Megan Thee Stallion to Help Restore Houston Homes After the ‘Devastation’ of Deadly Texas Freeze
Megan Thee Stallion is giving back to her hometown.
The Grammy nominee, 26, has joined forces with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and the National Association of Christian Churches Disaster Services to help restore her native Houston after Winter Storm Uri caused widespread devastation amid heavy snowfall and subzero temperatures across Texas last month.
The blizzard, which ran its course from Feb. 13 to Feb. 17, left millions of Texas residents without water, heat or electricity after severely damaging essential infrastructure. Winter Storm Uri, officially named the North American Winter Storm, also placed community members coping with COVID-19 or coronavirus-related health conditions at higher risk.
“Seeing the devastation and hearing the heartbreaking stories that have surfaced, I knew I had to do something to help my hometown,” Megan said in a statement. “I am so happy that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, the NACC and I aligned on the goal of repairing the homes of the elderly and uninsured single moms who are the most vulnerable and often displaced by these kinds of devastating events.”
In the wake of Winter Storm Uri, nearly 8.8 million people were still under boil-water orders by Feb. 22, according to the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality, while 120,000 people had no water service at all, per NBC News.
The public health advisories urged residents to limit the use of local water sources and avoid consuming drinking water (or faucet water) that may contain harmful bacteria or viruses, including COVID-19. Respective boil-water notices have since been lifted in the Texan cities of Houston and Austin.
“Throughout my congressional district and Houston, I saw the pain of people having destroyed homes,” Lee said in a statement.
“The historic and tragic disaster that was driven by the freeze and lack of preparation of the Texas electric grid caused lives to be lost and families to be displaced,” she continued. “The collective efforts of Megan Thee Stallion, the NACC and the 18th congressional district will help restore the lives and hopes of people who suffered from no fault of their own.”
The congresswoman went on, “Our goal is to rebuild and restore these homes.”
Pastor Ortega, with the NAAC Disaster Services, also spoke out in a statement, saying, “It’s an honor to join forces with Houston native Megan Thee Stallion to rebuild water-damaged homes. Our heart joins hers as we assist those most affected, especially seniors and single mothers. We encourage those who can to support our efforts by becoming a volunteer or making a donation.”
Taraji P. Henson, Maroon 5, Fashion Nova, 300 Entertainment and Mielle Organics are among a coalition of stars and organizations that have pledged to help restore Houston.