Teresa Duesler, disaster case manager at Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas (CCSETX), has worked with Jacob Reed, client of CCSETX, for several months. Reed is disabled and a single parent on an SSDI budget. His home was completely destroyed by Hurricane Harvey, and he and his child have been living out of a FEMA trailer for nearly two years. After exhausting all grant money obtained from FEMA, Reed’s home still needed major repairs.
Duesler presented Reed’s case to Habitat for Humanity, Samaritan’s Purse and the American Red Cross. Reed was accepted by Habitat for Humanity and Samaritan’s Purse, and they will continue the home repairs. Reed has also been approved for Complex/Direct assistance from American Red Cross, meaning that he will be issued $6,500 to put towards his recovery. Reed still needs furniture and appliances but will be able to purchase these items with the Red Cross funds. Duesler and Reed have made tremendous progress in this recovery effort and Reed is hopeful for a full recovery.
Reed suffers from a disorder that has him wheelchair-bound. However, when Duesler mentioned taking photos, Reed wanted to stand for them. With the help of Duesler, Reed was able to stand and pose for a beautiful picture.
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