TURN TO TED: Harvey victim needed a bed, gets much more
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A new mom told ABC13 she'd been sleeping on an air mattress with her 7-year-old son through her entire pregnancy after losing all her furniture in Hurricane Harvey.
She had denials from FEMA and no luck from charities. All she wanted was a bed and she turned to Ted for help.
Kavien King's northeast Houston apartment at the Arbor Court complex flooded during Harvey. Like so many of her neighbors, when she came back to her first floor apartment, Kavien told ABC13 there was "mud everywhere, everywhere, everywhere."
She lost everything. FEMA told her it only allows one aid application per household. Post storm, she was living with her mother. She allowed her mom to get the help. Kavien slept on whatever she could find
"This is an air mattress," she told ABC13's Ted Oberg.
"How long have you been sleeping on this?"
"Since I moved in."
That was months ago. Kavien tells us at times, she was trying to sleep with her son's foot in her mouth. "Ted, that's who I'll call," she said.
We called Catherine Flowers at Bread of Life. Flowers is like a post storm tsunami of hope and love.
"Post-Harvey, we've actually served more than a hundred thousand individuals that have been affected by the storm," Flowers told ABC13 inside the group's warehouse at St. John's United Methodist Church.
It is full of essentials just waiting to make lives a little more whole. Flowers and Bread of Life jumped at the chance to help Ms. King.
"It's heartbreaking because the need is still real," Flowers said. "And so, thank you so much for shining the light on it, because every day, we are getting hundreds and hundreds of folks still requesting items."
As soon as the Bread of Life team could deflate Kavien's air mattress, they moved in a bed for her, another for her 7-year-old, plus tables, dressers, a scooter and supplies.
Looking over her home, Kavien told ABC13, "I wasn't expecting the whole shebang. (I'm) loving it. I'm very grateful and thankful."
It is impossible not to be inspired by the optimism and hope Bread of Life delivers. But they are not the only group still providing help and hope. If you still need help recovering from Harvey, you are not alone.
There are plenty of places to turn. Our list below is hardly comprehensive, but is a good place to start. If these agencies can't help your situation, make sure you ask them for referrals.
Also, if you don't have damage but still have money or energy that could help, keep offering.
United Way: Call 2-1-1, Option 1
The United Way will direct you to a charity who can help with your needs in your area.
City of Houston Homeowner Assistance Program: 832 393-0550
The city is accepting applications for housing aid. The program offers reimbursement for repairs, actual repairs, buyouts and mortgage assistance. Call or click the info above to start the application process.
Harvey Home Connect
There are still many charities engaged in Harvey relief. Harvey Home Connect is a way to blast your info to many of them at once. They are still looking for new applicants in Houston and Harris County.
From their website:
Harvey Home Connect is a new common application and coordination system that will assist eligible, low-to-moderate income seekers of home repair services in the City of Houston and/or Harris County affected by Hurricane Harvey. Harvey Home Connect uses data to match eligible homeowners to reputable, vetted nonprofit organizations that provide home repair services.
Bread of Life
You can email casemanager@breadoflifeinc.org for more information.
