Stockbridge nonprofit feeds hundreds after Hurricane Beryl devastates Houston
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. - A Stockbridge-based nonprofit stepped in to help hundreds of Houston residents impacted by prolonged power outages following the wrath of Hurricane Beryl.
Two weeks after Beryl barreled through the city, power outages proved to be just as dangerous with dozens of heat-related deaths and many more facing financial impacts. That's where Melissa Ellis found her purpose.
Ellis, the founder of a Stockbridge-based nonprofit called Life Beyond Water Global, told FOX 5 she and a few others made a special trip to come to Houston's aid.
"The people of Houston are exhausted and we just wanted to be able to help," Ellis said.
One-by-one, cars rolled into the parking lot of St. John Baptist Church in Houston on Tuesday seeking relief in the midst of Hurricane Beryl clean-up and restoration efforts.
"Not only were they impacted by the storm, they had flooding, they had a power outage that is still, for some residents, continuing," she explained.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 18: Gabriel Gomez, 46, helps clean up a homes within the West Houston Mobile Home Community that was recently destroyed by Hurricane Beryl on Thursday, July 18, 2024 in Houston. This community had also been hit hard by the previ
At least 20 people lost their lives in the Texas summer heat after the power was knocked out. Losing power also meant losing the only food that may have been home at a time when it was dangerous to go out for more.
"We’re here on the ground in a time where they’re hurting," Ellis said. "Most people had to throw away everything that was in their refrigerator."
Her organization teamed up with St. John Baptist and other groups to serve food and water to hundreds of residents.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 16: Utility trucks line a street in the Kashmere Gardens neighborhood on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in Houston. The area has been without power since Hurricane Beryl made landfall July 8. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Gett
"At least 600 people for lunch," Ellis said. " And these are hot meals, salads, like the whole spread is a nice healthy meal that’s prepared for them, and also cases of water."
They distributed a total of 900 meals and 10,000 bottles of water.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 14: A fallen tree blocks the road of a residential area in Fifth Ward on Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Houston, seven days after Hurricane Beryl caused major power outages. (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Ellis said it was a need she was glad to help meet.
"People are so grateful," she said. "They’re so grateful, I mean they’re overwhelmed. People have cried."
The next mission trip on her list is to the island of Carriacou, which saw even more devastation when it was hit by Beryl as a category 4 hurricane just days earlier. Her group is currently assessing the needs there and working through the logistics.