Houston Strong: Second Baptist Students' Response to Harvey

SBS student volunteers (from left) Claire Bolling, Stone Heaton, Elijah Craig and Jackson Bishop helped sort and deliver water in the Houston Strong relief effort. Volunteers from SBS may work in the food bank, greet families, restore homes or organize supplies. 

I first saw Mr. Larry Korkman from the back of a pickup truck. With water up to the yard, Mr. Korkman’s house was not easily accessible. In the next six hours, I learned several valuable lessons: how to remove drywall, and what perseverance looks like.

“Water filled up our street. We could not get our cars out. We were left here, and the water kept rising, and kept rising. The water came up so high it was about to come in the house. I told my wife . . . it was time for us to go,” Mr. Korkman said.

Mr. Korkman and his wife, residents of Lakeside Forest neighborhood in Houston, escaped their house in a kayak due to Hurricane Harvey. Mr. Korkman lives in an area of 2,200 square miles that flooded - a space roughly the size of Delaware with twice the population of Manhattan.

Mr. Korkman went on to describe the cleanup process. “After the water drained out, we began the long, arduous process of what we needed to do. Thankfully, we have had people working on the house yesterday and today. This is the most wonderful blessing we could receive.”

In conjunction with Second Baptist Church, over 100 students at Second Baptist School volunteered to help individuals just like Mr. Korkman.

“After people’s lives have been ripped apart by Harvey, we’re just helping people, getting together, and spreading the love of Jesus all around Houston,” said SBS freshman Jackson Bishop.

In addition to helping restore damaged homes, SBS students volunteered in the Houston Strong relief efforts by sorting supplies, delivering donations, and counseling.

“I helped with the food banks by giving people food and supplies. It’s a blessing that we get to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” said freshman Valeska Moya.

While I stood in Mr. Korkman’s house with a 15-person crew, I realized that we were all from different walks of life. Some of us were better at measuring or cleaning, while others knew how to operate saws or strike a chalk line. However, all of our unique talents and abilities worked together to restore the Korkman home. Despite our differences, each person shared a similar desire to serve.

While riding out of the neighborhood, my mom said, “I think that’s the beauty in the suffering - that no matter who you are or where you came from, you want to help.”

Even when we stand in high water, we stand united.