on donated money and supplies. This was the result of weeks of planning by the all-volunteer, resident based Recovery Committee.

Residents of Liberty County know all too well the destruction caused by the September 2005 storm, but the hundreds of families still recovering to this day may come as a surprise. In the aftermath of Rita the Federal Government appropriated hundreds of millions of dollars to help families recover in Texas, yet a combination of bureaucratic red tape, a lack of experience and knowledge led to widespread frustration in relief efforts. As a reaction to these difficulties the Montgomery County United Way and Tri-County MH-MR organized the Liberty County Long Term Recovery Committee who initially worked with local, state, and national government and relief agencies to deliver relief to families in need.

Yet as the Committee increased their experience and ability to assist, the federal relief efforts finished, leaving the Committee to finish the job. Therefore the completion of these projects, coupled with the increased ability to tackle more significant construction operations, occurred at the right time.

The project in Hull was particularly special to the Committee, as Chairman Jeff Day, Pastor of Kenefick Southern Baptist, describes “this project brought in resources from all over the area, starting with local donations and case management to construction undertaken by the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief, regionally located in Polk County. It truly was a community effort to help a family in need.”

Case Manager Glennda Hardin states, “This only demonstrates the ability of Liberty County to help its own and demonstrates the humble nature of our citizens who wish to remain anonymous when we would be more than happy to recognize them.”

The Liberty County Long Term Recovery Committee is now focusing efforts on upcoming projects in the Northern area of the county as well as finding additional resources to meet these needs. The Committee meets on a biweekly basis in Liberty and is always accepting new volunteers, partners, and especially new referrals of families in need. Please contact Director Colin Reynolds, at 936-648-6281 or ColinRReynolds@gmail.com if you would like to participate.