September 1, 2022
...fighting for a just recovery is an essential part of fighting for a just society.
This week marks the 6th anniversary of Hurricane Harvey.
Six years later, WSR is still meeting people who need help repairing their homes. The storm, flooding and long recovery are still having mental and physical impacts, even for survivors who now live in new homes or whose homes are fully repaired.
As an organization we are proud of the work we continue to do to help people recover – both from Harvey and the other storms that have hit Houston since – and we are so grateful for the support that all of you have given us. That support allowed us to make critical repairs in over 300 homes over the past six years, from replacing roofs and plumbing systems to fully rebuilding gutted houses. We’ve built a team and an ever-growing community who are doing our best to enact a just recovery through mutual aid, empowerment and political education.
As we honor six years of work, we’re also living through peak hurricane season. Florida is emerging from the destruction of Hurricane Idalia making landfall earlier this week. In the aftermath of disasters, community based organizations are key to making sure that BIPOC and LMI people get the help they need. Storms amplify inequities, and groups who are grounded in the local community and prioritize the most vulnerable play a key role in offsetting some of the worst impacts of disasters. Sadly we know that recovery from this storm will be long, and that ongoing recovery from multiple disasters is now part of our reality. Fighting for a just recovery is an essential part of fighting for a just society.
Register for Disaster Response Training classes with WSR
Starting September 19th, West Street will be hosting in-person Community Emergency Response (CERT) trainings for Houston residents. The 8-week training is a free course to learn core disaster response skills and become certified as a community first responder. The course will cover disaster preparedness, fire safety, basic emergency medicine and search and rescue. So often we have to be the first responders for each other after disaster strikes; getting trained together is more important than ever.
When: September 19 – November 14, Tuesdays 5-8 pm (no class November 7th)
Where: WSR Office, 20 North Sampson Street, 77003
Please fill out this form to register. For questions, email alice@weststreetrecovery.org
Save the date - All hands September 23
West Street Recovery’s first All-Hands meeting of 2023 will take place on Saturday September 23rd, from 10am – 12pm. Since our founding, we have held all-hands as a place for the greater West Street community to come together and give input on big questions that are guiding our work and decisions about our future priorities. More info to come!
With Love,
West Street Recovery
