Team Rubicon Completes Hurricane Laura Rebuild Project After Two Million Dollar Challenge From PXG
The innovative golf company fueled a long-term rebuild project, serving communities across the Gulf Coast impacted by disaster.
HOUSTON, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Veteran-led humanitarian organization, Team Rubicon, is welcoming home the last family from the Hurricane Laura Rebuild project. Team Rubicon, supported by PXG and the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, completed 27 homes serving over 50 survivors in Texas and Louisiana. CEO Bob Parsons, a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam War Veteran, committed to challenging donations dollar-for-dollar, totaling $2 million to support this effort.
"Hurricane Laura ravaged the Gulf Coast. I saw the damage first-hand in the quiet following the storm," PXG Founder & CEO Bob Parsons shared. "I also witnessed Team Rubicon, and the many veterans who make up its ranks, fall in to resurrect the devastated community. We are proud to support their work through PXG and The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. And knowing that the last family is finally headed home, well, that means the world to me."
Within hours of Hurricane Laura making landfall, Team Rubicon had volunteers, known as Greyshirts, on the ground working to clear roadways to help first responders. In the hours and days following, Team Rubicon deployed hundreds of Greyshirts to the impacted communities. Proceeds from the Two Million Dollar Challenge allowed Team Rubicon to continue serving the people of Louisiana and Texas with long-term recovery.
"We are thankful for the years of support from Bob and Renee Parsons, which has enabled Team Rubicon to assist survivors long after the storm has impacted their communities," said Art delaCruz, CEO of Team Rubicon. "This partnership allowed us to welcome dozens of families back home and return to their everyday lives."
To put money back into the local economy, Team Rubicon hires contractors from the community, with resilient home repair in mind. Depending on the damage, repairs may include roof and floor replacement to a total home rebuild including interior and exterior improvements. Team Rubicon takes an all-hazards approach to its Rebuild program, incorporating resilient building materials and methods wherever feasible to mitigate the adverse effects of future hazards while addressing the community's current recovery needs. This approach prioritizes building to Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Fortified standards, where possible.
Of the over two dozen homes, 17 were built with Fortified Roof standards designed to prevent damage that occurs during high winds, hurricanes, hailstorms, and severe thunderstorms, according to the IBHS. An additional home was built to an even higher, Fortified Silver standard, which reinforces the roof and other areas of the home. The organization has continued to make investments in its approach to reducing potential damage from future disasters and increasing the resiliency of these homes. The goal of these innovations is not only to get people back into their homes more quickly following the storm but also to enable them to better weather the next storm, and age in place.
Additionally, Team Rubicon delivers services to clients and their households to minimize their inconvenience and expense during the construction of their homes, including temporary housing and moving and storage assistance. Team Rubicon's Rebuild program began with Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and has expanded its work in communities throughout the United States. Team Rubicon currently has five Rebuild programs in progress, including Houston, TX, following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Selma, AL, after Hurricane Zeta in 2020 and the March 2021 tornadoes, Louisiana after Hurricane Ida, and Kentucky after the December 2021 tornadoes.
In addition, the organization has repaired hundreds of roofs in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. To date, Team Rubicon has rebuilt or repaired over 650 homes across the nation.
###
About Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. Founded following the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the organization has grown to more than 160,000 volunteers across the United States and has launched over 1,100 operations domestically and internationally. To drive equity across disaster and humanitarian services, Team Rubicon focuses on three areas of impact: disaster services- from mitigation to immediate response to recovery; rebuild services- maintaining the fabric of communities through resilient building methods; and international services- providing emergent and surge medical services, WASH, and disaster risk reduction. Visit http://www.teamrubiconusa.org for more information.
Media Contact
Devon Miller, Team Rubicon, 1 (310) 640-8787 Ext: 139, [email protected]
SOURCE Team Rubicon
Share this article