In the darkest hour, light shines the brightest. Our communities here in Texas and throughout the south are facing some incredibly difficult times due to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. But it’s in these moments that we see the expression of true love and compassion for one another. We want to share with you a report provided to us by the city of Dallas that shows the compassionate action that’s been shown by the citizens, businesses and organizations of DFW. Let us all continue to be thankful for the days we have and continue the mission of spreading compassion throughout our communities and the world.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017.

After yesterday’s arrival of approximately 500 Texas evacuees from Louisiana, the guest population at the Dallas Mega-Shelter was approximately 3,539 registered guests, of which 2,495 spent the night. Today, that number will continue to rise as more buses began arriving this afternoon from Louisiana, with approximately 250 more Texas evacuees.

The Office of Emergency Management has been working with the State and FEMA to develop plans to return our guests back to their homes. Many of these individuals are from areas that have yet to be cleared as safe. Until then, shelter operations will continue for the short-term, and no specific close date has been established yet. The OEM has also been contact with officials from Beaumont about opportunities to facilitate the return of many of their residents. This must be approved and coordinated with State.

As of today, plans have been set in motion to bring The Senior Source into the Disaster Recovery Center to extend their services to Harvey evacuees. The organization has many services to help displaced residents in the short-term, including nursing home or assisted living placement, temporary guardianship coordination, benefits counseling, financial security concerns, caregiver resources & tools, housing & transportation resources and additional volunteers through their SeniorCorps Program. Disaster Recovery Center staff is in the process of determining what needs they have, and expect them to be operational at the end of the week.

Friday, September 8th, Workforce Solutions has coordinated a “Hiring for Harvey” event for evacuees who need work. The event will take place at the Sheraton Hotel Convention Center, located at 400 Olive Street, and is 100% federally funded through grants from the U.S. Department of Labor. Though the event is intended for Harvey evacuees, no job-seeker will be turned away.

Because of the increase in guests, Dallas Fire-Rescue (DFR) has increased its EMS presence to off-set the impact on in-shelter assets. As of Wednesday morning, DFR has transported 87 evacuees to area hospitals for definitive medical care, while DFR Fire Prevention Officers continue ensuring life-safety measures remain intact. Dallas Police Officers also have a presence at the Mega-Shelter, with no significant incidents having been reported, and Dallas County Animal Rescue Services is reporting an approximate total of 150 sheltered animals.

Thanks to the generosity of the Dallas, and surrounding, communities, we have surpassed our need for donated goods. Our efforts are now focused on directing individuals wanting to help to make financial contributions to the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund through the Dallas Foundation. The receipt of in-kind donations at drop-off sites has been suspended.

More organizations and vendors continue lending their services to the Disaster Recovery Center, located at the Mega-Shelter, to assist with quality of life necessities. The hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. daily. While Walmart and JC Penney have been among our biggest supporters, by establishing a Convention Center “store” to provide new clothing for evacuees, other partners who have offered support are:

FEMA is processing applications to help guests get federal assistance, along with off-site (and forthcoming on-site) processing through their Individual Assistance (IA) and Transitional Housing Assistance (TSA) groups.
The American Red Cross mobilized Tide’s: Loads of Hope to assist with laundry; which is available to provide support to all 3 shelters.

  • Kroger provided a mobile pharmacy unit to 3 smaller shelters, as well as a $1,000 gift designated for items needed by the EOC and Unified Command units.
  • 7-Eleven donated water and food items to the Unified Command, and are standing ready for any additional needs; including the use of food trucks in addition to on-site, portable and shelf-stable foods.
  • H.E.B. has provided thousands of meals to evacuees, both directly and through the Salvation Army.
  • Frito Lay delivered 6 pallets of snack products (can make additional deliveries if needed).
  • Pepsi delivered sodas and water to all shelters (can make additional deliveries as needed).
  • IKEA is donating 5,000 of their blue tote bags to be used by evacuees. They also donated furniture and toys for an additional children’s area; and will be coming back Monday to add additional items to a designated play space in the Disaster Recovery Center.
  • Verizon & AT&T are providing charging stations.
  • Microsoft provided entertainment gaming consoles.
  • Home Depot has committed to providing 700 large storage totes.
  • Lowes is at the table to help, and are also considering providing similar storage totes (as Home Depot).
  • Plans are pending for Allstate and Nationwide to help process claims at the Mega Shelter.
  • Plans are pending for UNICEF, which would like to create child-friendly spaces.
  • Concord Church created an infant care area in the back of the dormitory area. They have also been providing hundreds of volunteers to work days and nights. The church working with the EOC to get many of these with CERT so they’re able to assist with post-relief efforts.
  • Six Flags has 5,000 admission tickets, good through 9/17, to donate.
  • Better Block will be providing pop-up indoor seating and a play area.
  • Gaylord Texan has 4,000 duvet covers to donate.
  • Chefs for Farmers fed the entire Dallas Animal Services staff on Friday morning
  • GM Financial has 5,000 employees available to volunteer.
  • West Texas Nazarene Missions International has 1,800 crisis care kits to donate.
  • Kids Vision for Life would like to provide on-site vision screenings and glasses.

In addition, we have had many smaller organizations provide and offer support.

Several area attractions are offering free admission to evacuees, including the following: Dallas Arboretum, Perot Museum, Dallas Zoo, Nasher Sculpture Center, and SMU.

Additional information about FEMA services regarding specific flood damaged areas or returning home can be found at www.fema.gov.

Visit www.dallashelpforharvey.net for the latest, and most up-to-date, information on donations and volunteer opportunities.