Galveston County Recovers Announces Newly Appointed Executive Director
Lynda Perez, Executive Director of Mainland Community Partnership has accepted the position of Executive Director for Galveston County Recovers. A graduate of University of Kentucky and a resident of Galveston County since 1981, Perez is a long-time community activist who brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. Initially employed by the Moody Foundation working with patients with brain injury in 1982, she then worked with Gulf Coast Center operating and managing the group home as well as working in the Diagnostic Unit from 1983 to 1991. As Executive Director of Mainland Community Partnership (MCP) from 1991 to the present, Perez comes to this position with vast knowledge in supporting literacy, health care access, self-sufficiency programs and disaster recovery services. MCP was active in the disaster recovery after Hurricane Ike and worked with several contractors in that effort. Perez was a core participant in the founding of Galveston County Recovers and has chaired its Disaster Case Management Working Group since its inception.
This year, Galveston Recovers has assisted over 500 families with many, many more to go. With generous donations from organizations like the American Red Cross and Moody Foundation, Samaritan’s Purse, The Center for Disaster Philanthropy and United Way, and volunteer organizations like World Renew and Disciples of Christ, Bay Area Habitat for Humanity and many, many neighbors helping neighbors, Galveston County Recovers is still hard at work helping to restore Galveston County homes and lives.
In those final days of August, Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 hurricane, brought high winds and record rainfall to 60 counties along the Texas Gulf Coast. One of the hardest-hit counties was Galveston County which saw over 50 inches of rainfall. Among the impacted community members were minorities, many with limited English proficiency, and other people with low-income and high social vulnerabilities.
Hurricane Harvey was the most significant rainfall event in U.S. history, both in
scope and peak rainfall amounts, since records began in the 1880s. When Hurricane Harvey struck, it dropped 27 trillion gallons of water over 29,000 square miles and affected 135 million people in Texas and nearby states. Galveston County was severely impacted and Dickinson, TX suffered major devastation with nearly 80% of homes flooded.
Far from finished, assistance is still needed. If you would like to learn more or are interested in contributing your time and talents, please visit the website, www.galvestoncountyrecovers.org
