[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6471990,"mediaKeyId","5777211-c391063b46cb4689fac981f16cd495a8","parentId",5777211,"title","Northside Northline faith leader urges more neighborhood meeting space and engagement for flood‑impacted area","audioSeconds",257,"startMs",2779000,"endMs",3036000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5777211-c391063b46cb4689fac981f16cd495a8&start=2779&end=3036","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5777211-c391063b46cb4689fac981f16cd495a8/thumbnail_2779000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6471990/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Northside-Northline-faith-leader-urges-more-neighborhood-meeting-space-and-engagement-for-floodimpacted-area","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471990-aa6e887deee8c3e27d5ff34fa78721ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1770631537&Signature=mlsCnGkHBe7VjPykhEvbAsekyvTwmTDYJbDP3ifuPyN4c6vG6Jpf4DJcpGBtiNnN8SJLrqyHtOYtarXseJn1p5k5nZYDTETg4zLfcLnJH08pFFtxn3AE9aHoUbpvFdas7m8h~upWphWPWC-IgnRZEXFUIV4zall7RVFM1-GjXTrO6XxNdYDG7sApJKJ1mzea60~1hwpnZkuVGofbDUE3Y7~xiITC9hsPbA1RETS9Hvx0qb0mzwV7djZZgVp5ROszPvPj56-nVo4XHPj9kbRH~8s6p97--20c2sxghzIVOiQyjVFoKc0NBIIHRIsEg0Ffqc4waouIcKBHafMSH28CXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Houston","date","2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","article","Pastor Deb Benario Martin, a volunteer with the Houston Super Neighborhood Alliance, addressed the Resilience Committee during public comment to describe outreach and planning work in Super Neighborhood 45 (Northside Northline).

Martin said Super Neighborhood 45 covers about 60,000 people across four ZIP codes and is a historically underserved area with few community meeting spaces. She described an eight-year neighborhood plan called Healthy, Wealthy, Wise, Resilient Northline and said organizers are shifting to \"micro neighborhood\" work to build resident engagement and stakeholder participation.

Martin urged the committee and council members to connect residents to meeting spaces such as Melrose Park and to help coordinate resources for households affected by fires and other hazards. She cited a recent fire at Independence Hall and said the area includes a high concentration of multifamily HUD units and a population with mobility and social needs. Martin said she and colleagues plan events across October (national night out activities), working with Houston Parks and Recreation to increase stakeholder engagement.

Chair Twyla Carter thanked Martin and invited follow-up conversations with council staff to connect Martin’s group to city resources.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Houston - Resilience Committee","oneSentenceSummary","Pastor Deb Benario Martin of Super Neighborhood 45 described outreach plans and community needs in Northside Northline, highlighting a lack of meeting space, high concentrations of multifamily and HUD housing, recent fire impacts and planned neighborhood engagement events.","taxTitle","Houston, Harris County, Texas","taxId",2797,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6471994,"Houston Tool Bank expands neighborhood hubs, reserves tools for council districts to speed recovery",417,2273000,2690000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5777211-c391063b46cb4689fac981f16cd495a8&start=2273&end=2690","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5777211-c391063b46cb4689fac981f16cd495a8/thumbnail_2273000.jpg","/articles/6471994/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Houston-Tool-Bank-expands-neighborhood-hubs-reserves-tools-for-council-districts-to-speed-recovery","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471994-499e7cf716f0c7e6d841a41f0dcbcf48/orig.mp4?Expires=1770631537&Signature=Ioc-JXv3ltRd6zvQXZYvT3D0~8pGnApJGIjmv5a7kzzZZ5C~-a1QCBW6n5ZWQD-dTLiJZpYUP0MfBv0s4TrdMw3fEaK2kWqhkysepBjgwDkaixP-j7mBL~hhNY43FzF3sf10cwIgpY~GOA-OFQCURgn03i3IT0ik2sumA82BCEaJGoJuuHWafDyd~zALK9KQ3KCZm0wNyrimuIT1OAsF5uMPPUyMV1llw8wMRJwRE8QEp0F2PpYR8TcJVepK6CiPp7oyVPSgYvWH8g1SiZK1XVldXj-qOWsrVf~uS44oo~mKv2swizvKDJqAfrZ~hZYXalwHpe4ni-Sp7UVVyaY-6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Marlee Masco of the Houston Tool Bank told the Resilience Committee on Sept. 18 that the organization manages a tool-lending inventory of nearly 16,000 items and has organized neighborhood tool hubs and district reserves to speed disaster response.

\"We steward an inventory of almost 16,000 tools that we share across the nonprofit sector,\" Masco said. She said about 10% of the Tool Bank's activity supports disaster recovery, but that disaster planning drives their operational design year-round.

To reduce delays when roads or supply chains are disrupted, Masco said the Tool Bank pre-stocks six neighborhood tool hubs (seven counting a hub at its own parking lot) across the region. Tools that move quickly during a disaster — generators, chainsaws, AC units and muck-and-gut kits — are reserved and prepositioned at identified hubs so partners can access them immediately.

The organization also keeps a reserved inventory of roughly 1,200 tools for direct use by eight city council members' districts, Masco said, plus access to the full inventory. She described partnerships with VOADs and other disaster-focused nonprofits to make sure the right equipment is available to responders and long-term recovery projects.

Masco said the Tool Bank changed its distribution strategy after early missed opportunities in prior events, using district reserves and prepositioning to ensure no delay in access. During a recent storm that \"caught us by surprise,\" the Tool Bank said it was in the warehouse the morning after landfall and distributed tools to volunteer reception centers, cooling centers and resource distribution sites; it also provided generators and AC units to individual constituents who could not reach cooling centers.

Masco said the Tool Bank's municipal partnerships date to 2021 and include collaborations with the Department of Neighborhoods and Solid Waste Management. The organization also supports community events, lot clearing and preparedness activities outside of immediate disaster response.","Houston Tool Bank described prepositioned tool hubs, a reserve inventory for council districts and partnerships with VOADs and city departments to reduce delays in post-disaster tool distribution.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6471996,"Houston Ready roundtable urges improved communications, data‑sharing and neighborhood-focused recovery planning",869,1337000,2206000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5777211-c391063b46cb4689fac981f16cd495a8&start=1337&end=2206","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5777211-c391063b46cb4689fac981f16cd495a8/thumbnail_1337000.jpg","/articles/6471996/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Houston-Ready-roundtable-urges-improved-communications-datasharing-and-neighborhood-focused-recovery-planning","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471996-f4ade32c4033eec396fbe157d80ac472/orig.mp4?Expires=1770631537&Signature=f4jU8DKaEJFpSWmEmWZLh2SPilWb3GSxiVzOj~40o4JPEMUNMtY4lt5CZ8y~kySIPGSn6yo5Dum70r9EbS-8VjCOodmsTp9-jUhSH5ZwhSptJEQP0XUwddi~ScgpgEa08AkyphP8dnd8EENArybt1GKagastbUBB1-8vbBbpezvbD3iJFZvjsGfhM2TBI2l~DIcUEy5ORT0kwWnkF6~HYfgNkXZk3EOZoBo1bbFRZcrIkfSXJwqz0-nX7mGUSaOWle1L7osGgRgT93XATGClwF5lITiDfS0rO09iUxLDEmNOtqbj3gSLp06Zb~okE9Mbb8015-6qGze4FRlaixVW4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kelly Hearn of the mayor's office briefed the Resilience Committee on Sept. 18 about the Houston Ready roundtable’s work to better align city departments, nonprofits and neighborhood leaders around preparedness, communications and recovery handoffs.

Hearn said the roundtable has met seven times and established subgroups focused on vulnerable populations, financing, volunteers, food, handoffs, readiness and neighborhood approaches. \"We wanted to give the groups a chance to start to work together,\" Hearn said, describing an exercise that simulated a disaster that took out infrastructure and made communications difficult.

Hearn summarized three main themes that emerged: tailoring communications to community preferences and trusted messengers; prioritizing cleanup and services for vulnerable populations; and improving data sharing so residents do not repeatedly recount the same information to multiple caseworkers.

On communications, Hearn said strategies include door‑knocking, recorded community meetings, canvassing and neighborhood-captain training (for example through CERT) to reach residents who do not use social media or trust traditional media. She also recommended linking city volunteer departments directly with volunteer organizations and using multilingual robocalls and visual evacuation plans for accessibility.

On services for vulnerable populations, the roundtable recommended mapping and pre-staging resources for rapid deployment within 72 hours, coordinating debris removal with VOADs and crisis-cleanup partners, and expanding transportation options (Metro, ADA-compliant providers, church support) for people with mobility needs.

Hearn highlighted food coordination changes from the roundtable: dividing response into three phases — life-sustaining (first 96 hours), replacement and recovery — and setting triggers for organizations to switch phases to avoid duplication and ensure equitable distribution.

The handoff subgroup has mapped the housing-delivery sequence and is drafting memoranda of understanding and data-sharing agreements to improve case management continuity for renters and homeowners, Hearn said. \"We need to make sure there's that continuity there with their data,\" she said.

Hearn cited recent roundtable coordination after a fire at the Three Corners apartment complex, which affected nearly 400 people; she said 56 families \"lost everything\" and 52 units had smoke or water damage. Hearn said partners including Memorial Assistance Ministries, Red Cross and United Way helped, a private funder supported immediate needs and the Small Business Administration was opening a location for low-interest disaster loans \"starting, I believe, today.\"

Hearn said groups will revisit goals and invite additional neighborhood leaders to the next meeting tentatively scheduled for Nov. 20.","Kelly Hearn of the mayor’s office reported roundtable work that identifies communication preferences, data-sharing gaps, phased food responses and handoff strategies for housing and recovery, and cited recent assistance for a local apartment fire.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6471998,"Blue Sky volunteer group seeks 5,000-strong roster to speed Houston disaster response",1211,102000,1313000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5777211-c391063b46cb4689fac981f16cd495a8&start=102&end=1313","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5777211-c391063b46cb4689fac981f16cd495a8/thumbnail_102000.jpg","/articles/6471998/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Blue-Sky-volunteer-group-seeks-5000-strong-roster-to-speed-Houston-disaster-response","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471998-4802000f053f935fa7a1b9007e128831/orig.mp4?Expires=1770631537&Signature=XOwcBmb2cxgSLZB1SiTEILYNsLTfV4o7tRLPZiIu6Edn9Aekp~wSXmy3eNkb1zIpjahC2DuqpzomNZlkyaynljcwuZ8EG522k2iKSbDh5jWeplWdO6ZAi28HO5wn3Xzz3WcyLoWMwrK9qxCtGJ8qh7h4V5KsUQ3FtBWD3M4FoDnx-FchomvFTreG3YaCd1pnTN5mqBx3Dj86L0u-cOCveF-0vvkyWhBm8Q2kP86jtULgWMlg0bCrBR3pxHV9Mi1vBpOj-1BIPmQXCCilQuKSsLMIh4c8iwUKR5ndMNQ0UG5lrBj3mHAIMqXFE8-dX97bZ~OXz4zhOCED1f~dUrrG3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tommy Holstein, a BakerRipley representative speaking for the Blue Sky Volunteer Planning Group, told the Resilience Committee on Sept. 18 that the group is working with city, county and regional partners to grow and better coordinate spontaneous volunteers for disaster response and recovery.

The plan, Holstein said, focuses on four priorities: volunteer recruitment, raising awareness of Volunteer Houston, improving volunteer experience and capacity building for skills such as chainsaw work and debris removal. \"We started about a year ago in October 24,\" Holstein said, summarizing the group's origins and work to date.

Why it matters: The presenters said recruitment and coordination gaps limited local capacity during recent events. Holstein called for a broader pool of trusted messengers — employers, faith groups and civic organizations — to serve as recruitment channels that drive volunteers into a single registration funnel so opportunities and expectations are clear.

The Blue Sky group has worked with partners including the Texas Gulf Coast regional VOAD, the mayor's office of public safety, ARP of Texas and Houston Responds. Holstein described practical steps taken so far: a slide deck and outreach meetings with employers and community groups (JPMorgan Chase and Citgo were cited as early contacts), new prospect lists to onboard partners, and printed materials to distribute at partner organizations.

Holstein described updates to Volunteer Houston intended to reduce friction for sign-up and turnout — simplifying registration fields and clarifying confirmation messages so people do not abandon the process. He said an app developed with United Way leaders offers a lightweight volunteer-management guide for organizations that lack year-round volunteer staff.

On capacity, Holstein said the group drafted standardized job descriptions for disaster roles (for example, \"swamper,\" \"pod volunteer,\" and warming/cooling center volunteers) to make it easier for organizations and volunteers to match skills and tasks. He also outlined non‑manual roles to broaden participation — phone-based or customer-service positions, for example — and emphasized prioritizing placements in underserved communities.

Holstein said the group set a recruitment goal of 5,000 volunteers — which he characterized as \"about 1% of the population of Harris County,\" a round target meant to guide outreach rather than a rigid threshold.

The presenter asked council members and staff to share recruitment toolkits with neighborhood organizations, faith groups and employers and to provide referrals to expand the list of partner organizations. Holstein said the initiative is currently \"shoestring\" funded and that the group is not making a formal ask for dollars today but noted the possibility of future resource requests to sustain coordination and branding work.

Committee Chair Twyla Carter thanked the presenters; Council Member Julian Ramirez offered brief thanks from the dais.","BakerRipley and partners presented the Blue Sky Volunteer Planning Group's effort to expand spontaneous-volunteer recruitment, improve Volunteer Houston sign-ups and user experience, and build local capacity, including a goal to enroll 5,000 volunteers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Northside Northline faith leader urges more neighborhood meeting space and engagement for flood‑impacted area

Houston Tool Bank expands neighborhood hubs, reserves tools for council districts to speed recovery

Houston Ready roundtable urges improved communications, data‑sharing and neighborhood-focused recovery planning

Blue Sky volunteer group seeks 5,000-strong roster to speed Houston disaster response