Read the below article and compose a paper response to the program--was the program effective and why? Or, what were some of the shortcomings to the program and why?

Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 hurricane made landfall between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor on August 25, 2017, severely impacting Port Aransas, Rockport, Holiday Beach and additional surrounding communities. As the Hurricane moved inland a few hours later, August 26, the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 3 storm. The region continued to be hammered with rain, resulting in flooding and reports of 16 inches in Victoria in 24 hours.

Rio Texas Disaster Response began immediately gathering supplies and flood buckets, and planning initial response efforts with Emergency Response Teams impacting the Coastal Bend and Crossroads Districts.

Rio Texas Disaster Response launched a Hurricane Harvey long term recovery program in October 2017 with plans that included case management, construction services, volunteer coordination and unmet needs financial assistance. An initial vision grew beyond all expectations, resulting

in an approximate $13.5M budget with two regional offices supported by multiple satellite offices, all based in United Methodist Churches. This historic program for Rio Texas Conference Disaster Response leveraged more than $20,000,000 in direct assistance for 1100+ Rio Texas clients and completed services June 30, 2020.

Hurricane Harvey resulted in a Sea Change for disaster response ministry in the Rio Texas Conference. The damage was greater than had been seen in the memory of anybody now involved in response and the resulting response and recovery work was more extensive than we could have imagined possible. Harvey stretched the capacity of the Disaster Response Ministry from the very beginning, but many people stepped forward when they were needed. Some were people we knew and were counting on, but others were angels that seemed to appear when it would have been impossible to carry on without them. When it came time to move past an "all-volunteer" army, incredible staff people came on board with case management and project management experience so it was possible to bring a caring Christian presence to thousands of survivors. With all of this, the work could not have been successful without the contributions from United Methodist Churches, the work of

Rio Texas Conference staff and the resources and expertise of UMCOR. As the Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, it is not possible to express enough gratitude for a job well done.

The Hurricane Harvey recovery team worked tirelessly to help survivors recover. What started as a modest project of 10 case managers and two construction supervisors quickly grew to a staff of 40+ that covered 17 counties. Over the last three years we celebrated with families as one by one they returned home, and we mourned as a family when beloved team members passed away. Through it all this staff exhibited tremendous grace under pressure, they provided hope to thousands who had all but lost it and gave everything they had to help their communities recover. Rio Texas had a vision. They saw a

need and they wanted to help. This program is the product of that vision and desire. I am so proud of the Hurricane Harvey recovery team and the work that was done.

The Rio Texas Conference planted a seed of hope in response to the significant damage from Hurricane Harvey. There were certainly struggles along the way in building a large staff and establishing policies and procedures in a short amount of time. That seed grew larger than anyone's expectations and greatly impacted Harvey survivors living in the Coastal Bend and Crossroads districts. Stepping out in faith resulted in significant case management, construction, and financial assistance for vulnerable populations struggling after the hurricane. With faith, hope, and servant leaders, the mission of a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of a disaster was achieved. The lesson to be learned? - Always ask the question, 'how can we be the hands and feet of Christ in the world?' and then go in faith.

MRS. GRACIE PENA

Disaster Case Management provides the opportunity to truly connect with people in the community on many levels.

Mrs. Gracie Pena, a feisty lifetime Rockport resident, had survived cancer twice and Hurricane Harvey. She was on her third cancer diagnosis. She and her husband had a FEMA RV on the property for temporary housing. Rio Texas took this case not long after beginning services

in 2018 and many organizations that heard her story wanted to help. However, once our construction team was ready to move forward for repairs, people that had already committed to materials or appliances no longer had the means or had moved on to other surviours

With the help of funding from the Rio Texas Conference, we were able to move forward more quickly and fill in the gaps of their recovery. Throughout construction, Mrs. Pena was in and out of the hospital, but she still pushed through. She continued to work on her FEMA appeal with Legal Aid. She continued

to drive and pick up her grandson from school every day she could. Gracie was one of the most motivated Survivors her case manager ever witnessed, and did not let cancer hold her back.

Her family called to let us know that her battle ended February 12, 2020. Naomi, Gracie's daughter, said, "She fought until her last breath." The repairs had been complete for over a year, but they were so grateful to Rio Texas for the help provided and for following through. Gracie didn't think she'd ever see her house complete, and Rio Texas is a big part of why she was able to spend her last days at home.

This family included a single mother with a chronic illness and physical disability, who also cared for her adult son with a physical disability. During Hurricane Harvey, the roof lifted off the home and water flooded the home from the sides. Water entered all bedrooms from the ceiling and into the walls causing severe electrical issues and destroyed all flooring and most furniture. The majority of the home was unlivable and had to be closed off. The family received FEMA funds for house repair that were used to remove debris and convert the garage to a livable space. Due to ongoing deterioration, the rest of the home had to be demolished while the client and her son still lived in the garage.

Due to the level of damage, the Rio Texas case manager encouraged the family to apply for the Texas General Land Office Homeowners Assistance Program. The application process began in December 2018, and the family was approved for reconstruction in May 2019. Funding from the Diocese of Victoria and the Rio Texas Conference assisted the client with temporary housing and storage while the home was being built. After several delays the client's home was officially started in September of 2019.

To replace items lost due to the damage to her home, the client received assistance with a new lift chair to assist with her mobility, a full bedroom set, and window blinds to make the home safe and private - all funded by Rio Texas's grants. The Diocese of Victoria also

gave a full House-in-the-Box to replace the rest of their damaged furniture.

The family was happy and thanked God for all of the assistance they received. They were able to have all of their siblings, nieces, and nephews over for Christmas. Pastor Melanie Monroe of Hallettsville First United Methodist Church who has been friends with the client since childhood led a blessing of the home with the client, DCM Keisha Smith, client's longtime friends, and fellow RTC DCMs in January 2020.