The pictures and videos are haunting. Thousands of people stumbling through floodwaters rising above their waist carrying babies and pets. Families huddled on rooftops, cling to hope and desperation for rescue. Senior citizens in wheelchairs sitting in 3 feet of water inside nursing homes, people with special needs desperate to be moved from hospitals.
If you're like most people, you've been transfixed by the horror of Hurricane Harvey and the massive flooding that followed in Texas, where highways were turned into raging rivers, homes into water-logged prisons and cars into watery graves. Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city, was paralyzed by the storm that parked itself over the Gulf Coast and dropped more than 55 inches of rain. At last count, more than 40 people were confirmed dead, and losses were estimated at more than $100 billion, twice that of Katrina in 2005. But what's been happening in Texas, is so much more than an overwhelming natural disaster. The suffering has been matched by goodness nearly every step of the way throughout the state and the country. In Fort Worth, Texas, the men of the Epsilon Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. first reaction was how can we help? Each man took it personal as most had family, friends, colleagues, or acquaintances affected by this tragedy, or even more importantly they knew it was the Christian thing to do. These men were eager to contribute and the best plan of action was to help and service those people affected that had been routed to the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center and Coliseum in Fort Worth from Houston and surrounding areas. The city of Fort Worth announced Wilkerson-Greines as one of the first shelter locations and expected over 250 families. This location was located within 3 miles of the Epsilon Alpha Educational Center, so it was the logical and most impactful location that could and should be serviced. It was the hope and goal for the men of Omega to serve and service them all. The men of Epsilon Alpha advertised through social media channels and door-to-door and collected donations from the local community, as well as, contributing their own personal monetary and physical donations. These men, with sure determination and effort, worked tirelessly for three days straight to collect, sort, package, and donate hundreds of need supplies. The men of Epsilon Alpha reached their goal, but still aspired to do more. Now, the men of Epsilon Alpha are planning to hold a free BBQ and party to benefit the victims in the near future.
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PUBLIC RELATIONS
& MEDIA RELATIONS DIRECTOR BRO. CLARENCE BROOKS Archives
May 2019
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