>>> WE ARE BACK.
SHEINELLE JONES JOINS US ON THIS
MONDAY MORNING.
A SPECIAL SERIES, "NEIGHBORS
HELPING NEIGHBORS.
".
>> THE WEATHER IS FINALLY
WARMING IN TEXAS, BUT IT’LL TAKE
WEEKS OR MONTHS TO FULLY RECOVER
FROM LAST WEEK’S COLD AND WINTER
STORM.
>> A LOT OF OUR VIEWERS HAD BEEN
WATCHING THIS AND ASKING HOW
THEY CAN HELP.
WE HAVE GATHERED SOME WAYS TO DO
SO ON OUR WEBSITE, TODAY.COM.
YOU CAN ALSO USE YOUR SMARTPHONE
AND SCAN THE QR CODE.
YOU’RE LOOK AT THAT NOW.
IT’S ON YOUR SCREEN.
TAKE A LOOK RIGHT THERE.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF NEED.
I TRAVELED TO TEXAS OVER THE
WEEKEND, GOT TO SEE HOW PEOPLE
IN HOUSTON ARE HOLDING UP.
FAMILIES ARE HAVING A TOUGH TIME
FINDING BASICS, LIKE FOOD AND
WATER.
HOW ARE YOU?
YOU DOING OKAY?
>> Reporter: OVER THE WEEKEND,
CARS LINED UP AT TRINITY KLEIN
LUTHERAN CHURCH, WHERE A
DRIVE-THROUGH FOOD BANK HAS BEEN
SET UP.
WHAT ARE YOU IN LINE FOR?
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
>> COMING TO PICK UP THE FOODS
THEY’RE HANDING OUT.
WATER ESPECIALLY, MILK.
>> Reporter: WHAT IS THE MOST
IMPACT REACTION YOU’VE GOTTEN
FROM SOMEONE?
>> TEARS IN THEIR EYES, JUST
BEING ABLE TO GET WATER.
THINK ABOUT IT AS A MOM, WHEN
YOU CAN’T GET WATER TO YOUR
KIDS.
>> WITH REASONS, YOU EXPECT
THIS.
THIS IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF
STORM. >> Reporter: ACROSS THE CITY,
>> Reporter: ACROSS THE CITY,
FAMILIES LIKE CLAUDIA GONEZALEZG
ENDURED HARD SITUATIONS. >> MY HUSBAND MADE EVERYTHING,
>> MY HUSBAND MADE EVERYTHING,
BUT NOW HE’S DISABLED.
I HAVE TO HAN L EVERYTHINGDLE EV
MY OWN.
>> Reporter: ARMY VETERAN ORTEGA
SAYS HIS FAMILY IS LUCKY TO
STILL BE HERE.
WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
>> FREEZING.
>> Reporter: HE SURVIVED A
MORTAR ATTACK IN IRAQ AND, RE
RECENTLY, A STROKE.
THIS STORM NEARLY TOOK HIS LIFE.
>> WE TRIED TO KEEP HIM WARM,
BUT HE WAS IN PAIN.
>> Reporter: THE FAMILY BURNED
EVERYTHING TO FIGHT OFF THE
COLD.
>> WE BURNED, LIKE, FENCES WE
HAD.
>> THE FENCE PICKETS,
TWO-BY-FOUR2 BI
TWO-BY-FOURs.
>> Reporter: WHAT WAS THE
SCARIEST MOMENT FOR YOU DURING
THE TIME?
>> I WAS AFRAID OF GOING TO
SLEEP AND NOT WAKING UP.
>> Reporter: LIKE SO MANY OTHERS
IN THIS REGION, THE ORTEGA’S
HOME SUFFERED EXTENSIVE WATER
DAMAGE.
>> OVER HERE, THIS WAS A PIPE
BUSTED.
>> Reporter: THEY’RE FACING A
DIFFICULT ROAD AHEAD.
>> THE POURWER MAY BE ON, WATER
PRESSURE MAY BE UP, BUT FOR SO
MANY HOUSTONIANS AND TEXANS,
THIS CRISIS WILL LINGER FOR
WEEKS AND MONTHS TO COME.
>> Reporter: MAYOR SYLVESTER
TURNER SAYS THEY NEED PLUMBERS
AND SUPPLIES, AND FOR SOME, THE
ABILITY TO PAY FOR DAY TO DAY
NEEDS.
>> IF YOU’RE A MOM TAKING CARE
OF KIDS, AND YOU DON’T HAVE
DISPOSABLE INCOME, EVEN THOUGH
YOU KNOW HELP IS ON THE WAY FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE
QUESTION IS, WHAT DO I DO
BETWEEN NOW AND THEN?
>> Reporter: THE HOUSTON FOOD
BANK IS ONE OF THE NATION’S
LARGEST.
IT’LL BE IN DISASTER MODE FOR
DAYS, SAYS PRESIDENT BRIAN
GREEN.
AND FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
FAMILIES, THE IMPACT WILL BE
LONG LASTING.
>> THE REALITY IS THAT IT’S
LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WHO SUFFER
THE MOST.
THEY’RE THE ONES THAT CAN’T
AFFORD TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS
OF FOOD IN THE REFRIGERATOR OR
FREEZER.
THEY’RE THE ONES THAT, IF THEY
DO HAVE DAMAGE IN THE HOUSE OR
APARTMENT, COVERING THAT $50 OR
$500 OR $2,000 EXPENSE, THEY
DON’T HAVE THE RESOURCES.
>> TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM
WORK.
>> Reporter: AS THEY DID AFTER
HURRICANE HARVEY, VOLUNTEERS
COME OUT IN FORCE, A SOURCE OF
PRIDE FOR A CITY THAT HAS BEEN
THROUGH SO MUCH.
WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN THAT’S STRUCK
YOU OVER THESE LAST FEW DAYS
THAT YOU SAID, "WOW, I’M SO
HAPPY THAT I’M BORN AND RAISED
HERE IN THE CITY"?
>> WHEN WE WERE IN A MOMENT OF
CRISIS, YOU SEE TEXANS AND
HOUSTONIANS AT THEIR VERY BEST.
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO IS
EXTENDING THE ROPE, WE JUST KNOW
THAT ROPE NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED.
THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF BEING IN
THIS STATE AND BEING IN THIS
CITY.
>> WE SAW THAT KIND OF GRACE
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
I MEAN, IT STILL STRUCK ME, HERE
WE ARE A WEEK OR SO LATER, IN
THE LINES ARE SO LONG, AND THE
PEOPLE ARE STILL IN NEED.
THESE HOMES ARE DESTROYED IN A
LOT OF CASES.
I HAVE TO TELL YA, WHEN I WAS ON
THAT LINE, WHEN I WAS TALKING TO
THE FOLKS, I SAID, "BOY, THERE’S
LOVE HERE.
THAT’S PRESENT."
>> EVEN BEFORE THIS HAPPENED,
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, THESE
FOOD BANKS IN TEXAS, AND ALL
OVER --
>> YOU KNOW.
>> -- HAVE BEEN REALLY
STRETCHED.
NOW, YOU HAVE THIS.
IT’S TOUGH.
>> THERE’S STILL A NEED.
>> YEAH.
WE SHOULD MENTION THIS, IF YOU
WANT INFORMATION TO HELP OUT THE
TEXAS COMMUNITY, LINKS ON
TODAY.COM.
AGAIN, YOU CAN SKRANCAN THE QR C
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.