HOUSTON, TX (December 11, 2017) – Fatigue is starting to set in for Houstonians who are helping to host and feed much-needed volunteer construction teams in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, so Merge Ministries is asking Covenanters to consider coming to help with meal preparation, laundry, and other cleaning at locations where teams are staying.
The members of Ashford Community Church, which has hosted the Covenant work teams, have provided nearly every breakfast and dinner so far, and they’re exhausted, says Dale Lusk, director of Merge, a ministry of Serve Globally that trains mission teams and connects them with projects.
Jeff Sharp, who is coordinating Ashford’s disaster response, said the kitchen/cleaning teams only need two or three people.
Ashford has been a great partner and friend to the Covenant, Lusk says. A new Hispanic Covenant church plant, Centro Cristiano Las Buenas Nuevas, meets at the church.
So far, 145 participants from 16 Covenant churches and North Park University have traveled to Houston to help with cleanup or rebuilding. Another nine teams have confirmed future visits.
If they aren’t able to attract volunteer to help cook and do basic cleaning tasks, Merge will likely have to start paying for these services, says Lusk.
Lusk emphasizes that people who come to help with cooking and/or cleaning don’t need to come with a team doing construction work.
Many other needs remain, including:
Construction:
-General contractors, carpenters, people with sheetrock experience
-Electricians and plumbers
-Cabinet installers who can stay through the entire installation 
project
Psychological (ongoing emotional trauma remains an issue for survivors):
-Volunteers with experience in post-disaster counseling
-Social workers
-People with a background in psychology
Merge is coordinating trips scheduled January through May. Slots are full the weeks of January 10-15 and March 10-16.
Covenanters interested in helping can call Lusk at (956) 458-9568 or email him at dale.lusk@covchurch.org.
