Catholic Charities, volunteers and local businesses help the Peña family get a new home

Chris and Crystal Peña and their four children moved into their new fully furnished, four-bedroom, two-bath home on Aug. 2 after a Dedication and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony. The event marked the 36th home dedicated by the Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group (CBDRG).

The CBDRG is an established network of businesses, non-profit, faith-based, private sector, and government organizations partnering to support long-term disaster recovery in 11 counties of the Coastal Bend. Their current project is to help those who are still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Harvey in Aug. 2017.

In July 2018 the Peña family asked for help from Catholic Charities Corpus Christi, Inc. Disaster Recovery Group who handled their case and with the help of the CBDRG, volunteers with the Mennonite Disaster Services (MDS), Presbyterian Disaster Assistance,  the Salvation Army and House in a Box were able to make their hopes and dreams come true.

According to resource coordinator, Kristofer Morgan from Catholic Charities, the MDS usually completes all framing, siding and roofing.  Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, and electrical contractors are called in to complete the skilled work necessary. Other volunteer groups then come in to complete the sheetrock work, cabinets, flooring, and painting. “These complete demos and rebuilds tend to cost around $68K to $78K, which would normally be much higher without the help of volunteers,” he said.