First United Methodist Church Emergency Response Team co-leader David Newberry says the ERT sends teams of volunteers to disaster situations to help residents "muck out" and clean up their homes.

"The ERT was formed in 2018 to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey," he says.

"For out-of-town disasters we'll get a call from the Rio Texas Conference, and respond as a KFUMC team, alongside other teams from around the U.S. Our team travels as a self-contained unit, taking whatever tools are necessary based on the situation. Cleaning out houses may include moving stuff, taking up flooring, covering roof holes with tarps, and after floods dehumidifying and mold remediation. We take our own cleaning equipment, tools, dehumidifiers, and fans." He adds, "But the most valuable thing we do is listen to the people devastated by their loss. We have to be very owner-sensitive. What looks like some ruined junk may be a family heirloom to the people we're serving. Typically we send about five people, but we may send a larger group if more are needed and volunteers are available. 'Many hands make light work.' Right now we have about 30 to 35 members, and we can always use more." He says team members, who are all volunteers, aren't "experts," but they've done enough cleanup to have expertise in what needs doing and how to do it.