Refugio recovery center in need of materials, volunteers

April 07--REFUGIO -- The extent of Hurricane Harvey's damage can be seen on a wall in a back room of the Chamber of Commerce in the form of hundreds of yellow, gold and pink Post-it notes.

Each small square symbolizes a home and family still rebuilding from the hurricane and, for a few, a tornado.

Each sticky note is a reminder of the long road ahead.

"Information is, of course, filed away, but I am a visual person," said Dorey Williams, director of the Refugio County Volunteer Reception Center. "We try to make this easier to read and be able to make an immediate assessment of who needs what."

The volunteer center is the hub for helping hands passing through the county.

Though the center has seen groups from all across the country and the state, there is still a need for materials and volunteers.

The center was established in November to help connect residents with unmet needs with volunteers who traveled to the community to help with the recovery.

While the center has helped about 300 families, more residents file into the center each day, Williams said.

Some of those with requests either don't have home insurance or received funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that were not enough to cover all expenses.

In addition to Williams, the center has two full-time volunteer staff members.

Couple Laura Rose and Tom Rose are members of the RV Disaster Corps and have been in Refugio since January.

The two are originally from Wellsboro, Pa., and have experience in disaster recovery after volunteering in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. The two were honored Friday for their service to the Refugio County area.

"We feel a call to help," Tom Rose, 69, said.

Several volunteer groups from across the country have helped Refugio County, such as Samaritan's Purse, Community Aid Relief Effort and All Hands and Hearts Smart Response.

But local volunteers ... not

so much.

At the beginning, there were a lot of local volunteers, Williams said, but as the county enters the long-term phase of recovery, the center has seen mostly out-of-towners.

When homeowners fill out a request for help, the center then divides and files separate requests depending on the work that needs to be done on the home. That's where the Post-it note system comes in.

One home may have just one issue, such as tree work or debris, or several factors in need of repair.

The volunteers who have helped through the center have been able to do most of the work, but for some areas, such as electrical work or leveling a foundation, there is a need for skilled volunteers.

About 40 homes are in need of foundation work, Williams said.

"The thing is, though, we don't have anyone locally who is trained in leveling homes and who would volunteer to help," she said.

While there have been offers to help, the offers still come with a price tag, which is just not feasible, Tom Rose said.

"There's just no money for that. People are down and out," he said.

For roof repair, volunteers have been placing tarps while the homeowners wait to have new roofs installed.

Laura Rose said the best kind of tarps for roofs aren't exactly tarps.

The center is looking for good used advertising billboard vinyl signs to use on roofs instead of tarps.

The center has used a billboard vinyl sign on a home, and the sign has held up well, Williams said.

"They are vinyls, and they are thicker than a regular tarp. They stay in place and we don't have to worry so much about them blowing off," Rose said. "We want roofs, but until the houses are leveled, we have to tarp them. And those will stay on."

Those who have requested to have their roofs tarped are kept on a list even if their roof has been tarped.

"Because it may be months before we can get them a new roof, they're probably going to need to be tarped again and again," Williams said.

Another benefit to using advertising billboard vinyl signs is they do not need to be replaced or need to be put back in place as often as tarps.

"Getting the manpower to keep putting on roofs is difficult," Rose said.

The center has also posted on its Facebook page several times calls for help with tarping a roof for an elderly couple.

No one responded.

"That was disheartening," Williams said.

Laura Rose has hope, though, that local volunteers will come through.

Rose said she and her husband have seen a lot of heartbreak but also resiliency in the county as residents rebuild.

During the county fair, Rose said, she saw how residents helped pull each other up.

"In a lot of places, that might not have happened -- they might not have pulled together to make the fair happen," Rose said.

Williams said the center is able to accommodate volunteers looking to stay in town several days at the First Presbyterian Church on Fannin Street for a low daily cost of about $35 for each person.

Out-of-town groups are scheduled to work in Refugio in several weeks, but Williams hopes local residents will step up and help their neighbors.

"If people come to us needing help, we'll try to help them. We're going to be here," she said.

Amber Aldaco reports on regional counties for the Victoria Advocate. She may be reached at [email protected] or 361-580-6303.

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