TBM/Texas Baptists Volunteer Villages open for groups to serve Harvey-affected areas

HOUSTON–Three Texas Baptist Men/Texas Baptists Volunteer Villages are now open and accepting groups to serve in Harvey-affected areas. TBM and Texas Baptists are partnering to invite volunteer groups to work on homes and churches damaged by the hurricane and subsequent flooding throughout Houston and East Texas.

Mickey Lenamon, TBM executive director, urged groups to participate, saying, “We are open for business, but we can only do as much work as we have volunteers to do it.”

TBM/Texas Baptists Volunteer Village locations include First Baptist Church of Nederland, Sugar Land Baptist Church and Kingsland Baptist Church in Katy. Groups will be provided with meals, access to shower and laundry units, and lodging at the partnering churches.

Lenamon emphasized the need for groups to contact TBM before planning a trip so the locations can adequately prepare to house and feed them. After registering, groups are matched based on size and date. All volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.

“I look forward to working with friends from all over the state of Texas in the weeks and months to come,” said Jason Burden, pastor of FBC Nederland and TBM/Texas Baptists Volunteer Village host church. “For as long as this recovery process takes. We are going to grow closer together and reach more people that we can even begin to imagine with the Good News of Jesus Christ and the good work of Christ’s people.”

“We are shifting from disaster relief to disaster recovery,” said Lenamon. “TBM is will serve in the affected areas from six months to a year.” With more than 11,000 requests for home repairs, Lenamon mentioned the work will continue for months to come.

Work projects will include moving debris, cleaning yards, assisting homeowners in retrieval of personal property, handing out boxes, assisting shower and laundry or feeding units, and mucking and gutting out homes.