Harvey’s Heroes: Area church brings community together
Published 2:50 pm Tuesday, October 3, 2017
- Cots, air mattresses and bedding were all donated to give first responders somewhere to sleep during Harvey rescues and cleanup. Photo provided
By Colleen Harrison
colleen.harrison@
PORT NECHES — One local church pulled its congregation and the rest of the community together to provide for first responders working throughout Tropical Storm Harvey.
Michael Peschke, pastor at First United Methodist Church in Port Neches, said his church sustained minimal damage through the storm, which meant it was able to open its doors to others in need of food and shelter. Peschke said the first day following Harvey’s arrival, the congregation put together lunches for about 60 first responders. The next day, it fed 100 first responders. That night, the church housed nearly 70 first responders by using donated cots, air mattresses and bedding. The next two nights, the church fed and housed 200 responders back to back.
Peschke said responders included locals, as well as responders from Indiana, Puerto Rico, New York, Louisiana and other southern states.
In total, Peschke said the church fed and housed about 850 people throughout Harvey and its aftermath.
Peschke lives behind the church, so he was never too far away, but also had around 80 church members — both young and old — at the facility 24/7 to help those who might show up at any time, day or night.
“It was just several people who stepped up and did what they could, and a lot of it was putting it out on social media,” he said.
Peschke was writing on Facebook almost daily about the church collecting donations so it could feed and house first responders working throughout Harvey and its aftermath. Those Facebook posts led to donations from all around the local community, as well as area businesses, including from Neches Brewing Co., LongHorn Steakhouse, Market Basket and Walmart. Peschke said there were people from other parts of Texas sending things like fresh produce down, as well.
“I don’t think we would be able to get to where we are now if it wasn’t for people giving their time, their resources, their connections,” he said. “People have come out of everywhere to help out.”
The pastor said how the area has reacted to Harvey and its aftermath is a testament to the power of community.
“The country has been in turmoil the last couple of months,” he said. “This past month, we’ve seen people taking care of each other. It’s a really positive thing to see that we can come together and build people up.”
