You want to do something. You bought cases at the store that still had stock. Good.
Now don’t drop them in the intersection and leave. Somebody has to hand them out, keep them in the shade, and stop the first truck from taking all of it.
Houston eats well in a crisis when the line has a person. It turns ugly when it doesn’t.
Do this now
- Ask the block what they actually need: ice, ready food, water, electrolyte drinks, gloves.
- Pick a dry, obvious spot with one volunteer who stays. Write a cardboard sign.
- Don’t block driveways, fire hydrants, or the ditch the next rain will need.
- If you cook, keep it simple and labeled. Allergens matter when kids are grazing.
- When you’re done, haul your trash. A mound of empty bottles is not a gift.
What worked on Houston streets
Taco trays, kolaches, rice, boxed water, and a folding table in a church lot. A text that says “ice at the brick house until 4.” Houstonians often report the best drops were the ones a neighbor owned. The worst were pallets left in a median that melted and drew a second kind of traffic.
Water is not always drinkable just because it’s in a bottle
Sealed commercial water is the easy yes. Unlabeled jugs, garden hoses, and “we filled these from a mister” are not. If a boil-water notice is on, say that on the sign. Don’t mix formula from a hose. If you have ice, keep it off the ground and out of the sun. 211 knows official water sites if your pile is gone by noon.
Feeding the crew in your house
Gutting people need shade, clean water, and a bathroom plan. They don’t need you to cook a feast on a generator while the house is open. Store-bought is fine. Say when lunch is and when you’re stopping. If someone shows up uninvited at meal time, they can have a bottle and a task or they can leave.
Verify live. Status changes hourly. Confirm boil-water status with 311 before you tell people the tap is fine. 211 for official water points.