September 6, 2018 – SAN DIEGO - A group of 12 construction volunteers are being deployed by San Diego-based International Relief Teams (IRT) to Lake Charles, Louisiana on Sunday, September 9 2018 to rebuild homes for Hurricane Harvey victims who cannot recover on their own.
San Diego volunteers leave on Sunday, September 9; American Airlines Flight 1055, departing San Diego at 7:04 am.
Hurricane Harvey was a powerful category 4 storm that hit Texas and Louisiana over one year ago. The hurricane destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and many families continue to suffer. Thousands of residents, including the elderly, the uninsured, the disabled, and the poor, who lost their homes are still living in their mold-infested, partially-repaired homes or remain homeless.
In partnership with the Louisiana United Methodist Conference, skilled IRT volunteers from San Diego and around the country, will help rebuild and repair damaged homes for families that were affected by this disaster.
“Many people don’t realize that recovery after a disaster can take years. That is why IRT stays involved for years after the disaster, helping poor and under served families rebuild and recover,” said Barry La Forgia, IRT Executive Director.
This is the second of three teams IRT will send to Louisiana this year to support recovery efforts. IRT will continue to send volunteer teams in the years to come as long as they are needed.
IRT has 30 years of experience in assisting victims of disasters, both nationally and internationally. IRT also provided aid following Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi from 2005-2012 and Superstorm Sandy in New Jersey from 2012-2016.
International Relief Teamsalleviates the suffering caused by poverty and disaster around the globe, fromthe forgotten corners of the world to right here at home, by sending volunteerteams and medical supplies to make immediate change for the world’s mostvulnerable people. For more information visit: http://www.irteams.org. Also see us onFacebookand follow us on Twitter.
