By David Ball

david.ball@panews.com

One Port Arthur City councilman is urging the city to show Southern hospitality to those who are helping with Tropical Storm Harvey recovery.

Harold Doucet Sr., District 4 councilman, said at the regular Port Arthur City Council this week groups want to volunteer, but there’s no place for them to sleep.

“Why not designate a place to put them up and maybe serve them one meal?” Doucet asked. “We’re benefiting from them helping our people and we’re benefiting when we get recovery money because they help us. It’s our responsibility to help them.”

Monique LeFlore, director of human resources, said some volunteers are staying in people’s houses and some in churches.

Doucet said a refuge should have been established during the disaster and immediately afterward.

Mayor Derrick Freeman said a community recovery team is being put together, but a city staff member needs to administer the team. For instance, students from Howard University in Washington, D.C., will spend spring break doing recovery work and be housed at the Amos Evans Center on Ninth Avenue.

Raymond Scott Jr., District 1 councilman, said he didn’t know the students would be coming to Port Arthur and someone needs to let the council know about this.

LeFlore said Adam Saunders, manager of the Bob Bowers Civic Center, has been assigned to monitor volunteer hours. Nonprofit organizations also monitor their hours.

Thomas Kinlaw III, District 3 councilman, suggested Saunders can act as go-between.

Sheila Griffin and Alan Motes of Operation Blessing said they have been housed at Cathedral in the Pines in Beaumont and Life Church in Port Arthur. They are fed three meals a day, provided with tools and work orders. Since Harvey, they have done 2,599 work orders, 1,119 from Port Arthur, and have 300 more to do.

City Council members and the audience gave them a standing ovation for their work.

Volunteers will take a two-week Christmas break and return to work until April.

“We take volunteers,” Griffin said. “We have 38 college groups from the U.S. coming in. We’ve had volunteers from 23 states to help. We’re FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) certified to track hours.”

Those wishing to volunteer with Operation Blessing may either call 757-226-3407, or go to www.ob.org.