House in a Box program helping the marginalized

More than two years after Hurricane Harvey cut a path of destruction through the Coastal Bend, the need to help victims of the storm still exists. In the Diocese of Corpus Christi, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul continues to assist families in getting back on their feet.

Through the House in a Box Program (HIB), the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides new furniture and furnishings to families who have lost everything because of the disaster. Cathy Garcia, with the Disaster Services Corporation, is coordinating the response.

Garcia said many families who live in what Pope Francis has described as the fringes of society remain unserved. Many were afraid to come out of the shadows for help. Others did not know where to go for help or got lost in the shuffle. Still, others did not have insurance.

On Dec. 14, 2019, Bishop Michael Mulvey dedicated a warehouse, located at 4614 Baldwin in Corpus Christi, that has been serving the needs of this population. After going through an application process with a social service agency authorized to approve those in need, such as Catholic Charities, they can go to the warehouse to pick up their “House in a Box.”

The goal of the program is to provide new furniture and household items for families who have lost everything as a result of natural disasters and find themselves in “situational poverty.” Every approved family receives the same new furniture and household articles, such as beds, linens, dishes, pots and pans, dressers, silverware, bathroom setup, dinette, and a couch.

Before opening the Baldwin location, the program met with clients in area parking lots to deliver the furniture. Garcia said the warehouse provided a much-needed service to those in need.

The challenge to getting a local warehouse was cost. Also, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has only one chapter in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, located at Sacred Heart in Rockport. Fortunately, Garcia noted, the Knights of Columbus in the diocese have been a tremendous help to the House in a Box Program.

Bishop Mulvey hopes to grow the Society of Vincent de Paul’s presence in the diocese and has tasked Jaime Reyna, Director of the Offices of Multicultural and Social Ministry, to work with regional Society officials. Anyone interested in organizing a Society of St. Vincent de Paul in their parish should contact Reyna at (361) 882-6191. Ext. 637.

Some 224 families have received a House in a Box in the diocese, including seven in Bee County, 60 in Refugio County, 42 in San Patricio County, 80 in Aransas County, and 35 in Nueces County. Of these, program staff have delivered 172; 42 are still pending delivery, and four applications are under consideration.

At this time, the program is not accepting additional applications. “The HIB program is only available when donations, grants, foundations, etc are received.  The grant we are working off of right now is the American Red Cross grant and we are coming to an end with that grant,” Garcia said. “We are diligently seeking other funds to continue the HIB in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.”