Five semitrucks and three U-Haul vehicles filled with supplies joined a fleet of over 60 local Keller Williams associates who will be driving to Houston this afternoon and volunteering in the area over the coming months.
Keller Williams spokesperson Darryl Frost said the real estate company has over 4,400 associates based in communities affected by the hurricane, and more than 300 employees have already reported storm damage or flooding in their homes. Beginning Saturday morning, volunteers will distribute supplies, cut drywall to clear the water and clean up what they can so fellow employees and their families can return to their homes safely, he said.
Keller Williams board Member Mary Tenant said she hopes the work of the Keller Williams team will inspire other individuals to volunteer their time and energy to help the overall recovery effort across the area.
“We will have about 500 associates from across the country volunteering at our warehouse [in Houston] waiting for us,” she said. “They’ll unload the supplies and help clean homes that have been damaged. We also have teams in Corpus Christi, Port Aransas and Rockport.”
Tenant said KW Cares was established 15 years ago to help with flooding in Louisiana, and it has provided aid after disasters ever since. KW Cares is funded through employees who donate a portion of their commissions to the program.
“It’s been a big push,” she said. “We are likely going to end up down there [in Houston] for months, so we’re lucky that Keller Williams has a huge network all across the country coming out to help, all at their own expense.”
