Labor Day is a time that we celebrate and honor people who labor in making this such a great nation. However, today many are under the undue hardship of labor in the form of disaster recovery from hurricane Harvey that has affected just about the entire Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by loss and displacement; and to first responders who have sacrificed excessive time and energy to save lives.
The first definition of labor is simply “work, physical or mental.” After hurricane Harvey we have done both: the mental anguish of loss or fear, and the physical work of removing wet carpet among other things. This is the beginning of a long path to recovery which may seem rather arduous to us right now, but after viewing so MANY people from everywhere, come out to lend a hand to those in need, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness, which has given me hope! (Yes, below are volunteers that came to help!)
The following are links to disaster recovery:
- Disaster Assistance Improvement Program (DAIP) provides disaster survivors with information, support, services, and a means to access and apply for disaster assistance.
- Texas Workforce Commission can provide Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), under certain eligibility requirements, for workers who lost their jobs and self-employed individuals who have been unable to work due to damage sustained from Hurricane Harvey.
- The American Red Cross provides information on how you can help.
- Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has a resource page which contains information and cross-links to multiples pages of content, as well as a page specifically for people with disabilities.
- Mayor Sylvester Turner and County Judge Ed Emmett have established the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund through the Greater Houston Community Foundation. This fund that will accept tax deductible flood relief donations for victims that have been affected by the recent floods
- And of course there are other ways to donate to help victims of disaster including our own J. J. Watt of the Houston Texans, as well as our beloved Mattress Mack.
On this Labor Day, we’ll honor those who have labored to make this a great nation and also pitch-in and provide labor to those in need.
David Spears is a member of the Workforce Solutions Navigator team for the Texas Gulf Coast Region. Combining training and education to real world examples, David brings personal and professional experience with disabilities to the table in order to help job seekers with disabilities realize their potential. David has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration with over 20 years of experience in the business world.
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