City Of Boston Creates 'Help For Houston' Donation Effort In Wake Of Harvey
BOSTON (CBS) -- Massachusetts residents are stepping up to help relief and rescue efforts for those who have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
A Brockton teen who is one of the volunteers with the Red Cross in Corpus Christi, Texas spoke to WBZ-TV.
"It can be a little overwhelming at some points, but it's extremely rewarding to be here," said Andrew Enos.
On Monday, he and other volunteers went shopping for food and supplies to bring back to the shelter.
"We've seen a lot of homes totally destroyed. The winds definitely moved debris all over the place, and we definitely seen probably six or seven gas stations completely upside down," Enos said.
He added that he expects to stay weeks beyond the date that his trip is scheduled to end.
Local places like Michael's Deli in Brookline are also doing their part. The deli had a sign on their door saying 10% of their proceeding will be going to Harvey victims.
Mayor Walsh created an effort called "Help For Houston" which asks Bostonians to drop off supplies like clothing, blankets, diapers and non-perishable foods at City Hall and other designated locations around the city.
The drive will go from Tuesday to Thursday.
Let's come together as a city, help those struggling, and show Mayor @SylvesterTurner & @HoustonTX that they have Boston's full support. pic.twitter.com/bEBDanhhKK
— Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) August 28, 2017
At a press conference Monday morning, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner thanked Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for sending aid to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
"I want to thank Mayor Martin Walsh out of Boston, because he's sending down some high-water rescue equipment and vehicles, and I thank him for that," Mayor Turner said. "He's also providing clothes and other things that are needed for people in our shelters, I thank him for that, as well as some additional assistance that's coming from the other mayors as well."
The FEMA search team of sixteen members was ordered to mobilize Sunday and left early in the evening.
The group, made up of mostly volunteers, was equipped with flat-bottomed boats and a few inflatables. More members may be on the way soon.
He was referring in part to Massachusetts Task Force 1, a search and rescue team based in Beverly.
MA-TF1 was activated with a water rescue package to support efforts in Texas after Hurricane Harvey's landfall. pic.twitter.com/s6xxFfUKAN
— MA-TF1 (@MassTaskforce1) August 28, 2017
Governor Charlie Baker called the impact Hurricane Harvey has had Texas "as big a natural disaster as I think I have ever seen."
He has been on the phone with Texas' governor and asked what the bay state could do.
According to Baker, they are looking for more people who would be able to participate in search and rescue missions in a flooded area.
More: Harvey Flooding Disaster: How You Can Help
The Red Cross was among the groups mobilizing to help.
Twenty of their volunteers from Massachusetts, along with a Red Cross emergency vehicle, were also on their way to help in Texas Monday.
Volunteer Mark Cook of Middleton was assigned to run an emergency shelter in San Antonio.
"Setting up the cots, cleaning up the shelter, talking to people and just being there to listen to people You hear a lot of stories, you go in there and you sit next to them, and you talk to them, try to let them know that they are loved and cared for," Cook said.
He told WBZ-TV's Anna Meiler he was leaving on his seventh deployment.
"I'm just an average Joe, I just want to help."
"My deployment is about two weeks," Cook said. "I hope to help as many people as I can. There's a lot of devastation down there."
In addition, 18 members of the Coast Guard were sent from Cape Cod to Houston to help with water rescues--along with two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters and a HC-144 Ocean Sentry plane.