Helping Communities Rebuild After Hurricane Harvey
For the victims of natural disasters, rebuilding efforts continue long after news crews have left. Almost two years on, many in the Houston and Southeast Texas areas of the United States have remained homeless or displaced following the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey.
SGS has several offices in the Houston area, and many of our employees have friends or family who were directly impacted by the hurricane. As part of our commitment to supporting local communities, six members of the SGS USA HR team volunteered with the Saint Bernard Project (SBP). This not-for-profit organization is dedicated to disaster resilience and recovery. It rebuilds homes for low to moderate income households, prioritizing vulnerable groups, such as families with young children, the elderly, people with disabilities, war veterans and the and the uninsured and under-insured.
The SGS team helped to rebuild the home of Arlevia Lewis, a retiree who has been part of her Houston community for more than 60 years. Ms. Lewis returned in the aftermath of the disaster to find her home uplifted from its foundations, with collapsed ceilings and severely damaged walls and floors.
At the start of the volunteering day, the SBP project leads gave a briefing on safety and skills. They remained on site to supervise and assist our volunteers, who painted the entire interior and installed laminate flooring.
With her sanctuary restored, we hope Ms. Lewis will enjoy hosting her family and friends in her newly rebuilt home.
Thadius Brown, Senior Compliance HR Manager, commented, “It was a great experience to assist the SBP Houston team in their efforts to help individuals impacted by Hurricane Harvey to restore their homes.”
