August 9, 2018 | Tim Delaney, Refugio County Press

SOUTH TEXAS – The Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group (CBDRG) announced it has received a $1.17 million grant from Samaritan’s Purse to rebuild 15 homes in the Coastal Bend.

CBDRG is a collaborative network comprised of non-profit, faith based and government organizations working as long-term recovery partners to assist the community with disaster recovery efforts following Hurricane Harvey. CBDRG has principally been involved in disaster case management and providing major permanent repairs, new manufactured home replacement and complete rebuild of homes for low-income, vulnerable homeowners whose homes were severely damaged by Hurricane Harvey. The funds provided by Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization, will be used to completely rebuild 15 homes in Aransas Pass, Fulton, Gregory, Port Aransas, Rockport and Woodsboro. This includes demolition of the damaged residence and full reconstruction of the home from the ground up.

“The funding from Samaritan’s Purse for these homes will help us continue to form strategic partnership with other volunteer organizations and skilled labor professionals who share our values,” Warren Phipps, executive director of CBDRG, said. “Samaritan’s Purse came to the Coastal Bend as part of the immediate response to Hurricane Harvey and are continuing their generous assistance for the long term recovery. It is through these collaborative partnerships we will be able to timely build safe, resilient homes that are up to code and insurable by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association.”

With the help of CBDRG and other organizations, Samaritan’s Purse plans to rebuild or repair more than 450 homes for families who are unable to do the work on their own, including widows, elderly, uninsured and others with special needs.

“Hurricane Harvey destroyed thousands of homes in Texas, and many families are still enduring the loss and heartbreak that the storm brought nearly a year ago,” said Luther Harrison, vice president of Samaritan’s Purse North American Ministries. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with CBDRG to help more families get back into their homes as quickly as possible.”