JUNE 18, 2019 [INGLESIDE, TX] – William Darrell Mead received the keys to his new home last Monday, 22 months after the landfall of Hurricane Harvey. The celebration was made possible through a generous donation from Cheniere Energy and the combined efforts of the Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group (CBDRG), Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), Coastal Bend Food Bank (CBFB) and Samaritan’s Purse.
Mr. Mead served both in the Marine Corps and in the Army, achieving the rank of Sergeant. His military awards include Korean Service Medal, UN Service Medal, China Service Medal, National Defense Medal and Good Conduct Medal. He found his way to Ingleside in 2014 and has enjoyed it ever since. When Hurricane Harvey made landfall, Mead made the decision to wait out the storm in Laredo. Upon returning, the house he once called home was deemed unlivable and he moved in with his daughter on the island. After Mead was connected with CBDRG, construction began in March and Mead is happy to be back home. “I appreciate all these groups and what they’ve done,” he shared. “From what I’ve seen so far, it’s going to be a great place.”
Mead’s new home came through a $250,000 grant from Cheniere Energy specifically to aid recovery efforts in Ingleside, Texas. Through this grant so far, CBDRG has been able to assist two families with complete rebuilds and two major repairs with more still to come. “I want to thank all the Cheniere volunteers that have come to help build the house,” shared Steven Davidson, Government and Community Affairs Manager for Cheniere. “Sergeant Mead has been through his fair share of hardships and we are extremely proud to help him and make this house a home. As a company full of veterans and as a veteran myself, we want to make sure we’re taking care of the men and women who served our country. Our community becomes better when we stop focusing on ourselves and start helping others.”
CBDRG partnered with MDS who built the home along with volunteers from Cheniere Energy’s Cheniere Cares program. Samaritan’s Purse donated some furniture to complete the home and the Coastal Bend Food Bank stocked the refrigerator and pantry with perishable and non-perishable food items. This is the 68th home CBDRG and CBFB have provided food for through their partnership.
This is the 27th home rebuilt by CBDRG and their partners and the third to be completed in Ingleside. There are currently 16 rebuilds under construction. In addition to the 27 rebuilt homes, CBDRG has also replaced 40 manufactured homes and completed 85 major repairs to homes in the Coastal Bend region. All of the work, CBDRG, and their partners have done across our regions is made possible thanks to the generous donors and hardworking volunteers. CBDRG continues to seek volunteers who range from skilled-laborers to general help. To learn more about the CBDRG
This article was originally published by The Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group (CBDRG) https://www.coastalbenddrg.org/media/cheniere-energy-partners-with-long-term-recovery-organizations-to-rebuild-ingleside-veterans-home/