HOUSTON – When the going gets tough, Relief Gang get going.
The brainchild of rapper Trae Tha Truth, Relief Gang is a way that Houston neighbors can help each other out in times of need. A branch under Trae’s nonprofit, Angel By Nature, Relief Gang is made up of volunteers who head out to where ever neighbors need them most.
When Hurricane Beryl hit Houston on Monday, July 8, Relief Gang mobilized. Trae and a team were out in the thick of it as Beryl battered the city. “We started going out doing water rescues,” said Trae. In the aftermath, Relief Gang will continue to show up for Houston.
“We decided to make our own rules. When they need help, we move right then and there. You got to think, people without power, you have people on dialysis, different machines. Guess what? You have to try to show up. They don’t want to hear, hey, wait a week or two, let us plot, plan, strategize. They might not be living at that moment, you know?” said Trae.
Trae said a lot of people are excited to be part of the Relief Gang, “Believe it or not, man, I get a lot of people from all across the world that be like, ‘when you’re going out, I need to go out with you...That’s the blessing of making it cool to give back,” said Trae.
Houston Life’s Melanie Camp joined Trae and the Relief Gang in the Houston suburb of Southpark as they helped a couple in their 70′s remove a tree that had crashed onto their home.
Watch in the video above.