Ten days after Hurricane Harvey Liberty County, Community & Economic Development extension agents took the lead in organizing and responding to the hurricane victims. The agents provided thousands of residents with blankets, toiletries, water, gift cards, shoes, clothes, cleaning supplies, food, gift cards, temporary housing and other supplies. Local churches, community organizations, and businesses reinvested over $330,000 in the community as a result of established partnerships. Partners included: Langetree Duck farm and Eco Center-leader, Walmart, St. Vincent De Paul Church, Cajun Navy, Cajun Army, United Way, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and the Beaumont Parish Recovery Assistance Center. 
As a result, approximately 2,080 individuals received assistance and church organizations from other States have taken notice of the monumental accomplishments and are planning to travel to Texas in the coming weeks to provide clean-up, remediation, and repair of 25 homes in the liberty county area. Because of extensions involvement, our Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program 4H Unit arranged for a 4-H group out of Louisiana to donate additional school supplies to Liberty County kids. Governor Abbot states that the recovery will estimate up to $180 billion and years to recover fully. It’s even more critical that rural communities assemble the leadership necessary to solicit and pool together resources that can assist the often overlooked rural communities.
Jimmy Henry
Program Leader, Community and Economic Development
(936) 261-5115
jlhenry@pvamu.edu