Texans On Mission

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Our mission is to provide comfort and encouragement through animal-assisted support to individuals affected by crises and disasters.

Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises.

Houston Community ToolBank is a nonprofit tool lending program that empowers fellow nonprofits to tackle community-based projects throughout our region. ToolBank borrowers are not only mainstream nonprofits, but also schools, faith-based organizations, neighborhood associations, and many others. Whether a project has ten volunteers or three hundred, access to ToolBank inventory relieves the burden of purchasing, storing, maintaining, and repairing the items essential to projects and events. When we put high-quality tools in the hands of volunteers, our members are able to do more for our community – whether through home repair, days of service, or charitable events. Since operations began, the Houston ToolBank has lent $26 million worth of tools that have equipped more than 284,000 volunteers to complete more than 23,400 projects. In a sector that consistently faces constraints of time, personnel, and budget, our inventory allows organizations to achieve their visions for a thriving community at a significantly reduced monetary cost.

In the event of a disaster, the ToolBank’s Neighborhood Tool Hubs (retrofitted shipping containers at four remote locations: Conroe, Texas City, City Centre, and Fort Bend) serve as remote pickup points for critical response resources. Three-to-five days before landfall, the Hubs are stocked with generators, muck & gut supplies, debris removal supplies, and PPE. When agencies responding to the disaster reach out to the ToolBank, they are referred to the Hub closest to their location for immediate access to resources.

Utilizing the Hubs makes resources available across the Greater Houston Area, which minimizes the time it takes for members to access resources and ensure accessibility in the event the ToolBank, staff homes, and/or one or more of the Hubs are inaccessible.

The disaster preparedness program is intended for member agencies whose disaster response plans include extensive community clean-up and recovery support. Before hurricane season, these agencies can place a pre-order with the ToolBank for the response tools they anticipate needing for their response activities. In the event of a major hurricane, ToolBank will pull the order 3-5 days before landfall so participating members can pre-stage the resources and be ready to respond with no delay. This program decreases the time for participating members to access needed resources and helps level the ToolBank workload by moving some orders before landfall.

HTB works with participating members to ensure the pre-order quantities align with their disaster response plans and don’t overstretch the ToolBank inventory.

Mission

Region 6/5 South is one of eleven Public Health Regions of the Department of State Health Services, the state governmental agency responsible for bringing integrated health services to the citizens of Texas. State, Regional and Local public health partners work together to assure the provision of essential public health services to an estimated five million Texans in the 16-county area of southeast Texas. Working together, regional staff assesses and assures the health of the diverse communities in the Southeast.

The DSHS PHR6/5S Preparedness and Response team is responsible for preparing our 7 counties for public health threats, as outlined in The CDC 15 Public Health Preparedness Capabilities, as well as coordinating information sharing and collaboration with local health departments across our region.

The team provides Emergency Support Function 8 regional coordination and response support during public health emergencies.   Threats to the public’s health may come from a variety of sources, including pandemics, natural and man-made disasters, infectious disease outbreaks, biological terrorism and radiological events. We ensure critical response efforts are coordinated and standardized via networking and centralizing resources, as well as planning with local jurisdictions and the state’s public and private-sector health care systems across the state.

Sewa International’s mission is to serve humanity in distress, aid local communities, run developmental projects for the underserved, and assist people in transformational change through the power of innovation by mobilizing partners, donors, and volunteers.
We accomplish this mission by focusing our efforts towards:

  • Disaster response & recovery
  • Family and child welfare and
  • Promoting volunteerism

Over the past two years, in collaboration with FEMA and local & state agencies, over 800 Sewa volunteers from 17 chapters nationwide helped support vaccinations for half a million Americans. Sewa volunteers have been doing mega food drives to support the underserved communities and pop-up vaccination drives across America to help vaccinate about 2000 individuals, taking the vaccine to the communities.

We have also actively supported efforts to help those affected by the wildfires in Colorado and the tornadoes in Kentucky. Many of our chapters nationwide are providing ongoing, active support for incoming refugees from Afghanistan and are ready to support refugees from Ukraine.
We have continued to support the nationwide COVID relief efforts with extensive vaccine outreach and education on vaccine hesitancy. Finally, in order to further grow our Disaster Case Management to multiple states across America, we are expanding our Disaster Response team to include more skilled volunteers in IT and healthcare.


Hurricane Katrina – 2005

A young, Sewa International with less than two years in existence, dedicated 90 volunteers who worked for over 9 months serving the refugee population from Hurricane Katrina that flowed into Houston, TX, by serving food, providing supplies and medical assistance. In addition, Sewa donated $10,000 to Louisiana Gov. Katherine Blanco for the Governor’s Hurricane fund.

Superstorm Sandy – 2012

When Hurricane Sandy struck in Oct 2012, destroying Northeast US, Sewa International volunteers came with a quick action plan to cater to the victims. In addition to releasing of $5,000 grant for immediate relief activities to the Community Food Bank in Hillside, New Jersey, Sewa International volunteers spent weekends helping with sorting and packing large boxes of food and groceries. Many youthful Sewa volunteers took it upon themselves to deliver hot food packets and supplies to seniors and the disabled who were stuck in the 12th floor and beyond due to extensive weeks long power failure.

Hurricane Harvey – 2017

With extensive knowledge and experience in handling disasters and natural calamities in the US and around the world, Sewa International began planning and preparing for help and relief from Hurricane Harvey even before it made a landfall. A team of core coordinators was constituted with experienced personnel. The team determined the areas of support that can be offered and were diligently monitoring the situation from time to time , actively procuring appropriate resources and contacts for when needed. Around 30 volunteers were dedicated to handle calls via our helpline number and through social media like Whatsapp and Facebook. 40+ volunteers were involved in streamlining requests and connecting them to the right sources.

Popular for its response to rescue , relief and rehabilitation during a disaster, Sewa Houston was one of the few first responders to engage in rescue efforts when Hurricane Harvey made a landfall and started impacting the Greater Houston and its vicinity.With help from Indian Community and local boat owners, volunteers were able to reach areas affected and rescue over 700+ people out of flooded homes and life threatening situations in areas like Friendswood, Pearland, League City, Sienna Plantation, Riverstone, Katy etc. Around 100 volunteers were involved in rescue operations via rented boats and help from the Navy and Armed Forces. Volunteers also supplied food to the first responders engaged in rescue. International students from University of Houston were also rescued and provided safe shelter and food supplies during this operation.

Sewa Houston partnered up with shelters and Churches to provide volunteer support and requirement specific supplies as and when needed.The total value of supplies thus provided accounted for more than $20000. Over 400 volunteers were sent to various shelters to assist with activities ranging from supply disbursement to filing claims with FEMA

Mission

Mercy House Organization is an emergency safe temporary shelter & housing service that provide immediate needs such as food, blankets, and first aid to survivor victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and abuse with children and their pets.

We’ve worked with our affiliated partners to assess areas of need in Harris County(Cypress) with volunteer groups sent into places where there is immediate need during a disaster and provided assistance such as: Packs of water, Food, blankets, and other daily essentials and immediate necessities to aid those or area affected. The Need Assessment is implemented to help meet specific individual needs. We then coordinate volunteer teams throughout the areas and have standby volunteers available from other churches and non-profits as needed.

Mission

Islamic Relief USA provides relief and development in a dignified manner regardless of gender, race, or religion, and works to empower individuals in their communities and give them a voice in the world.

safety/warming kits
training for emotional, spiritual response and preparedness
financial distributions
mucking gutting/ all stages of home repair