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Aransas County was hardest by the Hurricane Harvey, after taking a direct hit from the storm’s eye wall. Many homes and businesses in and near Rockport, Texas were damaged or destroyed. Roofs were blown off homes and buildings, and walls collapsed. According to damage assessments, 191 homes were destroyed 209 homes were severely damaged.

The Salt Lake Church Relief Center, as it is now called, was once a church that is now not more than a crumbled shell, thanks to the ferocity of Hurricane Harvey. The storm ravaged the place of worship, ripping off the roof and door, tearing pews from bolts, and flooding it with 4 feet of water. What was left was flooded, mucky and swarming with mosquitoes.

The makeshift relief stop is operated by Arnold Gonzales and his wife Belinda, who started serving the economically-depressed community hot dogs and water after Harvey’s destruction. They fell into their roles out of a desire to help people in communities on the outskirts of Rockport, Texas, that other relief organizations forgot during the first round of disaster relief.

It is by the grace of God and Arnold and Belinda’s blood, sweat and tears, their strong faith, and the kindness of strangers that the former church now serves as a relief and warm meal distribution center for this community in dire need of help. What started off as a one-day distribution by Arnold and his wife of 150 hot dogs, sausage wraps, and 100 cases of water, turned into something more. And what the couple immediately discovered was a gap in relief that needed to be filled.

Seven days a week, a small group of devout volunteers come together to serve two hot meals a day and provide solace to the people forgotten in their community and hurting desperately from Hurricane Harvey. Some of the days food vendors in the community bring food. And for the rest of the days, the volunteers cook food for those who need it. With some quick repairs, the former church has become a place of safety and relief, helping to bring a fractured community on the outskirts of Rockport back together.

It’s not hard to feel welcome at the Salt Lake Church Relief Center. And it isn’t difficult to know where to go if you are hungry and are in need of help. Outside near the street, there is a simple homemade sign spray-painted with the welcoming words, “Free food and cold drinks.”

But, despite the random acts of kindness from strangers who donated Port-A-Potties, shelving, canopies, ice, food, and man-power, the grassroots relief center has no running water and no electricity. There is no protection should another storm like Harvey hit the community.

To ensure that the most vulnerable children and families receive the food and relief they need, $2,500 in support from Malteser International Americas was given to the Salt Lake Church Relief Center. The money is going towards more repairs and the purchase of griddles, roasters, and other kitchen items, to make food for those who are hungry.

Read more about our Hurricane Harvey Recovery.

PROJECT GALLERY