Recovery efforts are continuing in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Maria — and it is depending on volunteer and municipal level efforts, rather than federal assistance. In Governing magazine, writer J. Brian Charles looks at coordinated partnerships between
mainland and Puerto Rican mayors called The Mayor Exchange. “Over the coming weeks, 40 mayors will visit Puerto Rico from places like Chicago, Denver, Houston, New Haven, Conn., Philadelphia, Miami, New Orleans and Tampa,” writes Charles. “They’ll assist on everything from applying for and administering Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, to planning the massive projects to repair and rebuild the island, to navigating the federal power structure in Washington.”
Created by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the group is funded by Open Society Foundations.
In Houston, a Mississippi non-profit faith-based volunteer group, Eight Days of Hope, will send more than 4,000 volunteers from 45 states and beyond to repair homes in Galveston County and parts of southeast Harris County, reports The Houston Chronicle. The group will be joining forces with local church network 4B Disaster Response Network from March 10-24, and plans to repair 700 homes, Ben Baldwin, 4B’s executive director, told The Chronicle.
In Brazoria County, a military veteran-led global disaster response group called Team Rubicon, will also be pitching in for construction assistance.
Both groups are looking for volunteers to join them in their efforts.
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