Three days after Harvey flooded Orange County with 50 inches or more of rain, Cowboy Church set up to provide help not only for people, but also for livestock and pets.
Thursday, the Texas A&M Agriculture program packed up and left the church’s barn after serving the needs of local horses, cows and other livestock. Giant rolls of hay were still stacked in the corner of the immense parking lot for hungry animals.
“We were like the agriculture hub for all the agriculture needs,” said church member Renea Soliz, who coordinated the help center.
The supplies of people food, along with diapers for babies and adults, plus cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products were dwindling by Thursday. The immediate needs after the emergency had been served. Thousands of people had come through.
The center was scheduled to end on Friday, September 15, after two weeks.
A feast will be served to the community on Saturday as the Cowboy Church from Tatum, Texas, will be coming to cook. Lunch will be served beginning at noon for everyone in the area affected by Harvey.
The church on FM 1078 in Orange has been the perfect place for Christian serving. The church has a cowboy ministry with rodeo events in the arena on the grounds. The barn-like chapel has a western saddle as a pulpit.
Soliz said two truckloads of supply donations came to the church and Pastor Lee asked her to coordinate. Her house didn’t flood, so she took on the task. The supplies kept coming in from across the country and the effort grew.
“As we ran out of stuff, the good Lord provided what we needed,” she said.
Pat Johnson, another volunteer, said “we’d look around and it was all gone. Then another truck would drive up.”
The animals weren’t forgotten, either. Veterinarians set up for the first few days to offer services to see animals. Texas A&M Agriculture came to help with livestock needs.
A Georgia horse rescue group came to Orange County to save animals from flooded fields. The rescuers would then bandage the horses’ legs. They lose their skin if they stand in water too long.
Army helicopters one day made regular landings to pick up hay to drop for isolated livestock to feed.
A national Fox News crew came and filmed a segment on the help for the animals.
Soliz said she was surprised by the number of volunteers showing up from all over the country to help. She counted volunteers from 17 different states during the past couple of weeks.
Owners of a food truck in California drove to Orange and set up at the site to provide hot, custom-made sandwiches. Firefighters from Michigan brought a truckload of supplies and stayed to help.
Soliz particularly remembers a group from Alabama. Kindergarten students had drawn pictures with rainbows and sent a message. The drawings were handed out with the supplies to add a bit of cheer to families.
“We’ve been blessed,” Johnson said.
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