Jarrettsville Community Comes Together For Harvey Flood Victims
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Relief and recovery efforts are still going strong in Texas more than a week after Hurricane Harvey ravaged parts of the Gulf Coast.
For many, the challenge is returning to some sense of normalcy. In Maryland, one group of residents is working to help make the transition a little easier.
George Solis has the story behind a small community's big idea.
What began as one Harford County man's desire to single-handedly help out Harvey victims spiraled what is now a warehouse full of donated items heading to the storm-torn region. Truly, a showcase of the human spirit.
Ten days after Hurricane Harvey devastated the Texas gulf coast many residents are now returning home to save whatever the storm spared.
"It's still a lot of damage all the furniture, the beds, all the electronic stuff, it's all gone," says Ujval Purohit, from Houston.
More than a year's worth of rain-flooded places are now facing even more challenges.
From toxic waste sites to overflowing reservoirs whose water is being released back into still-soaked neighborhoods.
"We've got cleaning supplies, pet food, paper products."
That's where Alan Moyer comes in. On Labor Day Monday, the Jarrettsville man defines the expression "Labor of Love."
"This happened in less than a week. It's just overwhelming," says Moyer.
Moyer's initial plan was to load up his motorcycle trailer full of supplies and head down to Texas. A call to one business led to another, and another.
"Without even questioning me, they wanted to get involved," he says.
Pretty soon, he had enough donations to fill a warehouse -- space that was also donated.
"I really thought that he just needed space in a corner that would be dry and safe and now one could get to and when I walked in to see that the whole gym is taken over by donations from this small community, it's just amazing," says Brandy Mann with BGC Allstars.
"Does it make you emotional?" asks George to Moyer.
"Very. A lot -- it's it's very very emotional. It's a lot of people."
Like his wife, Irene, now helping sort and organize what'll be loaded up into a tractor trailer headed to Houston next week.
"He has a big heart and he just wants to help," says Irene Moyer.
Finding out that the community is rewarding that desire proves yet again that in the darkest of times, good always shines through.
"The human spirit is greater than anything else," says Moyer.
Moyer has had to cut off physical donations to ensure they can sort and organize what they have to get it to Houston by their deadline next week. They are however still accepting cash donations
Moyer says he will spend an additional week in Texas personally delivering food and water where it's needed.
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