Catholic Charities volunteers roll up their sleeves for Harvey relief Organization sends 500 skilled volunteers into area

Catholic Charities USA members, from left, Helene Lauffer, from New York City, Becky VanPool, from Oklahoma City, and Molly O'Donnell, from Portland, Ore., walk through a group of apartments that flooded as they canvas the Kashmere Gardens area. less Catholic Charities USA members, from left, Helene Lauffer, from New York City, Becky VanPool, from Oklahoma City, and Molly O'Donnell, from Portland, Ore., walk through a group of apartments that flooded as ... more Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Catholic Charities volunteers roll up their sleeves for Harvey relief 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

Instead of canceling the long-scheduled convention of Catholic Charities USA in Houston this week, leaders of the group decided to still meet and do what they do best: Provide help and resources to those in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

The organization's Annual Gathering, with abbreviated programming of networking, professional development and prayer at a downtown Houston hotel, deployed its 500 attendees across southeast Texas – from Houston to Beaumont and Port Arthur–– to support local survivors.

Activities have included canvassing neighborhoods to distribute supplies and open new local social services cases for long-term management by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Volunteers also worked in warehouses and service centers to assemble hygiene kits.

"We decided to change the focus of the conference to provide opportunities for these 500 professionals to be turned loose on the city and help," said Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, which is based in Alexandria, Va. "They've been involved in helping people who are on the margins and struggling to help them get by. Many of them have been in tornadoes and floods and fires, so they've been through it and now it's time for us to reach out to Houston. They all know how to do that and we're honored to be here to help."

When dozens of volunteers in turqoise-colored disaster response team T-shirts descended on northeast Houston's Kashmere Gardens community, they met a truck full of supplies that had been on the road for three days from Pittsburgh.

When the back door opened, a ramp emerged and boxes began to be unloaded, the instant resource hub seemed like a mirage in the desert, but the water and resources were real. People came out of houses. Some arrived on foot. Folks with cars full of rescued items pulled up.

"I'm so grateful and I'm so happy that somebody is looking after us. God is good," said Tedman Brown, 47, who has been living in his car in the weeks since floodwaters submerged the Kashmere Gardens home built seven decades ago that he shared with his grandmother and uncle. "I was living on hot dogs just the other day that I got from the Red Cross."

He left the distribution site with a black garbage bag full of dry essentials including paper towels, toilet tissue, canned goods, hygiene items and a $50 Walmart gift card. His grandmother is with relatives and his uncle remains in a shelter, while Brown continues working as a substitute high school teacher.

"We basically lost everything," Brown said. "The foundation of the house is just destroyed. The handicap ramp on the side of the house was pulled away. There's a big hole in the roof."

Still, he walked away with a fresh wind of hope.

There were tears in the eyes of Jenn Reynolds as well.

The legal assistant and bartender from Pittsburgh posted a plea on Facebook in late August asking for supplies to transport to Houston. Her lawyer-bosses told her to wait because a response still would be needed in the coming weeks. An aunt and uncle opened their porch as a collection site. Her Olive Garden managers provided storage space. A Holiday Inn an hour away from her home donated bedding, including pillows and pillowcases. Pittsburgh television reporters covered the supply drive.

Coordinating arrival

Her dad, David Vogel, directs the nonprofit organization Catholic Proud based in Steubenville, Ohio. He acquired the truck and on Monday night set out for Houston. He called the Galveston-Houston archdiocese for guidance on when to show up here. They advised him about this week, when helping hands from across the nation would be working in local communities.

Reynolds, Vogel and his girlfriend arrived in Houston on Thursday afternoon and met the Catholic Charities volunteers amid homes still being mucked. The neighborhood's curbs and ditches remained filled with debris.

"I had this vision of just pulling into a neighborhood and unloading a truck and that's what I'm doing," said Reynolds, 26. "I didn't want to drop off at a warehouse. I didn't want to drop off in a storage place. I wanted people to come and get what they need and not have to wait for it to be distributed out to them."

She was emotionally overwhelmed as her vision became reality.

"We brought it all," she said.

Still 'an active disaster'

Kim Burgo, senior director for disaster response operations for Catholic Charities USA, oversaw volunteers assisting with a distribution in downtown Houston to people already clients of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Palettes of diapers in all sizes with baby wipes were handed out along with cases of water, mops and other cleaning supplies.

"Even though there's a conference going on downtown, this remains an active disaster," Burgo said. "We've not forgotten that fact."

The convention runs through Saturday at the Marriott Marquis hotel.