Convoy of Hope, Georgia-Pacific help bring relief

It’s been almost a week since Hurricane Beryl barreled through East Texas leaving in its path downed trees, flooding, and widespread power and water outages. Still more than a million Texans are reported to be without power and water – and East Texans are among those who are anxiously awaiting restoration. Earlier this week Convoy of Hope, Georgia-Pacific, and the City of Corrigan offered assistance to area residents by distributing the essential supplies to those in need.

“We have been living out of my car this week,” Alison Chauban, of Corrigan, said. “We don’t have power to cool our home or cook a hot meal. To say the least, this has been a difficult time.” Chauban was one of more than 500 motorists who took advantage of the Convoy of Hope and Georgia-Pacific food distribution event. Georgia-Pacific employees, city workers, and individuals braved the heat and spent Thursday handing out water and sport drinks, non-perishable food such as corn, cereal, tuna, packaged meals and other items like baby diapers and food, paper towels, and cleaning supplies.

Corrigan resident Glenda Dirden was the first in a line of vehicles that spanned several miles. “I arrived an hour early to get supplies,” Dirden said. “It’s bad. There is no place in Corrigan to get food or gas. These supplies will help get us through until the city gets back to normal.”

Convoy of Hope quickly answered the call for help this week and sent an eighteen-wheeler loaded with the essential supplies. “We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Convoy of Hope for many years,” Yana Ogletree, Georgia-Pacific public and government affairs manager for Texas, said. “I have always known Convoy of Hope to be an incredible organization offering hope to those in need; however, for the first time I was able to see first-hand the significant role they play in disaster recovery and how they truly touch the lives of those affected by unfortunate situations.”

As a Convoy of Hope partner, Georgia-Pacific provides paper products such as Quilted Northern , Angel Soft bath tissue, Brawny paper towels, and Dixie disposable tableware toward the non-profit organization’s relief efforts.

“Convoy of Hope is so grateful for the partnership of Georgia-Pacific,” Ethan Forhetz, Convoy of Hope’s vice president of public engagement, said. “Knowing we have partners like Georgia-Pacific who step up during times of crisis allows us to serve people better. Convoy of Hope is on pace to respond to a record number of disasters this year, including Hurricane Beryl, and we couldn’t do it without the generosity and support of Georgia-Pacific. They are helping Convoy of Hope deliver hope to survivors of the storm.”

As power is restored to the area, the City of Corrigan is slowly getting back to normal with grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations opening for business and homes once again connecting to the everyday conveniences of air conditioning and running water. In the meantime, Hurricane Beryl serves as a reminder of the simple joys of life.