Help Continues To Flow From Chicago Area To Hurricane-Devastated Texas
CHICAGO (CBS) -- More help is on the way to Texas from the Chicago area, as communities come together to pitch in any way they can to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
From a distance, the commotion outside the Novak household in Forest Park might have looked like a simple garage sale, but as you get closer, the signs said it all.
The Novaks were hosting a Hurricane Harvey relief drive on Saturday, all thanks to 10-year-old Storey.
"Watching the news, and seeing all the damage that it done, I wanted to help it out, and just help people in need," she said.
The fifth grader has family in Beaumont and Galveston, Texas. She urged the community to bring donations to her home on Saturday, and the response was overwhelming.
"All these things can be replaced, and we're hoping to get them back on their feet with replacing these items that Storey is collecting here," said her father, Dan.
A similar mission was underway at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Bronzeville, where they held a humanitarian relief drive.
From non-perishable food items to baby supplies, Rainbow PUSH said the need for basic items in south Texas is never-ending.
"All of the families, they only had left their clothes. They had to take their clothes off, because they were contaminated. People have needs," Rev. Jesse Jackson said.
While some donated items to the effort, others donated their time.
"I'll be gone for 14 days on this deployment," said Salvation Army Capt. Richard Forney, who was headed to Arkansas, to pick up mobile kitchens to deliver to southern Texas.
"These can serve 1500 meals a day out of these canteens," he said. "Chicago understands when people are in need, we need to respond."
Forney has been assigned to go to Beaumont, Texas, with the mobile kitchens. Coincidentally, that's also where donations Storey collected will go.
Flooding in Beaumont has shut down the pumping plants that supply water to the town.
