Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts tagged as “Hurricane Harvey”

UPDATE: Hurricane Harvey Telethon on Sept. 12 to Include Beyoncé, Oprah, Kelly Rowland, Michael Strahan and More

By goodblacknews on September 5, 2017

Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, and Oprah Winfrey (photo via oprah.com)

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)
According to Variety.com, the telethon announced last Thursday on Instagram by Jamie Foxx will now also include appearances by Beyoncé, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Barbra Streisand, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah Winfrey, among others, that on Sept. 12 will raise money for Hurricane Harvey relief.
“Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief” will air live at 8 p.m. ET across ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and basic cable channel CMT. Country superstar George Strait will appear on the telecast in concert from the Majestic Theater in San Antonio, Texas. The telecast will originate from the Universal Studios lot, Times Square and Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.
Money raised from the event will be distributed to a range of charities aiding recovery efforts in Houston, which was devastated last week by the storm and widespread flooding left in Harvey’s wake. The organizations include the United Way of Greater Houston, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, Feeding Texas and the Mayor’s Fund for Hurricane Harvey Relief.
The death toll from Harvey has hit 63, according to CBS News. Tens of thousands of people in the southeast Texas region have been displaced from homes that were damaged or destroyed after days of torrential rain and winds.

Other celebrities set to appear in live or taped segments include Karlie Kloss, Rob Lowe, Matthew McConaughey, Dennis Quaid, Adam Sandler, Ryan Seacrest, and Blake Shelton.

“Hand in Hand” was the brainchild of music manager and producer Scooter Braun’s SB Projects. Braun and Allison Kaye will serve as executive producers along with Den of Thieves’ Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager and Houston-based rapper Bernard ‘Bun B’ Freeman.

U.S. Coast Guard Pilot Jason Brownlee Rescued More People in Hurricane Harvey than in Rest of His Career Combined

By goodblacknews on September 3, 2017

Coast Guard pilot Jason Brownlee, at right, is seen with commander John Egan, left, and flight mechanic Eric Cybulski, center. (MELISSA JELTSEN/HUFFPOST)

by Melissa Jeltsen, Andy Campbell via huffingtonpost.com
ELLINGTON FIELD JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas ― At 3 a.m. on Sunday, Jason Brownlee, a pilot with the U.S. Coast Guard, woke with a start. His phone was ringing. While he was asleep, Hurricane Harvey had slammed into the greater Houston area, bringing extreme winds and heavy rainfall. His bosses wanted him back at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Houston ― ASAP. There was one problem, though. Brownlee, 34, was already flooded in.
“Every road that I could take to get in was impassable,” he said. So his team pulled the maneuver they knew best: They scrambled a rescue aircraft and picked him up in an elementary school parking lot near his house.“I came in, put my uniform on, grabbed my gear, a crew, a helicopter,” and took off, he said, flying the first of what would be many rescue missions in the days to come.
Flying over Port Arthur and Beaumont revealed widespread flooding and devastation from Hurricane Harvey. (MELISSA JELTSEN/HUFFPOST)

Coast Guard rescue workers had been working nonstop since the hurricane made landfall. Many of them left families behind. One serviceman’s wife was in labor as he worked to aid his community. Several Guardsmen at Ellington Field lost homes and vehicles of their own, while others, such as Eric Cybulski, were initially unable to get to the air base to help because of severe flooding.
“This one caught a lot of people off guard,” Cybulski said. “I don’t think the Houston area was expecting something of this magnitude ― this much rain.”
Brownlee said he was humbled after flying over Houston early on in the storm. He didn’t see any damage, and although he was ready to act at a moment’s notice, he figured the worst was over. Hours later, he’d wake up to a call demanding that he get back to his chopper.
“My famous last words were, ‘Hurricane Harvey is going to be nothing,’” he said.
He would save 20 lives over the course of the next few days ― three times as many people as he’d rescued since he became a pilot three years ago.

To read full article, go to: This Pilot Rescued More People In Harvey Than In The Rest Of His Career Combined | HuffPost

Texas Native Jamie Foxx Announces Sept. 12 Telethon for Hurricane Harvey

By goodblacknews on August 31, 2017

Jamie Foxx (photo via etonline.com)

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
According to Entertainment Tonight, Texas native Jamie Foxx announced on Instagram that there will be a telethon on Sept. 12 to raise money for those in need from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. “Just wanted to let everyone in Texas know, we got you,” Foxx says, adding that he’s donated $25,000 to GlobalGiving, a non-profit organization that provides a global crowdfunding platform for grassroots charitable projects.


“From a fellow Texan, my heart goes out. My prayers go out. September 12 we have a telethon that we’re doing. We’ll give you more details, so we can raise as much money as we can for everybody down there.”
Top talents Blake Shelton and Reese Witherspoon will reportedly also be part of the upcoming televised money-raising effort.
Source: Jamie Foxx Announces Telethon for Hurricane Harvey, Reportedly Featuring Reese Witherspoon and Blake Shelton | Entertainment Tonight

Houston Native Beyoncé Pledges to Help with Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts via BeyGOOD

By goodblacknews on August 29, 2017

Beyonce performs during the Formation World Tour at NRG Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016, in Houston. (Photo by Daniela Vesco/Invision for Parkwood Entertainment/AP Images)

by Joey Guerra via chron.com
Beyoncé has pledged to do her part to help Hurricane Harvey victims. The Houston native released an exclusive statement Monday afternoon to the Houston Chronicle regarding the devastating effects still being felt throughout the city. “My heart goes out to my hometown, Houston, and I remain in constant prayer for those affected and for the rescuers who have been so brave and determined to do so much to help,” she said. “I am working closely with my team at BeyGOOD as well as my pastor (Rudy Rasmus at St. John’s in downtown Houston) to implement a plan to help as many as we can.”
BeyGOOD, launched in 2013 during the Mrs. Carter World Tour, is a philanthropic effort that partners with global charity organizations to get people employed and provide clothing, counseling, housing, food and medical assistance.
Beyoncé posted a black and white photo on Instagram of herself holding the Texas flag with the caption, “Texas you are in my prayers.” In less than a day it’s received more than 1 million likes.Drake, Chris Young and Lady Antebellum have also dedicated money and resources to Hurricane Harvey victims.
To read full article, go to: Beyoncé pledges to ‘help as many as we can’ with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts

Anheuser-Busch Cans Water to Send to Victims of Hurricane Harvey

By goodblacknews on August 29, 2017

(image via ktla.com)

via ktla.com
Over 100,000 cans of water will soon be arriving in Texas for victims of Hurricane Harvey. The much-needed water is being donated by Anheuser-Busch, which periodically halts beer production at its Cartersville, Georgia factory to produce canned drinking water for emergencies, according to the company. The water should arrive in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.
About 50,000 cans have already arrived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in anticipation of the heavy rainfall the area may receive as the tropical storm moves east. In the Houston area, the storm has already dropped more than 2 feet of rain and caused widespread and life-threatening flooding. The donation is being made in response to the American Red Cross’ call for emergency drinking water.
Anheuser-Busch Vice President of Community Affairs Bill Bradley said the decision to halt beer production at the Georgia brewery allows them to help communities in times of crisis. The company has been able to help during other emergencies, such as Hurricane Matthew, the water crisis in Flint, Michigan and wildfires in the west.
To read more, go to: Anheuser-Busch Cans Water to Send to Victims of Harvey | KTLA

Here's a List of Ways to Help Victims of Hurricane Harvey

By goodblacknews on August 27, 2017

(photo via huffingtonpost.com)

by Lee Moran, Hilary Hanson, Nick Robins-Early via huffingtonpost.com
The devastation from Hurricane Harvey continues to be felt throughout Texas, as heavy rains and catastrophic flooding are expecting to continue for days.Although the extent of the damage and death toll is not yet clear, the National Weather Service is already calling the storm “unprecedented.” Major highways are submerged in floodwaters, emergency services have received thousands of calls and authorities are urging residents to stay in place.
Recovering from the disaster could take years, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There are an untold number of homes and people affected, and the additional flooding and rainfall is set to make the situation even worse.As emergency services, charities and aid groups gear up to address the massive need from Harvey, here are some ways that you can help.

1. Donate Or Volunteer

A plethora of organizations are appealing for donations to help them as they send volunteers and supplies to the hardest-hit areas.These include the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, Save The Children, the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and Heart to Heart International. Food banks throughout Texas are also accepting donations for people affected by the storm. You can donate money to Feeding Texas, a network of the state’s food banks, here. Additionally, the Elgin Courier has compiled a list of food bank locations throughout the region that may need donations of food or supplies. The local Texas Diaper Bank is putting together disaster relief kits for families with young children. You can donate here. There is also the Coalition For The Homeless, which helps coordinate shelters and outreach for the city’s vulnerable homeless population. Portlight is a local organization that offers relief to the disabled and older adults.
The Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce is raising funds to assist in recovery efforts in those two communities, which were especially hard hit when the hurricane first made landfall. You can donate here. Crowdfunding site GlobalGiving has launched a hurricane relief fund aimed at gathering funds for local nonprofits in the storm-stricken region.Animal shelters and rescue groups are taking in numerous pets displaced by the storm ― ones that got lost in the chaos, were left behind, or simply need temporary housing while their owners stay in evacuation shelters. Those groups include the SPCA of Texas, Austin Pets Alive!, Dallas Animal Services and the San Antonio Humane Society. A number of online fundraising sites have also been set up through GoFundMe, with donations benefiting everything from hurricane and disaster relief groups to animals and families in need. The full list of fundraisers can be viewed on GoFundMe’s Hurricane Harvey Relief page.

2. Donate Blood

Blood centers expect a supply shortage because of the closure of some blood banks along the Texas coast and the likely demand stemming from injuries sustained in the storm. Centers have put out calls for extra donors to help deal with the aftermath. You can find donation centers or blood drives for the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center here, or for Texas organization Carter BloodCare here. And even if you’re not in Texas, you can search online for blood drives local to you or book an appointment via the Red Cross website.

3. Provide Accommodation For Evacuees

Airbnb has launched a portal so that the people who have been displaced by the hurricane can find a place to stay. It’s also waiving fees for people affected by the disaster. More details are available on the Airbnb website here.
Source: Here’s How To Help The Victims Of Hurricane Harvey | HuffPost