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Texas Baptist Men Aid TJJD During Water Crisis

MART, Texas – On Monday, July 24, the City of Mart notified the TJJD McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility (MCSICF) that the town’s water pump station was out of service.  The Mart facility immediately began instructing staff to pick up water from the warehouse for their areas on campus. The city advised the facility’s maintenance supervisor, Jimmie Jenson, that it would take approximately six to eight hours to repair the water pump. The following day, it was clear the problem would not be resolved so easily, and 18 portable toilets and handwashing stations were delivered to the campus for staff and students to use.

On Thursday morning, the facility was blessed with much needed relief. The Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief program (TBM), a unit sponsored by the Austin Baptist Association, delivered a portable trailer equipped with four showers and five washers and dryers. The City of Riesel Water Department supplied the facility with approximately 7,500 gallons of water hauled in a fire truck by the Mart Volunteer Fire department.

TJJD staff and five TBM volunteers put a plan into action. The tanks were filled and showers began, taking a day and a half to shower over 250 boys. By the end of the first day, over 288 loads of laundry were washed, dried and folded. The volunteers continued to work Friday and Saturday until the late evening. They were back to the facility first thing Monday morning and continued with showers for the boys and washing laundry.  On Wednesday, August 2, at noon, the water situation was under control and the volunteers were able to return home. Facility Superintendent Bill Parks said, “We will forever be grateful to Bob Andrews, Director of the TBM Disaster Relief Team, and the TBM volunteers for their generosity with their time and equipment. The assistance received from the City of Riesel and the Mart Volunteer Fire Department is more evidence that we live and work in a true community.”

The Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief Program trains volunteers and coordinates efforts to provide prompt assistance to disaster victims and emergency support in times of disaster. TBM has been involved in disaster relief in Texas and around the world since 1967. The organization has 5,000 trained volunteers around the state and a $3 million annual budget.

PHOTO: (L to R) Bob Andrews, Director of the Baptist Disaster Relief Team and Area Coordinator for the TBMDR Central Texas Area, and Bill Hyden.
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