Celebrities come to offer storm aid to area neighborhoods
Published 1:02 am Sunday, September 3, 2017
- Houston resident and professional mixed martial arts fighter Derrick Lewis, left, and Houston hip-hop artist Trae the Truth, in white, drove in from Houston with items to be distributed to those affected by Tropical Storm Harvey outside First Sixth Street Baptist Church on Saturday. (Mary Meaux / The News)
Houston area Hip Hop artist Trae the Truth along with professional mixed martial arts fighter Derrick Lewis made a second trip to Port Arthur to help those affected by catastrophic flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey.
They teamed up with the Rev. Kalan Gardner of First Sixth Street Baptist Church, Jefferson County Constable Pct. 2 Chris Bates and Port Arthur Independent School District Trustee Brandon Bartie to setup a distribution site at the church on Saturday.
Trae and Lewis brought in a truckload of supplies they collected from people across the state and country, combining the items with the many donations that Amber Lucas of Linda’s Lighthouse orchestrated.
Part of the group spent time at Pebble Creek Apartment Complex and the Stonegate area with plans to go back and knock on doors to make sure needs were being met, Bartie said.
Port Arthur Independent School District Trustee Brandon Bartie, left, Jefferson County Constable Pct. 2 Chris Bates, Phillip Thomas II, Roosevelt Campbell and the Rev. Kalan Gardner, discuss the distribution of items to Westside residents outside Gardner’s church, First Sixth Street Baptist Church in Port Arthur on Saturday. (Mary Meaux / The News)
Numerous volunteers stood at tables that lined the front of the church property where items were categorized and a line of vehicles wrapped around the block.
“The crazy part, we have a family here who live close to the El Vista area. They lost everything and they’re out here helping,” Bartie said. “It’s crazy, we have help from people who don’t have anything.”
Close to 200 vehicles had made their way through the line within an hour of the site opening.
Trae, who is known for his work with the Houston community, was also affected by the storm. He got his family to safety then began doing water rescues right afterward. He hasn’t been back to his home since the flooding.
“I could worry about myself in a minute but there are people that need help,” Trae said. “This is a collaborative effort.
Lewis was eager to join in on helping those affected.
Volunteers distribute water and other needed items to residents outside First Sixth Street Baptist Church on Saturday. (Mary Meaux / The News)
“I was already helping out in Houston,” Lewis said. “It’s contagious. You see everybody who needs help and want to be a part of it. It’s also kind of sad. Everyone got together because of the disaster instead of before. Hopefully, after this, we can unite as a country all of the time.”
Lewis believes everything happens for a reason, he said, adding that maybe God is trying to push everyone back together.
On Friday the group was joined by Houston rapper Hakeem Seriki, whose stage name is Chamillionaire. Port Arthur native and Hip-Hop artist Bun B, whose name is Bernard Freeman, is planning a trip to Port Arthur to help out as well, Trae said.
Even with the chaos the city is facing, Gardner still plans on holding Sunday services as usual.
Cars line up outside First Sixth Street Baptist Church to receive supplies. (Mary Meaux / The News)
Port Arthur’s Westside is basically a food desert and does not have any grocery stores. This, coupled with flooding, kept residents there from being able to gain access to necessary supplies.
