Immediately after Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston area, Houston Community College jumped into action to provide support for its faculty, staff and students.
HCC teams and individuals coordinated blood drives, established campus donation centers and created the HCC Eagles Helping Eagles Disaster Relief Fund to benefit faculty, staff and students impacted by the storm. HCC also expanded its support to the community by offering its facilities for use in the recovery efforts.
After joining with the Red Cross to use the HCC Fannin Center as a temporary shelter, the college partnered with the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management to host the Harvey Recovery Fair. The HCC Northeast Campus served as the site for the recovery event that targeted residents from northeast and east Houston, Jacinto City, Galena Park, Channelview, East Aldine and Cloverleaf areas.
More than 450 residents seeking assistance attended the two-day event, Sept. 23–Sept. 24. They received important recovery information and assistance from federal and local agencies. Services ranged from Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance to city permitting and small business loans.
During the event, residents who might never have visited the campus were introduced to its location and programs. “We were delighted to serve as a community partner for the Harvey recovery efforts and as a resource for residents seeking educational opportunities,” said Dr. Margaret Ford Fisher, HCC Northeast College President.
Those attending the fair were surprised by a visit from comedian Cedric the Entertainer, who was in Houston for a show and to see the recovery efforts firsthand.
“When we saw that this happened, I got with great friends like Magic Johnson. We donated several trucks to come down,” Cedric said. “Then by visiting today, we saw some of the other real needs on the ground and plan to contribute again to the recovery relief.”
For more information on programs available at HCC, visit hccs.edu.