Physical/Mental Health and Disaster Assistance

While the weather has been, thankfully, mild, this has given SHAPE some time to upgrade some of the systems that keep our center functioning. We completed the installation of the new air conditioning unit on the Family Center and replaced some of the parts at the Administrative Building. We also made some plumbing repairs. Although this is not the most glamourous part of our work, with having such an old building, it is essential to keep the building in good shape to prevent shutting down our programs. We have additionally upgraded our phone modem and system, in which the technology had become outdated beyond servicing. With the new systems in place, we have consistent and seamless internet and phone service. These improvements expand our capacity to serve as a resource for the community.

Food security, decent and affordable housing, and transportation continue to pose challenges for the families we serve. Over the last month, three of our families lost transportation to automobile wrecks or repair issues. Two of our families developed imminent housing issues within the same time. We are working with each of the families to find long-term and immediate solutions. Currently, volunteers and staff are assisting with transportation. Houston is a very large city, and is very spread out, so personal transportation is generally a requirement. When you consider that many low-income families are also living in food deserts, their barriers become compounded. We distributed approximately 30 holiday dinners to families, and expect to distribute approximately 300 through the upcoming holidays... and of course, lots of toys.

In Houston, we have been experiencing a brutally hot summer with 100 degrees or higher temperatures for multiple days. Our community center has been available to the public as an unofficial cooling center. We receive 3-5 people daily who come inside just to get out of the heat. In addition to providing a cool space, we have also been distributing individual water bottles throughout the day. During this time, we have also been able to assist one family with temporary housing at a motel. While the motel is not a long-term solution, the family was able to begin focusing on the next steps.

One of the challenges we faced was that the air conditioning in the community center stopped working. Since the area affected was the area in which we have children’s and elder’s activities, we were forced to close the location for a few days because it became too hot. With the support of the community, we were soon able to get the much-needed repairs and re-open the building.