Girl asks Santa to fix the hole in her roof, community responds

A few weeks ago, 9-year-old Betzabe Gomez was visiting the home of a neighborhood friend. The children wrote letters to Santa and asked her friend's mom, Araceli Ramos, to send them off. Ramos read the letters, and Betzabe's letter about broke her heart. 

Dear Santa,I need help in my house because when it’s raining, the rain comes in. When I look at it, I am sad. This is why I want help and what if it floods in there. Also, we don’t have no concrete under the carpet. Also, when I come next to the wall the thing is, it’s a giant hole. Anyway, when I come close to the room and the hole I can feel the rain and when It’s raining we have to put a bucket.P.S. I will leave milk, cookies and carrots and water.From: Betzabe Gomez

Ramos knew a bit about the Gomez' situation. The family's home had been damaged by Hurricane Harvey, and FEMA had denied repairs declaring the home was still safe. Betzabe's father was ill and on dialysis, and the family of seven subsisted mainly on his disability checks. A frequent community volunteer, Ramos got to work.

She contacted the children's school as well as non-profit agencies and businesses. Word spread and support arrived. First there were Christmas gifts wrapped in Sponge Bob paper for Betzabe and her siblings. Then state Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston learned of the family's predicament, and he started making calls. While the political wheels turned, Walle took matters into his own hands. He showed up at the Gomez house with a ladder, a blue tarp, and cinder blocks, a temporary fix to be sure, but a fix just the same. 

Donations of clothing, shoes, flooring, and money have made the holidays brighter for this family. As of today, over $28K of a $35K goal has been raised, thanks to a little girl who asked and the tender-hearted neighbor and community who answered. 

The Cajun Navy rides again

In a previous post on this blog, I reported on the unheralded rescue efforts of the self-proclaimed Cajun Navy during flooding in Louisiana in August 2016.  In the overwhelming aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas last week, the Cajun Navy rode again. Private boat owners, many from Louisiana, drove their own vehicles, towing their boats to areas of need. This shot of a highway exit ramp laden with volunteers and their boats warms my heart. Our own Dunkirk. 

Small boats made a huge difference. The scale of destruction, the speed of rising water, and the number of people needing help across such a large area completely overwhelmed local emergency services. These volunteers with their bass boats, airboats, and inboard/outboard motors supported the local effort with timely help and manpower. And boats, of course.

We're told that rescues totaled in the thousands over a period of days. It's unclear how many people were rescued by official emergency services, and how many by volunteers like the Cajun Navy. I doubt those who were rescued would make a distinction. A hero is a hero. Humanity at its best.

Reporter helps rescue stranded Houston truck driver on live TV

The devastation in Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey has dominated our news in recent days. Amid the heartbreaking images, the loss of life and livelihood and property are those images which give us hope. As Mister Rogers said, if we "Look for the helpers" when tragedy strikes, we see the good people can do.

One of many such helpers is Brandi Smith, a reporter for KHOU TV in Houston. She and her cameraman, Mario Sandeval, were covering the flooding of a Houston beltway when they noticed a rig stuck in rising water on the highway below. The driver was trapped inside the cab with water up to the window.

Smith urged him to stay in the cab and not try to swim to safety. Then, with the camera still rolling, she flagged down a sheriff's rescue team and told them of the situation. Thankfully, they had a boat and were able to rescue the man. The cameraman even captured the grateful driver hugging the reporter.