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Tarkington Volunteer Firefighter praised for heroic efforts despite tragic outcome to mobile home fire
Read full article: Tarkington Volunteer Firefighter praised for heroic efforts despite tragic outcome to mobile home fireThe Tarkington Volunteer Fire department is praising one of their own after he responded to a call on his own in hopes of saving a Grandmother and baby girl believed to be about nine months old.Captain Doc Sikes said he was at home when he got alerted to a mobile home on CR 2198 near Cleveland.“I know the area, I know the members of the department and where they live I was going to be the only one coming to this station anyway just because of work schedules,” Sikes said. “So I knew me waiting around for hopefully somebody else to show up would be pretty much out of the ordinary so I pretty much had it pre-determined that once I got to the station, I was just going to put my stuff on and go,” said Sikes.Sikes’ arrived on scene in a matter of minutes.“Any firemen that I know, that I pride myself in knowing would have made the exact same call,” Sikes saidTarkington Fire Chief Paul Gregory said Captain Sikes immediately went to work.“He put a ladder in the window where they confirmed the victims were last and made entry, found the Grandmother, pulled her to the window and that’s was about the same time the engine from here arrived and was able to assist getting her out to no avail, she was already deceased,” said Chief Gregory.Captain Sikes and his fellow firefighters went back in the mobile home to search for the baby girl but she too had died.“This is a very unfortunate circumstance for the fire department, for the family involved,” Sikes said.Chief Gregory told KPRC 2 He was proud of Sikes decision making.lot of times they say you should wait, but you have victims, especially a baby. These guys aren't waiting,” said Chief Gregory.Chief Gregory added that counselors and chaplains will be made available to anybody in his department who needed them.
‘Everything is fishy’: Family of missing Sugar Land teen found dead in SW Houston seeks answers, justice
Read full article: ‘Everything is fishy’: Family of missing Sugar Land teen found dead in SW Houston seeks answers, justiceA family is desperate for answers after a teenager, missing for days, was found dead about 20 miles from home.
Volunteer team repairing Korean War Veteran’s home needs your help
Read full article: Volunteer team repairing Korean War Veteran’s home needs your helpWhat started as an investigation into a $4,000+ water bill draining an elderly Navy veteran has turned into a touching story of Houstonians stepping up to help the hero make his aging house a home again. When members of The Restoration Team saw investigator Amy Davis’ Facebook post about 92-year-old Jessie Lara’s dilemma, they emailed to ask if they could help. They have been working for weeks in the sweltering heat for a man they didn’t even know.
Operation Turkey looking for volunteers to help with Thanksgiving event
Read full article: Operation Turkey looking for volunteers to help with Thanksgiving eventOperation Turkey is an organization dedicated to eradicating hunger by giving away free, prepared Thanksgiving meals throughout Houston, Katy and Pasadena on Thanksgiving Day.
Volunteers needed: Houston-area art organizations to begin ‘Safe Streets’ project at Gulfton intersection
Read full article: Volunteers needed: Houston-area art organizations to begin ‘Safe Streets’ project at Gulfton intersectionThe intersection of High Star Road and Westward Street at Hillcroft Street, the Gulfton community’s main street corridor, are set to receive a makeover this weekend.
‘Watch D.O.G.S.’ helping keep children safe while volunteering at Katy ISD schools
Read full article: ‘Watch D.O.G.S.’ helping keep children safe while volunteering at Katy ISD schools‘Watch D.O.G.S.,’ or “Dads of Great Students,” is a father or male-involvement initiative that has really taken off in Katy ISD.
Urban farms create opportunity (and food!) for those in the community
Read full article: Urban farms create opportunity (and food!) for those in the communityYou’ve probably thought of growing your own little garden in your backyard (or maybe you already have), but what happens when that garden becomes more than just a fun side project -- and ends up helping the community around you?
9 vital questions to ask before embarking on a volunteer vacation
Read full article: 9 vital questions to ask before embarking on a volunteer vacationVolunteer vacations are popular with gap-year students, retired seniors, and millions of people in between. Perhaps you’re just starting to travel again, for the first time in a long time, considering the pandemic, and you’re thinking about a volunteer vacation.
Volunteers needed: City of Houston seeking balloon handlers, parade marshals among several positions for 2021 H-E-B Thanksgiving Parade
Read full article: Volunteers needed: City of Houston seeking balloon handlers, parade marshals among several positions for 2021 H-E-B Thanksgiving ParadeThe City of Houston is wants you to volunteer for the 72nd Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Parade taking place on Thanksgiving Day.
Second Servings Houston helping to fight hunger and end waste in the Houston community
Read full article: Second Servings Houston helping to fight hunger and end waste in the Houston communitySeptember is Hunger Action Month, and Second Servings Houston is preparing for Hunger Action Day which is tomorrow.
Houston organization seeking volunteers to help with special first day of school event in the Third Ward
Read full article: Houston organization seeking volunteers to help with special first day of school event in the Third WardA Houston-based organization with a goal of uplifting fatherhood wants volunteers to help make the first day of school a special one for area youth.
Stuck at home during MLK Day? No problem! Here are ways to serve, celebrate the holiday
Read full article: Stuck at home during MLK Day? No problem! Here are ways to serve, celebrate the holidayMuch like other holidays, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day will likely have a different dynamic this year, considering the ongoing pandemic.
Toys for Tots in need of donations with higher requests for presents this holiday season
Read full article: Toys for Tots in need of donations with higher requests for presents this holiday season“For children, it can be hard to go through a holiday season and receive nothing,” said Marine Staff Sergeant Eric Quesada, the coordinator for Greater Houston Area Toys for Tots. Toys for Tots was founded by a Marine in 1957. “So if you see this Toys for Tots box and you have the ability to donate, I would say it’s a great way to give back to our community,” said Quesada. Virtue Tattoo in Meadows Place has requested a Toys for Tots box for the last for years. If you would like to request a toy, find a place to donate, or request a donation box, visit here.
Non-profit Crowdsource Rescue to help residents in Louisiana
Read full article: Non-profit Crowdsource Rescue to help residents in LouisianaHOUSTON – A Houston non-profit organization is preparing to help those in the path of Hurricane Delta. The organization CrowdSource Rescue helps connect rescuers from all over the country to people in need during natural disasters. “They’re going out with these huge trucks, boats, chainsaws just looking to help people,” said Matthew Marchetti, founder of CrowdSource Rescue. To request help or offer help, people can visit crowdsourcerescue.org/hurricanes. “We do it faster and more efficiently and ultimately it means more people are getting help on the ground.”
Facebook to provide paid time off to employees that volunteer as poll workers
Read full article: Facebook to provide paid time off to employees that volunteer as poll workersFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Friday that the company will provide additional paid time off to employees that volunteer as poll workers during the election, according to CNN. This move comes as the social media platform is pushing to recruit poll workers nationally. Facebook also announced plans to limit some political advertising the week of the U.S. election. “We’re less than two months away from the U.S. elections, and we are seeing a massive shortage of poll workers to staff voting stations,” Zuckerberg wrote in a post. “It is estimated that almost half a million poll workers will be needed this year -- especially due to the ongoing COVID pandemic.”
5 Things to Know for Today
Read full article: 5 Things to Know for TodayVolunteer of the Spanish NGO Open Arms Julia Martin, 38, plays with 4-month old Biel, as his father makes a PCR test for the COVID-19 coronavirus at Vilafranca del Penedes in the Barcelona province, Spain, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
HERE 2 HELP: Target Hunger provides food relief for those in need, including Houston-area seniors
Read full article: HERE 2 HELP: Target Hunger provides food relief for those in need, including Houston-area seniorsSince 1989, Target Hunger serves more than 11,000 people who are food-insecure, according to its website. Operating a system of eight food pantries,12 educational and community gardens, Target Hunger provides a holistic approach to hunger relief. It also provides hunger relief for senior citizens who are unable to leave their home due to mobility issues or COVID-19 concerns. Target Hunger will be holding several drive-thru distributions throughout the month of May. Its next event will be in Kashmere Gardens, at the Kashmere Multi-Service Center, 4802 Lockwood Drive.