Volunteers Needed to Support 13 “Cohort 6” Veterans Assigned to Houston
HOUSTON, Texas, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 – Team Rubicon, a veteran-led global disaster response organization, has been active in Houston, Tex. since Hurricane Harvey made landfall along the Texas Gulf Coast last August. Initially, the role of the organization was to provide manpower to help families remove debris, tear out carpet, rip out sheetrock, saw and haul off trees, and conduct expedient home repair. But starting on Monday, the organization will pivot and launch its first-ever pilot recovery program in partnership with SBP designed to help 100 Houston families re-start their lives from the ground up. Team Rubicon will be targeting homes in Brazoria County.
Beginning on Monday, February 26, 2018 at 9 a.m., 13 veterans, part of “Cohort 6” of Team Rubicon’s Clay Hunt Fellows Program who will serve as full-time Fellows for a full year, will report for duty at an orientation session at 2710 Reed Road Suite 170, Houston. Cohort 6 will undergo training as they prepare to lead this important pilot program. Orientation kicks off on February 26 and training runs through March 26.
“Nearly 300 veterans applied for the Clay Hunt Fellowship which is named in honor of Clay Hunt of Houston who we lost in 2011,” said Clay Hunt Fellows Program manager Michael Davidson, a Fellows Program alumnus from Cohort 2. “The 13 veterans, eight from the Houston area, start on Monday and will fulfill a one-year commitment to help rebuild 100 homes here in the Houston area. But we need many new volunteers to join the team.”
Local community members with a military background, specialized skills in construction, and anyone willing to volunteer for a day or two are encouraged to join Team Rubicon today. Prior military service is not required to join Team Rubicon.
Not only will these 13 veterans be tasked with leading the rebuilding initiative on the ground, they’ll also be training volunteers in recovery work and building their own skills through a program called YouSchool where they develop goals to help them transition to civilian life after their time in uniform.
“We’re ready to get started on this pilot project,” said Davidson. “We understand that 100 homes might seem like a drop in the bucket against the enormous need, but we believe it will be meaningful to the 100 low-to-moderate income families we’ll help.”
Team Rubicon boasts a 75,000-strong volunteer force that helps communities stabilize and recover after a devastating natural disaster. Since its inception following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Team Rubicon has responded to over 230 disasters, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
Through a strong communications infrastructure supported by our cutting-edge technological solutions, Team Rubicon volunteers efficiently and effectively respond to natural disasters and help get stricken families back into their homes as soon as possible. By giving military veteran volunteers the opportunity to continue their service through disaster response, Team Rubicon helps give them a renewed sense of purpose, community, and identity.
About Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. Team Rubicon is a nonprofit organization offering veterans a chance to continue their service by helping and empowering those afflicted by disasters, and also themselves. Programs and services are made possible by the support of individual donors, corporate partners, and the dedication of volunteers across the country. To join or support Team Rubicon’s mission, visit www.teamrubiconusa.org.