Offering support to hurricane victims

As students who are committed to stand with and for others, we have a responsibility to support those affected by the recent Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Even if you have not personally felt the impacts of these hurricanes, there are many in our campus community who need our support.

Mary Elaine-Perry, assistant vice president for student development, wrote in a university-wide email, “They [those affected by the hurricanes] are counting on our help and prayers, and I know that from the strength of our community, we will​ ​share all that is good with those most in need.”

We’re here to support those around us whose homes were damaged by the hurricanes. We’re here to support those in the Caribbean, Texas and Florida who are working to recover from the damage. For those who ask for help, we need to share our strength.

As a campus community, we’ve already started the local process of reaching out. The Greek Life organizations on campus have started a GoFundMe page with the hopes of raising $18,000 for the Red Cross, while Campus Ministry collected donations for Catholic Charities USA. We recognize these efforts and want to encourage others to continue offering support. Part of our Jesuit identity calls us to give our time and agency, in addition to physical gifts.

In addition to offering our service to the evacuees or those already rebuilding their homes, we need to consider those who depend on us. Catholic social teaching calls for us to care for all of God’s creations, so we cannot forget about helping the ecosystems and animals that were affected. The SPCA of Texas, for instance, is calling for foster homes for the animals that were evacuated because of the hurricanes.

Simple offers like opening our doors for those displaced by these disasters and any future catastrophes shows that we care. Even locally, we can offer our resources to those in need by welcoming fellow people and animals when confronted with similar crises in the future.

Finally, as students of a Jesuit university, we are tasked to consider how we can work for justice in our future careers. Many observers and residents in the path of Irma were moved when, in response to businesses raising prices for those trying to evacuate, JetBlue decided to cap its direct flights out of Florida at $99 for the duration of the hurricane and waived other fees as well, encouraging other airlines to follow suit. These steps taken both by businesses and individual citizens are important, but we must all remember to continue helping even after the rain subsides.

Looking beyond immediate measures to alleviate suffering, we should think about how we can use our education to better protect those at risk. Twelve years ago, Hurricane Katrina proved to be one of the deadliest disasters to hit the U.S. with 1,833 deaths. Hurricane Harvey hit Texas devastatingly, but the death total has been much smaller so far, with an estimated 70 deaths. Even as our expanding knowledge about weather-related disasters can allow us to better prepare for tragedies, we should still do more to prevent devastation, especially if weather events become more severe due to the effects of changing climate trends.

The most at-risk communities in times of tragedy are low-income communities of color, who through decades of de-jure and de-facto housing segregation at the federal, state and local level have been pushed into neighborhoods that are more vulnerable to storm surge and flooding. The recovery in these areas will need more assistance, which allows us to take a deeper look at some of the underlying issues in our country.

As we move forward with our school year, and as the country moves on to different crises and other problems, we should remember that these communities are still rebuilding in the aftermath of these tragedies.

New Orleans is still recovering more than a decade after Hurricane Katrina. The aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma will cripple Houston, the Caribbean and Florida for years to come, so we need to remember that assistance doesn’t stop after the media coverage fades.

In practicing meaningful solidarity towards the communities impacted, our support should likewise continue long after the rain, winds and floodwaters have subsided. Standing in solidarity with and for the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma includes considering what often goes forgotten in our conversations after natural disasters, but is no less relevant.

Tragedies like these allow us to take a step back and evaluate some of our practices, so that we can work more efficiently toward long-term solutions that benefit the global community. Unfortunately, tragedies like these are not uncommon. While North America has focused on the hurricane destruction near us, recent flooding in South Asia as well as many central and west African countries has taken many lives. In these areas, where the impact of weather events is especially damaging, enacting long-term solutions is necessary for achieving global justice.

As a Jesuit community, solidarity means holding our society accountable to these communities and advocating for justice for the poor and marginalized both at home and abroad. Our support must remain throughout the entire recovery process and look to provide sustainable solutions in preparation for future disasters.