On Monday, March 16, the Community Foundation celebrated a welcome home blessing for Richard House. Rev. David Payne, Community Foundation representative Jayne Zirkel, and disaster case manager Angela Greene gathered with Mr. House around 10 a.m. in front of his new-to-him RV before he invited everyone inside for a tour. The home is warm, comfortable, and especially meaningful to Mr. House, who chose this 2021 model in early December because he loved that it included an electric fireplace. Efficient work by Angela Greene and Episcopal Relief Development helped Mr. House move into his RV in late December.
Mr. House shared his frightening experience from the July flood, recalling that he woke around 4:30 a.m. with a sense that something was wrong. When he looked outside, all he could see was water. By the time he opened the front door of his RV, the steps were already submerged, and he jumped into waist-deep water to make his way to higher ground. After the floodwaters receded, he returned to find roughly two feet of mud inside his RV, destroying almost everything he owned.
Not long after the flood, Mr. House completed a needs assessment and was connected with Angela Greene, who began walking alongside him as his disaster case manager. Through that process, the two formed a meaningful friendship while working toward a permanent housing solution. Thanks to support from the Community Foundation and Episcopal Relief & Development, Mr. House was able to pay off the remaining balance on the RV that was destroyed and purchase his new RV outright.
A former educator and coach (and juco baseball and basketball player) who retired to the Hill Country about 20 years ago, Mr. House expressed deep gratitude for the help he has received. He shared how overwhelming it felt to face the loss of his home while still carrying a 15-year note on the RV that was destroyed. Today, he is thrilled to be settled into a new place of his own and grateful to wake up each day in a home made possible by a caring community.
“I just can’t thank everybody enough who helped me out. It’s so great to be back home and I love my RV, especially the fireplace. I’m so thankful for the Community Foundation and all the organizations that helped me get back home.” – Richard House
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